Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T18:38:37.807Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Prediction of the body composition of live cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

D. A. Little
Affiliation:
C.S.I.R.O. Division of Animal Physiology, Cunningham Laboratory, Mill Road, St Lucia, Queensland, 4067
J. G. Morris
Affiliation:
Animal Research Institute, Yeerongpilly

Summary

Two methods of determining body composition in live cattle have been compared with the composition of the cattle as determined by chemical analysis. Total body water (TBW) was estimated from tritiated water (TOH) dilution, and circulating redcell volume (RCV) estimated from measurements of plasma volume and haematocrit. TBW was very closely related to fat-free weight and fat weight as a percentage of live weight (LW) in eight cattle ranging from 3 to 34% fat. TOH space was more precise than RCV in the estimation of the various chemical fractions of the live animal.

TOH injected intravenously equilibrated with ruminal water in 8–10 h; one could be confident that equilibration had occurred 10 h after injection, and equilibration time was not affected by previous restriction of feed and water. The mean biological half life of TOH was 4·2 ± 0·4 days. Equations are presented for the practical determination of the various compartments.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 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

Aschbaoher, P. W., Kamal, T. H.&Cragle, R. G. (1965). Total body water estimations in dairy cattle using tritiated water. J. Anim. Sci. 24, 430.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brozek, J. & Keys, A. (1950). Evaluation of leanness – fatness in man: a survey of methods. Nutr. Abst. Rev. 20, 247.Google Scholar
Carnegie, A. B. & Tulloh, N. M. (1968). The in vivo determination of body water space in cattle using the tritium dilution technique. Proc. Aust. Soc. Anim. Prod. 7, 308.Google Scholar
Doornenbal, H., Asdell, S. A. & Comar, C. L. (1962). Relationship between Cr51·determined total red cell volume and ‘lean body mass’ in rats. J. appl. Phyaiol. 17, 737.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Doornenbal, H., Asdell, S. A. & Wellington, G. H. (1962). Cr51·determined red cell volume as an index of 'lean body mass’ in pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 21, 461.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hansard, S. L. (1968). Dilution methods in body composition. In Body Composition in Animals and Man (publ. 1598). Washington D.C.: National Academy of Science.Google Scholar
Hyde, R. D.& Jones, N. F. (1962). Red cell volume and total body water. Br. J. Haemat. 8, 283.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morris, J. G. & Moir, K. W. (1963). Methods of determining the chemical composition of dead animals. In Carcase Composition and Appraisal of Meat Animals (ed. Tribe, D. E.). Tech. Conf. Melbourne (CSIRO Melbourne).Google Scholar
Muldowney, F. P. (1957). The relationship of total red cell mass to lean body mass in man. Clin. Sci. 16, 163.Google ScholarPubMed
Pace, N. & Rathbun, E. N. (1945). Studies on body composition. III. Body water and chemically combined nitrogen content in relation to fat content. J. biol. Chem. 158, 685.Google Scholar
Panaretto, B. A. (1963 a). The estimation of body composition in living animals. In Carcase Composition and Appraisal of Meat Animals (ed. Tribe, D. E.). Tech. Conf. Melbourne (CSIRO Melbourne).Google Scholar
Panaretto, B. A. (1963 b). Body composition in vivo. III. The composition of living ruminants and its relation to the tritiated water spaces. Aust. J. agric. Res. 14, 944.Google Scholar
Panaretto, B. A. & Little, D. A. (1965). Body composition in vivo. VII. The relation between red cell volume and total body water in owes. Aust. J. agric. Res. 16, 661.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Panaretto, B. A. & Till, A. R. (1963). Body composition in vivo. II. The composition of mature goats and its relationship to the antipyrine, tritiated water and N-acetyl 4-aminoantipyrine spaces. Aust. J. agric. Res. 14, 926.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reid, J. T., Wellington, G. H. & Dunn, H. O. (1955). Some relationships among the major chemical components of the bovine body and their application to nutritional investigations. J. Dairy Sci. 38, 1344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Searle, T. W. (1970). Body composition in lambs and young sheep and its prediction in vivo from tritiated water space and body weight. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 74, 357.Google Scholar
Shumway, R. P., Trujillo, T. T., Bennett, J. A., Matthews, D. J. & Asplund, R. O. (1956). Fat determination in live steers using tritium injections. Proc. west. Sect. Am. Soc. Anim. Prod. 7, XXIV–1.Google Scholar
Springell, P. H. (1968). Water content and water turnover in beef cattle. Aust. J. agric. Res. 19, 129Google Scholar