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Six yearling Hereford X Angus steers (avg 272 kg), each with ruminal, duodenal and ileal cannulas were used in a 6 X 6 Latin-square metabolism trial to evaluate the impact of NaHCO3 and trona (a ground, nonrefined ore with chemical composition NaHCO3-Na2CO3-2H2O) on site and extent of digestion of nutrients in the digestive tract. The diets were 50:50 or 90:10 (cracked corn-based concentrate:cottonseed hulls) with no buffer, 1% NaHCO3, or 1% trona. Intake, across all treatments, averaged 2.4% of body weight. Dry matter (DM) and starch digestibility (via indigestible acid detergent fiber) before the duodenum was decreased (P less than .10) with trona in the 50:50 diet. Digestibility of DM, crude protein and starch before the ileum were greater (P less than .05) in the 90:10 diet vs 50:50 diet. Total tract digestibility was similar across buffer treatments in the 90:10 diet. Addition of NaHCO3 increased (P less than .05) digestibility of dry matter and cell solubles in the 50:50 diet. Organic matter and crude protein digestibility were also increased (P less than .10) with NaHCO3. Apparent crude protein and cell solubles digestibility were greater (P less than .10) with trona than NaHCO3 in the 50:50 diet. This trial indicates that buffers provide overall enhancement of diet digestibility in mixed grain/roughage diets.

Sixty mature (4 to 6 yr), nonpregnant, nonlactating beef cows of two breed types, Angus (n = 30) and Simmental (n = 30), were used in a four-period, split-plot study (371 d) to determine the seasonal differences in body composition. Periods were chosen to represent each of the four seasons in one year that ran consecutively from June 14, 1986 to June 20, 1987. Initially, all cows were assigned randomly within breed type to one of four feeding levels based on the cows' estimated maintenance requirement (75, 87.5, 112.5, and 125% of weight maintenance) and were rotated such that all animals were fed at all four feeding levels during the course of the study. Body composition was estimated via isotope dilution initially and at the end of Periods 1 through 3 and via derived regression relationships after Period 4. Body composition differed by breed; Simmental cows had greater (P less than .05) amounts of empty body protein (79.4 vs 55.8 kg, respectively) and less (P less than .05) empty body fat (85.3 vs 93.9 kg, respectively) than the Angus cows. These differences also were apparent when expressed as a percentage of live weight. Season altered components of the empty body. On the average, both breeds mobilized (P less than .05) empty body protein (-3.6 and -5.4 kg for Angus and Simmental cows, respectively) in the summer while simultaneously gaining (P less than .05) empty body fat (15.3 and 30.1 kg for Angus and Simmental cows, respectively). Both breeds subsequently tended to gain empty body protein in the winter and spring.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed two levels of phosphorus ad libitum and in a paired feeding arrangement to yield the following three treatments: adequate phosphorus (0.40%) ad libitum intake, low phosphorus (0.04%) ad libitum intake and adequate phosphorus pair-fed with the low phosphorus group. Feed intake, growth rate and feed conversion in rats fed 0.04% phosphorus ad libitum and in pair-fed control rats were lower (P less than 0.01) than in rats fed 0.40% phosphorus ad libitum. Seventy-five percent of the rats exhibited normal estrous cycles, as indicated by vaginal smears, throughout the 105-d period regardless of dietary phosphorus level. Breeding efficiency and number of pups per litter were not altered by dietary treatment. However, compared to either phosphorus-adequate group, dams fed 0.04% phosphorus weaned fewer (P less than 0.05) pups and pup survival to 45 d of age was lower (P less than 0.05). Average daily gain postweaning was 67% lower for pups in the phosphorus-deficient group than for those in either phosphorus-adequate group. Phosphorus deficiency in rats does not alter estrous cycles but reduces pup survivability postnatally.

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