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Dietary nitrogen and phosphorus depletion in cattle and their effects on liveweight gain, blood metabolite concentrations and phosphorus kinetics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

G. Bortolussi ,
J. H. Ternouth  and
N. P. McMeniman
G. Bortolussi
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
J. H. Ternouth
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
N. P. McMeniman
Affiliation:
Department of Farm Animal Medicine and Production, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
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Summary

In a 15-week animal-house experiment, 24 steers were offered one of six diets based on molasses and ad libitum barley straw. Three levels of dietary nitrogen (N) and three levels of dietary phosphorus (P), in factorial combination, were formulated by the addition of urea, formaldehyde-treated wheat gluten and monosodium orthophosphate. Food intake, liveweight gain, plasma metabolites and P kinetics were measured under dietary regimens similar to those experienced by cattle grazing Australia's northern semi-arid rangelands.

The adverse effect of the low dietary N on both liveweight change and feed intake was greater and more immediate than that of the dietary P deficiency. The reduction in feed intake due to the P deficiency approached that caused by the N deficiency after 10 weeks. Under conditions of adequate dietary N, there was a trend for the effects of P deficiency on liveweight gain to be exacerbated. Dietary N and P deficiency reduced the concentrations of plasma urea-N and inorganic P respectively. Dietary N deficiency had no effect on cortical rib bone thickness but P deficiency markedly decreased bone thickness. Faecal endogenous loss of P and P absorption efficiency ranged from 9 to 21 mg/kg LW and 0·63 to 0·82 respectively for P intakes from 6 to 41 mg·kg LW. Faecal endogenous losses were closely related to dry matter intake and plasma inorganic P together. Dietary N deficiency affected the efficiency of absorption of P.

The results of this experiment indicate that cattle consuming diets containing low levels of N and P require supplementary N and P in combination to avoid severe depletion since an increase in N intake alone exacerbated the P deficiency. The results are also discussed in relation to the published findings regarding P metabolism and the implications for the calculation of P requirements.

Type
Animals
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 126 , Issue 4 , June 1996 , pp. 493 - 501
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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