Effect of Oscillating Protein Feeding on Feed Intake, Digestibility, and Nitrogen Balance in Moghani Male Lambs
Subject Areas :
T. Yalchi
1
*
,
B. Barzegar
2
,
V. Vahedi
3
1 - Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources Moghan, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
2 - Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources Moghan, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
3 - Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources Moghan, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
Keywords: daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio, nitrogen efficiency, nitrogen retention, sheep,
Abstract :
This study aimed to investigate the effect of oscillating crude protein (CP) levels in the diet, combined with a reduction in protein levels, on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, and nitrogen balance in Moghani lambs. A total of eight male lambs were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. The experimental treatments included: 1) a diet containing 15% CP with a constant intake (control); 2) diets containing 13% and 17% CP; 3) diets containing 12% and 16% CP and 4) diets containing 11% and 15% CP with a 48-hour oscillating intake cycle. Feed intake, daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio showed no significant differences among the experimental treatments. Linear comparisons of the treatments with reduced CP levels also revealed no significant differences in feed conversion ratio. Dry matter and organic matter digestibility did not differ significantly between treatments; however, the treatment with oscillating CP levels of 13% and 17% exhib-ited the highest crude protein digestibility. Fecal and urinary nitrogen excretion did not significantly differ among treatments, but linear comparison of the oscillating CP treatments indicated that decreasing dietary CP levels significantly reduced nitrogen excretion via feces and urine. The highest retained nitrogen and nitrogen efficiency were observed in the treatment with oscillating CP levels of 13% and 17%, which showed a significant difference compared to the constant 15% CP diet. Overall, the results indicated that oscillating CP levels in the diet improved crude protein digestibility and increased nitrogen retention and efficiency in male lambs, while having no significant effect on feed intake, feed conversion ratio, or daily weight gain. Additionally, the absence of significant differences in performance traits among treatments with reduced CP levels highlights the beneficial effects of oscillating protein feeding.
AOAC. (2012). Official Methods of Analysis. Vol. I. 29th Ed. Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Arlington, VA, USA.
Archibeque S.L., Freetly H.C. and Ferrell C.L. (2007). Net portal and hepatic flux of nutrients in growing wethers fed high-concentrate diets with oscillating protein concentrations. J. Anim. Sci. 85, 997-1005.
Calsamiglia S., Ferret A., Reynolds C.K., Kristensen N.B. and Van Vuuren A.M. (2010). Strategies for optimizing nitrogen use by ruminants. Animal. 4, 1184-1196.
Cole N.A. (1999). Nitrogen retention by lambs fed oscillating dietary protein concentrations. J. Anim. Sci. 77, 215-222.
Cole N.A., Greene L.W., McCollum F.T., Montgomery T. and McBride K. (2003). Influence of oscillating dietary crude pro-tein concentration on performance, acid-base balance, and ni-trogen excretion of steers. J. Anim. Sci. 81, 2660-2668.
Cue R.I. (2006). Statistical Methods AEMA-610. McGill Univer-sity, Montreal, Canada.
de Souza M.N., Bayer C., Lassalas M., Michelon G.M., Schaitz L.H., Biasiolo R., Civiero M. and Ribeiro-Filho H.M.N. (2021). Effects of ground corn and Acacia mearnsii tannin ex-tract supplementation on nitrogen excretion and nitrous oxide emissions from sheep. Livest. Sci. 246, 104458-104465.
Dijkstra J., Oenema O., Van Groenigen J.W., Spek J.W., Van Vuuren A.M. and Bannink A. (2013). Diet effects on urine composition of cattle and N2O emissions. Animl. 7, 292-302.
Doranalli K., Penner G.B. and Mutsvangwa T. (2011). Feeding oscillating dietary crude protein concentrations increases ni-trogen utilization in growing lambs and this response is partly attributable to increased urea transfer to the rumen. J. Nutr. 141, 560-567.
Erickson M.G., Reinhardt L.A., Svaren L., Sullivan M.L., Zanton G.I. and Wattiaux M.A. (2024). Crude protein oscillation in diets adequate and deficient in metabolizable protein: Effects on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, plasma amino acids, and greenhouse gas emissions. J. Dairy Sci. 107, 3558-3572.
Federation of Animal Science Societies (FASS). (2010). Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Research and Teach-ing. Federation of Animal Science Societies, Cham-paign, Illi-nois.
Hristov A.N., Bannink A., Crompton L.A., Huhtanen P., Kreuzer M., McGee M., Nozière P., Reynolds C.K., Bayat A.R., Yáñez-Ruiz D.R. and Dijkstra J. (2019). Invited review: Ni-trogen in ruminant nutrition: A review of measurement tech-niques. J. Dairy Sci. 102, 5811-5852.
Khattab I.M. and Abdel-Wahed A.M. (2018). Effect of oscillating crude protein content on nitrogen utilization, milk production and performance of sheep. Egypt. J. Nutr. Feed. 21, 373-380.
