The Feeding Of Ruminants

The INRA Feeding System for Ruminants has been renewed to better address emerging challenges for animal nutrition: prevision of productive responses, product quality, animal health and emissions to the environment, in a larger extent of breeding contexts. The new system is mainly built from meta-analyses of large data bases, and modelling. The dietary supply model accounts for digestive interactions and flows of individual nutrients, so that feed values depend on the final ration. Animal requirements account for variability in metabolic efficiency. Various productive and non-productive animal responses to diets are quantified. This book presents the whole system for dairy and meat, large and small ruminant production, including specificities for tropical and Mediterranean areas. The first two sections present biological concepts and equations (with their field of application and statistical accuracy) used to predict intake (including at grazing) and nutrient supply (Section 1), animal’s requirements and multiple responses to diets (Section 2). They apply to net energy, metabolisable protein and amino acids, water, minerals and vitamins. Section 3 presents the use of concepts and equations in rationing with two purposes: (1) diet calculation for a given performance objective; and (2) prediction of the multiple responses of animal to diet changes. Section 4 displays the tables of feed values, and their prevision. All the equations and concepts are embedded in the fifth version of INRAtion® software for practical use.

Feeding of Non-Ruminant Livestock focuses on the nutrition of non-ruminant livestock. The book first discusses the feeding of non-ruminants, including regulation of feed intake and intake requirements and recommendations. The text highlights the energy value of feeds for non-ruminants; protein, vitamin, mineral, and nutrition of non-ruminants; and nutrition of rabbits. The book also underscores the nutrition of growing and breeding pigs, including gilts, boars, and sows. The text describes the nutrition of rapidly growing broilers. Presentation of diets and choice of energy level; proteins and amino acids; characteristics of production system; and mineral, vitamins, and additives are considered. The book also discusses the nutrition of laying hens and turkeys. Nutrition of rearing pullets; nutrition of hens during lay; meat turkeys; and nutrition of breeder turkeys during rearing are described. The text also highlights the nutrition of ducks, Japanese quails, and roasting geese. The book is a good source of information for readers wanting to study the nutrition demands of non-ruminant livestock.

Deals with feed evaluation systems, the nutrient requirements of ruminant livestock and the feeding value of a wide range of feedstuffs. This book lists about 800 typical forages, 65 crop residues and 120 concentrate and by-product feeds. It is suitable for teachers, specialist scientists and industrialists.

Nutrient Requirements of Domesticated Ruminants draws on the most up-to-date research on the energy, protein, mineral, vitamin and water requirements of beef and dairy cattle, sheep and goats. It defines the responses of animals, in weight change, milk production and wool growth, to quantitative and qualitative changes in their feed supply. It has particular application to grazing animals. Factors affecting the intake of feed are taken into account and recommendations are given according to the production systems being used; for instance, the feed intake of a grazing animal is affected by a larger number of variables than a housed animal. Examples of the estimation of the energy and nutrients required for the different production systems are given, as well as the production expected from predicted feed intakes. The interactions between the grazing animal, the pasture and any supplementary feeds are complex, involving herbage availability, diet selection and substitution. To facilitate the application of these recommendations to particular grazing situations, readers are directed to decision support tools and spreadsheet programs. Nutrient Requirements of Domesticated Ruminants is based on the benchmark publication, Feeding Standards for Australian Livestock: Ruminants, published in 1990 by CSIRO PUBLISHING on behalf of the Standing Committee on Agriculture. It provides comprehensive and useful information for graziers, livestock advisors, veterinarians, feed manufacturers and animal nutrition researchers. The recommendations described are equally applicable to animals in feedlots or drought yards.

Forage in Ruminant Nutrition is the 12th text in a series of books about animal feeing and nutrition. The series is intended to keep readers updated on the developments occurring in these fields. As it is apparent that ruminant animals are important throughout the world because of the meat and milk they produce, knowledge about the feeds available to ruminants must also be considered for increased production and efficiency. This text provides information that readers will find considerably invaluable about forage feeds, such as grass, legumes, hay, and straw. The book is composed of 16 chapters that feature the following concepts of ruminant forage feeding: • composition of ruminant products and the nutrients required for maintenance and reproduction; • energy and nutrient available in forage: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, copper, iodine, zinc, manganese, selenium, and cobalt; • intake of forage by housed ruminants; • grazing; • forage digestibility; • protein in ruminant nutrition; • protein and other nutrient deficiencies. This volume will be an invaluable reference for students and professionals in agricultural chemistry and grassland and animal husbandry researches.

Recent Developments in Ruminant Nutrition presents papers that discuss the advancement of the different areas of ruminant nutrition. The book is comprised of 20 chapters that cover topics, such as reproduction, diet, and nutrition. The coverage of the text includes growth stimulation in ruminants; protein quantity and quality for the U.K. dairy cow; and complete-diet feeding of dairy cows. The book also covers rumen fermentation related topics, such as influence of nitrogen and carbohydrate inputs on rumen fermentation; aspects of the biochemistry of rumen fermentation and their implication in ruminant productivity; and manipulation of rumen fermentation. The text will be of great use to researchers and professionals in the animal husbandry industry.