Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T23:54:00.620Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Animal and dietary variation in the absorption and metabolism of phosphorus by sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

A. C. Field
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh, EH17 7JH
J. A. Woolliams
Affiliation:
Animal Breeding Research Organisation, Edinburgh, EH9 3JQ
R. A. Dingwall
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh, EH17 7JH
C. S. Munro
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh, EH17 7JH

Summary

In Expt 1 the efficiency of absorption of phosphorus in feedingstuffs was compared within four sets of 18-month-old, chimaera-derived triplets; 12 feedingstuffs were evaluated in four balance trials with 32P. Seven diets consisted of a P-rich ingredient mixed with a low-P basic diet and five of hay or pelleted dried grass or lucerne. The P ingredients tested were the protein-rich meals, rape, soya-bean, maize gluten, fishmeal and rice bran, and the cereals, barley and wheat.

Sets of triplets absorbed dietary P with different (P < 0·001) efficiencies; the mean values were 0·72, 0·63, 0·76 and 0·79. The availability of P differed (P < 0·001) between diets, highest values being seen with the fishmeal (0·80), barley (0·78) and wheat diets (0·78) and the lowest with rice bran (0·63) and a perennial ryegrass hay (0·64). There was no evidence for an age effect on efficiency of absorption.

Endogenous faecal excretion was positively related to intake (P < 0·001) and negatively related to efficiency of absorption of dietary P. Plasma concentration was positively related (P < 0·001) to both intake and, between sets, to the efficiency of absorption.

Significant urinary excretion of P generally occurred when the efficiency of absorption was greater than 0·70. Two members of a set which absorbed P with high efficiency and excreted low volumes of urine died from urethral obstruction caused by calculi.

In Expt 2 an estimate of the variation in the concentration of P in plasma of 48 ewes on a barley-based diet was assessed and the values for three of the chimaera sets fell within the top quartile.

Safety factors were calculated from the animal and plant variations in the efficiency of absorption of dietary P and used to determine dietary allowances for different classes of sheep.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

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. London: H.M.S.O.Google Scholar
Agricultural Research Council (1980). The Nutrient Requirements of Ruminant Livestock. Farnham Royal: Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux.Google Scholar
Bailey, C. B. & Balch, C. C. (1961). Saliva secretion and its relation to feeding in cattle. 1. The composition and rate of secretion of parotid saliva in small steer. British Journal of Nutrition 15, 371382.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Field, A. C. (1981). Some thoughts on dietary requirements of macro-elements. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 40, 267272.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Field, A. C. (1983). Maintenance requirements of phosphorus and absorbability of dietary phosphorus in sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 100, 231233.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Field, A. C., Coop, R. L., Dingwall, R. A. & Munro, C. S. (1982). The phosphorus requirements for growth and maintenance of sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 99, 311317.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Field, A. C., Kamphues, J. & Woolliams, J. A. (1983). The effect of dietary intake of calcium and phosphorus on the absorption and excretion of phosphorus in chimaera-dorived sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 101, 597602.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Field, A. C. & Woolliams, J. A. (1983). Variation in tho metabolism of macro-elements between and among groups of ehimaora derived sheep. Fifth International Conference on Production Disease in Farm Animals. Uppsala, Swedish University of Agricultural Science, 80 pp.Google Scholar
Institut National De La Recherche Agronomique (1978). Alimentation des ruminants. Versailles: INRA Publications.Google Scholar
Jones, O. L. & Bromfield, S. M. (1969). Phosphorus changes during the leaching and decomposition of hayed-off pasture plants. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 20, 653663.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lueker, C. E. & Lofgreen, G. P. (1961). Effects of intake and calcium to phosphorus ratio and absorption of these elements. Journal of Nutrition 74, 233238.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Research Council (1975). Nutrient Requirements of Sheep, 5th ed.Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Science.Google Scholar
Playne, M. J. (1976). Availability of phosphorus in feedstuffs for utilization by ruminants. In Prospects for Improving the Efficiency of Phosphorus Utilization. Reviews in Rural Science, no. 111, pp. 155164. Armidale: University of New England.Google Scholar
Scott, D. & McLean, A. F. (1981). Control of mineral absorption in ruminants. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 40, 257266.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Suttle, N. F. & Field, A. C. (1968). Effects of intakes of copper, molybdenum and sulphate on copper metabolism in the sheep. 1. Clinical condition and distribution of copper in blood of the pregnant ewe. Journal of Comparative Pathology 78, 351362.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suttle, N. F. & Field, A. C. (1969). Studies on magnesium in ruminant nutrition. 9. Effect of potassium and magnesium intakes on development of hypomagnesaemia in sheep. British Journal of Nutrition 23, 8190.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tomas, F. M., Moir, R. J. & Somers, M. (1967). Phosphorus turnover in sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 18, 635645.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watson, R. H. (1933). Observations in the secretion of phosphorus in the saliva of the sheep. Australian Journal of Experimental Biology and Medical Science 11, 6774.CrossRefGoogle Scholar