Altering soluble and potentially rumen degradable protein for prepubertal Holstein heifers

M. T. Gabler, A. J. Heinrichs

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

Four prepubertal Holstein heifers, average age 184 ± 2.1 d and 169.1 ± 15.8 kg of body weight, fitted with rumen cannulae were used to evaluate effects of altering the soluble CP and potentially rumen degradable protein fractions of diets containing 16% CP and 71.5% TDN. Parameters studied included rumen ammonia, volatile fatty acid production, N balance, total tract apparent digestibility, and urinary excretion of purine derivatives in a 4 x 4 Latin square design with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Heifers were fed treatment rations containing 62.1 ± 0.8 g CP M/cal ME at 2.0% BW with altered soluble CP fractions (AB1) (33.6 or 40.6% of CP) and potentially rumen degradable protein fractions (B2 B3) (20.9 or 28.2% of CP). Increased intake of AB1 increased rumen ammonia and decreased total volatile fatty acid concentrations with molar proportions of isovalerate and isobutyrate decreased. Increased intake of B 2B3 tended to increase volatile fatty acid concentrations, increased molar proportions of propionate, and decreased the acetate to propionate ratio. Nitrogen utilization was not affected by increased intake of AB1 or B2B3, although increased intake of AB1 tended to increase urine urea excretion. Increasing solubility (40.6 versus 33.6% AB1) of dietary CP when feeding a 16% CP and 71.5% TDN ration, decreased total volatile fatty acid concentrations and molar proportions of isovalerate and isobutyrate. Feeding 62.1 ± 0.8 g CP/Mcal ME with increased potentially rumen degradable protein (28.2 versus 20.9% B 2B3) at 2.0% BW affected rumen fermentation but did not affect DM digestibility or N utilization.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2122-2130
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of dairy science
Volume86
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2003

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Food Science
  • Animal Science and Zoology
  • Genetics

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