Ruminant Nutrition PDF

Ruminant Nutrition Egas Moniz School of Health and Science May 29, 2024 Summary Ruminants Nutrition Dairy Cattle Beef Cattle What is a Ruminant? Polygastric animals – composed stomach Ability to utilize fiber for energy production F...

Ruminant Nutrition Egas Moniz School of Health and Science May 29, 2024 Summary Ruminants Nutrition Dairy Cattle Beef Cattle What is a Ruminant? Polygastric animals – composed stomach Ability to utilize fiber for energy production Food intake is done with the help of the tongue, which acts like a "scythe" that collects food from the pasture Food is immediately swallowed and reaches the first compartment (reticulum). In the rumen, various microorganisms break down polysaccharides The food then returns to the animal's mouth to be chewed and swallowed again to complete digestion  Balance Reproduction Health Nutricion “An animal can be fed but not nourished!” Feeding: involves the practices of selecting and preparing food, and managing its provision. Nutrition: involves studying the nutritional requirements to meet the needs for specific nutrients for each species, production system, management conditions... The animal's response to nutrition depends on: Genetic potential Breed (small, medium, or large) Nutritional requirements (production system) Quality of food o Pastures o Forages/silage o Compound feed Diet formulation (rationing) Availability of ingredients (raw materials) Protein/Energy ratio Roughage (forages, silage...)/concentrate ratio The daily diet consists of: Food: o Compound feed (18% fiber) – low nutrient concentration (hay, straw, silage, green forages, pastures...) Supplements: o Protein o Energy o Minerals o Vitamins Additives: ○ Ingredients without nutritional function but enhance nutrient utilization and animal performance Constituents of the same chemical composition necessary to maintain vital functions Water Carbohydrates Proteins Lipids Dry Matter Minerals Vitamins In food, water dilutes the other nutrients Energy Not a nutrient but a component of them The most important factor for milk and meat production Cellulose and hemicellulose from forages and starches from cereal grains are the main energy sources for ruminants Energy is essential to sustain all vital body processes Component that most limits animal productivity Deficiency manifests as: Growth retardation Reproductive failures Loss of body reserves, reducing animal productivity Protein Tissue formation / Growth Maintenance and Repair Energy source Glandular secretion Antibodies and Acid-Base Balance Reproduction Unlike energy, stored as fat, animals do not have mechanisms for protein storage, hence the need for supplementation according to the production state and food availability. Vitamins and Minerals Fertility (Se and Vit. E) Immunity (Vit. A, Vit. E, Zn, Cu, Se, Mn) Meat quality (organic Se and Vit. E) Nutrition Objectives Enhance productive capacity High quality At the lowest possible cost Healthy animals Efficient reproduction Efficient Nutrition Efficient ruminant: optimizes the use of ingested food to produce milk or meat in quantity and quality while maintaining all physiological functions (reproductive, sanitary...). Precision Nutrition: increase the accuracy with which diets are formulated to meet animal requirements To achieve this, it is necessary to know with a certain degree of certainty: Quantity of nutrients supplied and ingested Animal requirements Specificities of the farm Dairy Cattle Cows in production Cows in production Dairy Cattle - Cows in production Dairy Cattle – Cows in Production Water, energy, protein, minerals, and vitamins are required for normal reproduction. These nutrients are the same needed for other body processes: maintenance, growth, and milk production. The impact of the cow's nutritional status on reproductive performance can affect its ability to: Breed (initiate a new pregnancy) Provide adequate and balanced nutrients for normal fetal development Deliver the calf without complications (retained placenta, hypocalcemia...) Dairy Cattle - Cows in Production Poor nutrition during pregnancy can lead to: Premature birth, malformations, and weak calves due to maternal deficiency in energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals; Abortion rarely due to poor nutrition except in severe cases of deficiency, moldy feed, or high estrogen content (hormones). Dairy Cattle - Cows in Production Various complications during birth are related, at least in part, to nutritional imbalances: Fat Cow Syndrome: excess energy during the last stage of lactation or the dry period causing obesity. Hypocalcemia: greater mobilization of calcium from the blood to the milk in the first days postpartum. This disturbance is partly caused by excess calcium or imbalance between calcium and phosphorus in the diet. Abomasal Displacement: excess concentrate in the diet (lack of fiber) with increased abdominal cavity space immediately after calving. Ketosis: metabolic pathology observable in cows with excess or insufficient body reserves at calving; cows lose appetite, milk production, and fertility decrease. Dairy Cattle - Cows in Production At the start of lactation, there is a greater need for nutrient availability for milk production. In addition to the nutrients in general feeding, cows mobilize their body reserves (mainly energy) to maintain milk production. If cows do not feed sufficiently during the start of lactation, they will enter an energy deficiency state, leading to weight loss and drastically reduced breeding capacity. Only in an