title: [Nutrient digestibility and nitrogen utilization in lactating cows under restricted protein supply and subsequent refeeding].
abstract: The effects of a 17% deficiency of crude protein for four weeks on nutrient digestibility and parameters of N metabolism were investigated using four pairs of monozygotic twin cows. During a period of realimentation of three weeks with slight nutrient oversupply and a further period of three weeks with nutrient supply adjusted to the lactation trend it was examined if residual effects remain. Protein restriction enhanced the excretion of fecal dry matter by 7.7%. Total fecal nitrogen was a high in the restricted group as in the control group. Apparent digestion coefficients for dry matter, organic matter and N-free extracts were lowered by 2 to 3 percent points with deficient protein nutrition. Crude fiber and nitrogen digestibilities declined by 4.5 and 9.8 percent points, respectively. The reduction of urine nitrogen excretion amounted to 47% as consequence of a drastically diminished nitrogen content of urine. Total nitrogen retention (milk-N and body-N) was lowered by 14%. The sum of the relative nitrogen losses via faeces and urine was not different between the protein-deficient and the normal diet. The utilization of feed nitrogen for milk nitrogen excretion was 28.2% in protein deficiency and 25.9% in control feeding. After realimentation no relevant residual effects of the previous protein deficiency were found neither with respect to nutrient digestibility nor to parameters of the nitrogen balance. So far the observed permanent effect in reduced milk yield by 6% of the expected performance can not be explained with changes in digestibility or nitrogen balance.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000378:metabolism*; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000378:metabolism; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004063:Digestion; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D008892:Milk / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D004043:Dietary Fiber; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D009584:Nitrogen
vernacular_title: Nährstoffverdaulichkeit und Stickstoffverwertung laktierender Kühe bei Unterversorgung an Protein und anschliessender Realimentation.