Kiran D. and Mutsvangwa T. (2009). Nitrogen utilization in grow-ing lambs fed oscillating dietary protein concentrations. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 152, 33-41.
Lapierre H. and Lobley G.E. (2001). Nitrogen recycling in the ruminant: A review. J. Dairy Sci. 84, 223-236.
Ludden P.A., Wechter T.L. and Hess B.W. (2002). Effects of oscillating dietary protein on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen metabolism, and gastrointestinal organ mass in sheep. J. Anim. Sci. 80, 3021-3026.
Ma J., Wang C., Wang Z., Cao G., Hu R., Wang X., Zou H., Kang K., Peng Q., Xue B. and Wang L. (2021). Active dry yeast supplementation improves the growth performance, rumen fermentation, and immune response of weaned beef calves. Anim. Nutr. 7, 1352-1359.
Macrae A. (2017). Interpreting blood haematology/biochemistry in cattle and sheep in the field. Livestock. 22, 28-32.
McDonald P., Edwards R.A., Greenhalgh J.F.D., Morgan C.A., Sinclair L.A. and Wilkinson R.G. (2010). Animal Nutrition. Pearson press, London, United Kingdom.
Menezes A.C., Valadares Filho S.C., Pacheco M.V., Pucetti P., Silva B.C., Zanetti D., Paulino M.F., Silva F.F., Neville T.L. and Caton J.S. (2019). Oscillating and static dietary crude pro-tein supply. I. Impacts on intake, digestibility, performance, and nitrogen balance in young Nellore bulls. Transl. Anim. Sci. 3, 1205-1215.
NRC. (2007). Nutrient Requirements: Sheep, Goats, Cervids, and New World Camelids. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, USA.
Piccione G., Messina V., Giannetto C., Casella S., Assenza A. and Fazio F. (2011). Seasonal variations of the serum proteins in sheep and goats. Arch. Anim. Breed. 54, 399-405.
Rauch R., Martín-Tereso J., Daniel J.B. and Dijkstra J. (2021). Dietary protein oscillation: Effects on feed intake, lactation performance, and milk nitrogen efficiency in lactating dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 104, 10714-10726.
Rauch R., Nichols K., Daniel J.B., Martín-Tereso J. and Dijkstra J. (2023). Dietary protein oscillation: effects on digestibility, nu-trient balance and estimated microbial protein synthesis in lac-tating dairy cows. Animal. 17, 100695-100704.
Reynolds C.K. and Kristensen N.B. (2008). Nitrogen recycling through the gut and the nitrogen economy of ruminants: an asynchronous symbiosis. J. Anim. Sci. 86, E293-E305.
Richardson J.M., Wilkinson R.G. and Sinclair L.A. (2003). Syn-chrony of nutrient supply to the rumen and dietary energy source and their effects on the growth and metabolism of lambs. J. Anim. Sci. 81, 1332-1347.
Rius A.G., McGilliard M.L., Umberger C.A. and Hanigan M.D. (2010). Interactions of energy and predicted metabolizable protein in determining nitrogen efficiency in the lactating dairy cow. J. Dairy Sci. 93, 2034-2043.
Rusche W.C., Cochran R.C., Corah L.R., Stevenson J.S., Harmon D.L., Brandt Jr R.T. and Minton J.E. (1993). Influence of source and amount of dietary protein on performance, blood metabolites, and reproductive function of primiparous beef cows. J. Anim. Sci. 71, 557-563.
SAS Institute. (2004). SAS®/STAT Software, Release 9.1. SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC. USA.
Sinclair K.D., Garnsworthy P.C., Mann G.E. and Sinclair L.A. (2014). Reducing dietary protein in dairy cow diets: Implica-tions for nitrogen utilization, milk production, welfare and fer-tility. Animal. 8, 262-274.
Tebbe A.W. and Weiss W.P. (2020). Effects of oscillating dietary crude protein concentrations on production, nutrient digestion, plasma metabolites, and body composition in lactating dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 103, 10219-10232.
Tian K., Liu J., Sun Y., Wu Y., Chen J., Zhang R., He T. and Dong G. (2019). Effects of dietary supplementation of inulin on rumen fermentation and bacterial microbiota, inflammatory response and growth performance in finishing beef steers fed high or low-concentrate diet. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 258, 114299-114306.
Van Soest P.J., Robertson J.B. and Lewis B.A. (1991). Methods for dietary, neutral detergent fiber, and non-starch polysaccha-rides in relation to animal nutrition. Symposium: Carbohydrate methodology, metabolism, and nutritional implications in dairy cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 74, 3583-3597.
Yalchi T. (2022). Influence of oscillating dietary protein concen-tration on nitrogen balance and daily weight gain in fattening male lambs. J. Anim. Environ. 14, 27-34.
Yalchi T., Seif Davati J. and Seyyed Sharifi R. (2020). Effect of nutrient synchrony on ruminal fermentation, microbial protein synthesis and nitrogen balance in sheep. Iranian J. Anim. Sci. Res. 12, 19-33.