title: Study on the energy and protein requirements in goats.
abstract: The present study focussed on the energy and protein metabolism in pregnant and lactating goats, including young female goats up to 8 months of age, in order to determine feed availability, as also the energy and protein requirements. It was found that the diets consisting of alfalfa hay, oats hay, maize, wheat bran and mixed feeds (fed to suckling females) had different availabilities in terms of energy and protein, according to animal physiological condition and age. Thus, in pregnant goats, 21% of the metabolizable energy (ME) was used as net energy for pregnancy (foetus plus foetal membranes); the amount of energy required for maintenance was 0.400 MJ/kg 0.75. The availability of digestible protein in the intestines (PDI) for pregnancy was 41.2 +/- 3.1%, while the amount of protein required for maintenance was 2.32 g PDI/kg 0.75. In lactating goats 60.7% of the ME of the diets is used as milk net energy, and 58.9 of the PDI as milk protein. Young female goats had a daily net gain ranging between 173 g and 60 g; the amount of protein in the gain varied between 23 g (month 2) and 12 g (month 8); and that of fat, between 8 g (month 1) and 24 g (month 6). The energy and protein requirements for maintenance were found to be 0.450 MJ ME/kg 0.75 and 2.43 g PDI/kg 0.75, respectively. The net efficiency of ME for growth was of 46.2 +/- 3% and of PDI for protein retention, of 50.1 +/- 2%.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology and Animal Nutrition Balotesti, Romania.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Voicu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burlacu
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Criste
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Voicu
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004063:Digestion; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D006041:Goats / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D007774:Lactation / Q000378:metabolism*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D009584:Nitrogen