Metabolizable Energy Requirements for Growing Afshari Lambs: Insights from the Relative Growth Index Method
Subject Areas :
M. Bayat
1
,
A. Kiani
2
*
,
A. Azazi
3
1 - Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
2 - Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
3 - Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
Keywords: energy recommendation, fat-tailed sheep, gain, Iranian Afshari sheep, relative growth index,
Abstract :
This study aimed to estimate the energy requirements for maintenance (MEm; kJ/BW0.75) and growth (MEg; kJ/g) in growing fat-tailed Afshari lambs using relative growth index (RGI). The RGI was calculated by dividing metabolic body weight (BW0.75) by average daily gain (ADG; g). Then, the MEm (kJ/BW0.75) and MEg (kJ/g) were extrapolated from the intercept and slope of a linear regression between RGI and me-tabolizable energy intake (MEI) per unit of gain. Forty-five healthy fat-tailed Afshari male lambs (average weight: 29.5±1.8 kg; age: 140±10 days), individually housed, were assigned to one of three feeding levels: ad libitum (ADL, n=15), 80% of ADL (R80, n=15), and 60% of ADL (R60, n=15). Based on the linear relationship between RGI and MEI per g of gain [ME (kJ)=614 RGI (kJ/BW0.75) + 17.4 (kJ/g ADG), R2=0.98, n=45, RMSE=9.65], MEm and MEg were 614 kJ/BW0.75, and 17.4 kJ per g of gain. The feed in-take level significantly influenced the predicted ADG of fat-tailed Afshari lambs based on the CNCPS-S model with larger discrepancies between observed and predicted ADG in the R60 group. In conclusion, this study indicates that the RGI method is a promising and accessible alternative method for estimating the energy needs of growing lambs. The implications of the results lay the groundwork for more refined, breed-specific feeding strategies for stakeholders that could enhance the productivity and sustainability of Afshari sheep farming.
AFRC. (1993). Energy and Protein Requirements of Ruminants. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.
Al Jassim R.A.M., Hassan S.A. and Al-Ani A.N. (1996). Metabolizable energy requirements for maintenance and growth of Awassi lambs. Small Rumin. Res. 20, 239-245.
AOAC. (2005). Official Methods of Analysis. 18th Ed. Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Gaithersburg, MD, USA.
ARC. (1980). The Nutrient Requirements of Ruminant Livestock. Agricultural Research Council, Commonwealth Agricultural Bureax, Slough, United Kingdom.
Arjmand M., Kiani A., Azizi A., Fadayifar A., Azarfar A. and Ponnampalam E.N. (2022). Effects of dietary concentrate level and feeding length on nutrient digestibility, rumen hydrolytic enzymes activity, intermediary metabolites, and feeding behavior in growing fat-tailed lambs: Iranian feedlot system. Small Rumin. Res. 217, 106832-106841.
Ben Ettoumia R., Vernet J., Ortigues-Marty I., Kraiem K. and Majdoub-Mathlouthi L. (2022a). Effects of metabolizable energy intake on post weaning lamb growth performance, carcass tissue composition and internal fat depend on animal characteristics: A meta-analysis. Meat Sci. 185, 108719-108725.
Ben Ettoumia R., Vernet J., Ortigues-Marty I., Kraiem K. and Majdoub-Mathlouthi L. (2022b). In fat-tailed sheep, variation of energy intake affected growth performances, carcass muscle and tail fat, without modifying carcass fat: A meta-analysis. Small Rumin. Res. 217, 106838-106847.
Blaxter K. (1986). An historical perspective: the development of methods for assessing nutrient requirements. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 45, 177-183.
Cannas A., Tedeschi L.O., Fox D.G., Pell A.N. and Van Soest P.J. (2004). A mechanistic model for predicting the nutrient requirements and feed biological values for sheep. J. Anim. Sci. 82, 149-169.
Costa R.G., Lima H.B., Medeiros A.N., Cruz G.R.B., Peixoto M.G.L. and Silva J.K.B. (2018). Net protein and energy requirements for weight gain of Santa Inês and Morada Nova sheep. Livest. Sci. 214, 288-292.
CSIRO. (2007). Nutrient Requirements of Domestic Ruminant. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Collingwood Press, Collingwood, Australia.
Dawson L.E.R. and Steen R.W.J. (1998). Estimation of maintenance energy requirements of beef cattle and sheep. J. Agric. Sci. 131, 477-485.
Deng K.D., Diao Q.Y., Jiang C.G., Tu Y., Zhang N.F., Liu J., Ma, T., Zhao Y.G. and Xu G.S. (2012). Energy requirements for maintenance and growth of Dorper crossbred ram lambs. Livest. Sci. 150, 102-110.
Early R.J., Mahgoub O. and Lu C.D. (2001). Energy and protein utilization for maintenance and growth in Omani ram lambs in hot climates. I. Estimates of energy requirements and efficiency. J. Agric. Sci. 136, 451-459.
Ebrahimi S.H., Varasteh F. and Javadmanesh A. (2020). Performance description of Afshari sheep with focus on growth and daily gain potential in male lambs: A meta-analysis. Appl. Anim. Sci. Res. J. 9, 33-48.
