The use of faecal nitrogen as an index for estimating the consumption of herbage by grazing animals

Arnold, GW; Dudziński, M. L.

doi:10.1017/s0021859600013666

Cited by 30 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Arnold and Dudzinski (1963) reported that selective grazing was one of the causes of error in the prediction of feed intake based on fecal N index. These authors also observed a large between-animal variation in fecal N output and OMI by sheep in feeding trial indoors.…”

Section: Digestibility Coefficient (%)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Methane emissions by Charolais cows grazing a monospecific pasture of timothy at four stages of maturity

Pinares-Patiño¹,

Baumont²,

Martin³

2003

Can. J. Anim. Sci.

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Pinares-Patiño, C. S., Baumont, R. and Martin, C. 2003. Methane emissions by Charolais cows grazing a monospecific pasture of timothy at four stages of maturity. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 83: 769-777. In order to examine the relationship between herbage maturity and methane (CH 4 ) emission under conditions which minimized opportunities for selective grazing, six 8-yr-old, dry and early-pregnant Charolais cows [712 ± 22.7 kg liveweight (LW)] were grazed on a mono-specific pasture of timothy at four stages of maturity: early vegetative, heading, flowering, and senescence. Daily CH 4 production was measured during 7 d using the sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) tracer-gas technique. Organic matter intake (OMI) was determined from fecal output estimated by Yb 2 O 3 dosing and feed digestibility (OMD) estimated using a fecal N index. The OMD (%) decreased (P < 0.05) from 77.6 at early vegetative to 56.2 at senescence, but no cow effect upon OMD was observed. The OMI (14.8 g kg -1 LW) and CH 4 production (273 g d -1 ) were higher (P < 0.05) at heading than at the other stages of maturity. The proportion of gross energy intake (GEI) lost in CH 4 did not differ with maturity (mean 6.4% of GEI). Cow effects upon OMI and CH 4 emission were significant (P < 0.05). CH 4 production (g d -1 ) was not related to diet chemical composition or OMD, but was correlated with digestible neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intake (kg d -1 ) (r = 0.61, P < 0.01). Across all stages of maturity between-cow variation explained 54 to 70% of the total variation in CH 4 production. (SF 6 ). La quantité de matière organique ingérée (MOI) était calculée à partir des flux de fèces estimés par dosage de Yb 2 O 3 , et de la digestibilité de la matière organique (MOD) estimée à partir de l'azote fécal. La MOD (%) diminuait (P < 0.05) de 77.6 pour le stade végétatif à 56.2 pour le stade sénescent, mais était comparable entre animaux. La MOI (14.8 g kg -1 PV) et la production de CH 4 (273 g j -1 ) étaient plus élevées (P < 0.05) au stade épiaison qu'aux autres stades. La perte d'énergie alimentaire sous forme de méthane, ne variait pas avec le stade de maturité (6.4% de l'énergie brute ingérée en moyenne). La MOI et les émissions de CH 4 variaient entre animaux (P < 0.05). La production de CH 4 (g j -1 ) n'é-tait pas reliée à la composition chimique de l'herbe ingérée ou MOD, mais était fortement corrélée à la quantité de NDF digestible ingérée (kg j -1 ) (r = 0.61, P < 0.01). Quel que soit le stade de maturité, la variabilité animale expliquait 54 à 70% de la variation totale des productions de CH 4 .Mots clés: Méthane, bovin, variabilité animale, fléole, phénologie, pâturage sélectif Rumen methanogenesis represents a loss of between 2 to 12% of the gross energy intake (Johnson et al. 1993; Vermorel 1997) and the considerable research carried out during the 1960s and 1970s, aiming to increase feed efficiency, did not yield CH 4 mitigation technology. During the past few years, however, a renewed interest in controlling ruminant CH 4 production has been observed ...

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Section: Digestibility Coefficient (%)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Methane emissions by Charolais cows grazing a monospecific pasture of timothy at four stages of maturity

Pinares-Patiño¹,

Baumont²,

Martin³

2003

Can. J. Anim. Sci.

