Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T22:55:08.721Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of isolation, confinement and competition for feed on the energy exchanges of growing lambs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

A. J. F. Webster ,
J. S. Smith  and
J. M. Brockway
A. J. F. Webster
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB2 9SB
J. S. Smith
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB2 9SB
J. M. Brockway
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB2 9SB
Get access

Summary

1. Calorimetric evaluation of the nutritive value of feeds for ruminants has, of necessity, involved using mature sheep isolated in respiration chambers. This experiment was designed to examine how such information relates to growing lambs reared in different ways.

2. Lambs were either completely isolated, individually fed, or fed in groups. Two lambs in each group were fed to gain 100 g/day (medium) and two to gain 200 g/day (high). Calorimetric measurements were made on individuals or groups at intervals over 20 weeks.

3. All lambs fed to gain 100 g/day consumed their entire ration, isolated lambs gained on average 123 g/day and the others 160 g/day. On the ‘high’ ration isolated lambs ate less than the others and gained 178 as against 228 g/day.

4. Metabolizable energy intake, heat production and thus energy retention were similar in all groups offered the ‘medium’ ration. Differences in energy retention on the ‘high’ ration were related to differences in intake.

5. The net availability for weight gain of the diet (kf) estimated from energy balance trials conducted throughout the growth period (0·61) agreed well with that predicted from its content of metabolizable energy (0·63).

6. Estimates of the caloric density of the weight gain suggested that on the ‘medium’ ration the isolated lambs retained substantially more energy as fat than those reared in groups. These observations are discussed in relation to the design and interpretation of calorimetric experiments to predict the nutritive value of feeds for growing lambs.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 15 , Issue 2 , October 1972 , pp. 189 - 201
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1972

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Agricultural Research Council. 1965. The Nutrient Requirements of Farm Livestock. No. 2, Ruminants. Agricultural Research Council, London.Google Scholar
Andrews, R. P. and Ørskov, E. R. 1970. The nutrition of the early weaned lamb. II. The effect of dietary protein concentration, feeding level and sex on body composition at two live weights. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 75: 19–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Association of Official Agricultural Chemists. 1965. Methods of Analysis. 10th ed. Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L., Brockway, J. M. and Boyne, A. W. 1971. A new method for estimating the heat production of animals. Q. Jl exp. Physiol. 57: 60–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blaxter, K. L., Clapperton, J. L. and Wainman, F. W. 1966. Utilization of the energy and protein of the same diet by cattle of different ages. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 67: 67–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brouwer, E. 1965. Report of sub-committee on constants and factors. Proc. 3rd Symposium. Energy Metabolism of Farm Animals (ed. Blaxter, K. L.). EAAP Publ. No. 11, pp. 441–443.Google Scholar
Hill, J. B. 1965. A method of measuring deviations from equilibrium of the glucose anomers in blood. J. appl. Physiol. 20: 749–754.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kielanowski, J. and Kotarbińska, M. 1971. Further studies on energy metabolism in the pig. Proc. 5th Symposium. Energy Metabolism of Farm Animals (ed. Schürch, A. and Wenk, C.). EAAP Publ. No. 13, pp. 145–148.Google Scholar
Manns, J. G. and Boda, J. M. 1967. Insulin release by acetate, propionate, butyrate and glucose in lambs and adult sheep. Am. J. Physiol. 212: 747–755.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marsh, W. H., Fingerhut, B. and Miller, H. 1965. Automated and manual direct methods for the determination of blood urea. Clin. Chem. 11: 624–627.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morrison, S. R., Hintz, H. F. and Givens, R. L. 1968. A note on effect of exercise on behaviour and performance of confined swine. Anim. Prod. 10: 341–344.Google Scholar
Mukhoty, H., Groves, T. D. D. and Combs, W. 1969. Growth dependent changes in blood urea nitrogen levels in Lincoln and Southdown sheep. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 49: 197–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orskov, E. R. and McDonald, I. 1971. The utilization of dietary energy for maintenance and for fat and protein deposition in young growing sheep. Proc. 5th Symposium. Energy Metabolism of Farm Animals (ed. Schürch, A. and Wenk, C.). EAAP Publ. No. 13, pp. 121–124.Google Scholar
Selye, M. 1950. Stress. Acta. Inc, Montreal.Google ScholarPubMed
Wainman, F. W. and Blaxter, K. L. 1969. Further experience with closed-circuit respiration chambers. Proc. 4th Symposium. Energy Metabolism of Farm Animals (ed. Blaxter, K. L., Kielanowski, J. and Thorbek, G.). EAAP Publ. No. 12, pp. 429–434.Google Scholar