Esmailizadeh A.K., Nemati M. and Mokhtari M.S. (2012). Fattening performance of purebred and crossbred lambs from fat-tailed Kurdi ewes mated to four Iranian native ram breeds. Trop. Anim. Health Prod. 44, 217-223.
Farid A. (1991). Slaughter and carcass characteristics of three fattailed sheep breeds and their crosses with Corriedale and Targhee rams. Small Rumin. Res. 5, 255-271.
Galvani D.B., Pires C.C., Kozloski G.V. and Wommer T.P. (2008). Energy requirements of Texel crossbred lambs. J. Anim. Sci. 86, 3480-3490.
Hoffmann L. and Klein M. (1980). The dependency of urniary energy on carbon and nitrogen content of urine in cattle, sheep, pigs and rats. Arch. Anim.. Nutr. 30, 743-750.
INRA. (1989). Ruminant Nutrition: Recommended Allowances and Feed Tables. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomi-que, Paris, France.
Jayanegara A., Ridla M., Astuti D.A., Wiryawan K.G., Laconi E.B. and Nahrowi N. (2017). Determination of energy and protein requirements of sheep in Indonesia using a Meta-analytical approach. Media Peternakan. 40, 118-127.
Kamalzadeh A. and Aouladrabiei M.R. (2009). Effects of restricted feeding on intake, digestion, nitrogen balance and metabolizable energy in small and large body sized sheep breeds. Asian-Australasian J. Anim. Sci. 22, 667-673.
Kamalzadeh A. and Shabani A. (2007). Maintenance and growth requirements for energy and nitrogen of Baluchi sheep. Int. J. Agric. Bio. 9, 535-539.
Kiani A., Chwalibog A., Nielsen M.O. and Tauson A.H. (2007). Partitioning of late gestation energy expenditure in ewes using indirect calorimetry and a linear regression approach. Arch. Anim. Nutr. 61, 168-178.
Luo J., Goetsch A.L., Sahlu T., Nsahlai I.V., Johnson Z.B., Moore J.E., Galyean M.L., Owens F.N. and Ferrell C.L. (2004). Prediction of metabolizable energy requirements for maintenance and gain of preweaning, growing and mature goats. Small Rumin. Res. 53, 231-252.
Ma T., Deng K.D., Tu Y., Zhang N.F., Zhao Q.N., Li C.Q., Jin H. and Diao Q.Y. (2022). Recent advances in nutrient requirements of meat-type sheep in China: A review. J. Integr. Agric. 21, 1-14.
Martins A.A., Härter C.J., Venturini R.S., Motta J.H., Teixeira W.S., Macari S., Carvalho S. and Pires C.C. (2019). Energy and protein requirements for maintenance of Texel lambs. Animal. 13, 1865-1873.
Nikkhah A. (2014). Ruminant feed intake regulation evolution: chronophysiological rhythms perspectives. Biol. Rhythm Res. 45, 563-577.
NRC. (1985). Nutrient Requirements of Sheep. 6th Ed. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., USA..
NRC. (2007). Nutrient Requirements of Small Ruminants, Sheep, Goats, Cervids, and New World Camelids. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., USA.
Orskov E. and McDonald I. (1970). The utilization of dietary energy for maintenance and for fat and protein deposition in young growing sheep. European Assoc. Anim. Prod. 13, 121-124.
Sahlu T., Goetsch A.L., Luo J., Nsahlai I.V., Moore J.E., Galyean, M.L., Owens F.N., Ferrell C.L. and Johnson Z.B. (2004). Nutrient requirements of goats: Developed equations, other considerations and future research to improve them. Small Rumin. Res. 53, 191-219.
Salah N., Sauvant D. and Archimède H. (2014). Nutritional requirements of sheep, goats and cattle in warm climates: A meta-analysis. Animal. 8, 1439-1447.
Santos A., Giráldez F.J., Mateo J., Frutos J. and Andrés S. (2018). Programming Merino lambs by early feed restriction reduces growth rates and increases fat accretion during the fattening period with no effect on meat quality traits. Meat Sci. 135, 20-26.
SAS Institute. (2004). SAS®/STAT Software, Release 9.4. SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC. USA.
Searle T.W., Graham N.M. and O'Callaghan M. (1972). Growth in sheep. I. The chemical composition of the body. J. Agric. Sci. 79, 371-382.
Tedeschi L.O., Cannas A. and Fox D.G. (2010). A nutrition mathematical model to account for dietary supply and requirements of energy and other nutrients for domesticated small ruminants: The development and evaluation of the Small Ruminant Nutrition System. Small Rumin. Res. 89, 174-184.
Thomson E.F., Bickel H. and Schürch A. (1982). Growth performance and metabolic changes in lambs and steers after mild nutritional restriction. J. Agric. Sci. 98, 183-194.
Van Soest P.J., Robertson J.B. and Lewis B.A. (1991). Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and nonstarch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. J. Dairy Sci. 74, 3583-3597.
Wang C.M., Yan T., Xie K.L., Chang S.H., Zhang C. and Hou F.J. (2021). Determination of maintenance energy requirement and responses of dry ewes to dietary inclusion of lucerne versus concentrate meal. Animal. 15, 100200-100200.