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“…Grazing is a complex process that is still not well understood. Considerable attention has been given to examining the factors which might influence the intake of herbage by large herbivores, and early investigations by Arnold and Dudzinski (1963), Spedding et al. (1966) and Allden and Whittaker (1970) on temperate pastures suggested that herbage intake by ruminants could be defined as the product of the biting rate, bite mass and the time spent grazing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of structure of a tropical pasture on ingestive behaviour, digestibility of diet and daily intake by grazing cattle

Boval¹,

Fanchone²,

Archimède³

et al. 2007

Grass and Forage Science

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The effect of the structure of a tropical pasture, based on Dichanthium spp., on the ingestive behaviour, in vivo digestibility of the diet and herbage intake by eight Creole tethered heifers was studied. Two levels of nitrogen fertilizer (0 and 50 kg ha )1 ) were applied to plots after each grazing cycle and there were 28 d between each of the three grazing cycles. Four heifers grazed individual subplots daily on each plot for 14 d in each of the successive grazing cycles. Simultaneous measurements of bite depth, bite mass, biting rate, short-term intake rate and daily grazing time were made in two 4-d periods at the end of each 14-d period.The in vivo organic matter digestibility (OMD) and daily herbage organic matter intake (OMI, expressed on a kg LW 0AE75 basis) were also measured at the same times. Relationships among pasture characteristics and ingestive behaviour were similar to those reported in other short-term studies: pasture height was highly correlated with bite depth, bite mass and biting rate (r ¼ 0AE91, r ¼ 0AE79 and r ¼ )0AE68, respectively, P < 0AE001). Pasture variables had lower correlations with grazing time and short-term intake rate than with bite depth, bite mass and biting rate. Pasture structure was more highly correlated with OMD than OMI: leaf mass and length and also the extended tiller length were highly correlated with OMD (r ¼ 0AE77, r ¼ 0AE76 and r ¼ 0AE72, respectively, P < 0AE001) whereas the crude protein concentration of the herbage was correlated with OMI and digestible OMI (r ¼ 0AE50 and r ¼ 0AE69, respectively, P < 0AE001). Ingestive behaviour variables, as well as OMD, were correlated more with pasture characteristics than was OMI.

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“…Digestibility of grazed forages cannot be deter-It is generally agreed that faecal nitrogen, which mined directly and has to be estimated by in-is not solely of dietary origin (Virtanen, 1966; Van direct means (Lambourne & Reardon, 1963;Soest, 1967), is the best indicator available Greenhalgh & Corbett, 1960). A number of indi- (Arnold & Dudzinski, 1963;McManus, Arnold & cator substances, nitrogen (Raymond, 1954;Dudzinski, 1966;Streeter, 1969). Local regression Arnold & Dudzinski, 1963), chromogens (Reid et al relationships between intake and some function of 1950), lignin (Van Soest, 1965) and minerals faecal nitrogen need to be established.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A number of indi- (Arnold & Dudzinski, 1963;McManus, Arnold & cator substances, nitrogen (Raymond, 1954;Dudzinski, 1966;Streeter, 1969). Local regression Arnold & Dudzinski, 1963), chromogens (Reid et al relationships between intake and some function of 1950), lignin (Van Soest, 1965) and minerals faecal nitrogen need to be established. The con- (McManus, Dudzinski & Arnold, 1967) naturally centration of nitrogen appearing in the faeces occurring in ruminant faeces have been used to may be influenced by parasitism of the host predict feed digestibility and feed intake.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Studies on forage cell walls

McManus

Bigham

1973

J. Agric. Sci.

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Food intake prediction relationships were developed from in vitro dry-matter digestibility determinations on food and resultant faecal material for a number of diets ranging from low quality roughage to high quality irrigated pastures.The relationship between true digestibility in vivo and in vitro food dry-matter digestibility was curvilinear, although true digestibility of food dry matter in vivo was highly correlated with apparent digestibility of food dry matter in vivo. The latter relationship was linear.For 122 sheep observations on voluntary dry-matter intake incorporating 11 diet types, introduction of either of the terms, cell-wall concentration in food: cell-wall concentration in the resultant faeces (CWFo/CWFe), or its converse, into conventional faecal index relationships did not increase precision of intake prediction using faecal nitrogen as an indicator substance. However, significant intake prediction relationships using food:faeces cell-wall ratios were generated.Values for in vitro digestibility of food and resultant faeces dry matter expressed as either a ratio (R) or as a difference (delta) yielded useful prediction relationships. For 'green' and for 'dry' classifications of the feedstuff's investigated some of these new relationships were either equal to or superior to the predictive efficiency of conventional faecal index relationships.Reasons are discussed for use of maximum potential in vitro digestibility values for food and faecal dry matter in such relationships in future work rather than a conventional 48 h fermentation.

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The use of faecal nitrogen as an index for estimating the consumption of herbage by grazing animals

Cited by 30 publications

References 11 publications

Methane emissions by Charolais cows grazing a monospecific pasture of timothy at four stages of maturity

Methane emissions by Charolais cows grazing a monospecific pasture of timothy at four stages of maturity

Effect of structure of a tropical pasture on ingestive behaviour, digestibility of diet and daily intake by grazing cattle

Studies on forage cell walls

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