advanced stage of lactation, when the energy needed for milk production is balanced with ingested energy, does the capacity to initiate a new pregnancy increase. Dairy Cattle - Cows in Production One of the most common causes of low fertility in dairy cows is energy deficiency relative to the animal's needs or a negative energy balance (NEB). Depending on milk production, a negative energy balance can occur in the first two to ten weeks of lactation (two and a half months). Conception intervals are shorter in cows inseminated during a negative energy balance (cows losing weight) compared to cows inseminated during a positive energy balance (cows gaining weight). However, it is clear that cows with a negative energy balance are characterized by lower fertility regardless of milk production capacity. Dairy Cattle - Cows in Production Inadequate amounts of protein in the diet reduce milk production and reproductive performance. Excessive protein can also have negative effects on reproduction: High blood urea concentrations can have a toxic effect on sperm, eggs, and the developing embryo; Hormonal balance may be altered: progesterone levels are low in the face of high blood urea levels; In cows at the start of lactation, high protein levels can increase the negative energy balance and slow down the return to normal ovary function. Dairy Cattle - Cows in Production Minerals and vitamins play an important role in reproduction. The effects of severe deficiencies are generally well defined. However, it is difficult to establish the possible effects of excess or marginal deficiencies in the short term. Additionally, there are numerous interactions between minerals, particularly at the micro-mineral level. Generally, most required vitamins and minerals (except iron) can have a direct or indirect effect on fertility and the cow's ability to deliver a healthy calf. Phosphorus deficiency also reduces the fertility of dairy cows. The deficiency or excess, especially of calcium or phosphorus in the diet, can lead to hypocalcemia at calving. The desirable calcium-phosphorus ratio should be between 15:1 to 25:1. However, the ration should always be balanced for the necessary amounts of calcium and phosphorus, not just based on the calcium/phosphorus ratio. Dairy Cattle - Cows in Production Effect of trace mineral deficiencies on reproductive problems Dairy Cattle - Cows in Production Effects of nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy on the health of newborn calves Dairy Cattle - Cows in Production Dairy Cattle - Cows in Production Dairy Cattle - Raising Calves Colostrum Phase: o Immune function: transport of antibodies o Nutritional function: transport of nutrients o Laxative function: transport of substances with laxative qualities that help clean the intestine of meconium (residual substances accumulated in the intestines during fetal life) Milk Feeding Phase: o Start the rumination process as soon as possible Dairy Cattle - Raising Calves Nutrition Colostrum Phase Colostrum Milk Feeding Phase: Compound Feed: should be of excellent quality, highly digestible, and palatable. Start administering concentrate from 3-4 days of age. Weaning should only occur when the calf ingests about 800g to 1 kg per day. Hay: from the 2nd - 3rd week of life, provide forage ad libitum as it stimulates early rumen development and thus the ruminant state. The hay should be of excellent quality. Water: should always be available at ambient temperature. Milk: Maternal milk or milk replacer Dairy Cattle - Heifer Raising Objectives Ensure replacement animals Achieve first calving at the lowest age (ideal 24 months) Quick return on investment ○ Cost reduction ○ Fewer heifers needed to maintain herd size ○ Increase in productive life ○ Faster genetic gain of the herd ○ Reduction in the total amount of feed required from birth to the first calving Dairy Cattle - Heifer Raising Nutrition Protein ○ Heifers require high-quality protein and they efficiently use degradable protein in the rumen. Energy ○ Energy requirements for heifers are influenced by size, growth rate, and environment. ○ Generally, energy intake can be adjusted for a daily gain of 0.75 to 0.90 kg of body weight. Fiber ○ Provide ad libitum high-quality hay that produces certain volatile fatty acids and allows faster muscle development of the rumen and consequently rumination, thanks to a higher concentration of crude fiber. Dairy Cattle - Heifer Raising Composition of heifer ration Dairy Cattle - Dry Cows Objectives Nutritionally balance the diet of dry cows to favor the transition to lactation diets Stimulate intake and rumen fermentation > increase dry matter intake Support the development of calves in the final stages of gestation and improve colostrum quality Reduce metabolic problems Facilitate calving and improve the start of lactation Ensure health and longer productive life of cows Dairy Cattle - Dry Cows Nutrition Consider the cow's body condition and adjust the diet's energy if necessary. Ideally, cows should maintain the same body condition (3 on a scale of 1 to 5) during the dry period. Provide a well-balanced diet in energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals that meets all nutritional recommendations. Avoid calcium and phosphorus intake above recommended levels. Limit access to salt to prevent udder edema. Keep animals in comfortable and clean facilities. Use palatable foods, avoiding poorly preserved and contaminated ones. Dairy Cattle - Dry Cows Nutrition Dairy Cattle - Dry Cows Nutrition Beef Cattle Beef Cattle Objectives In all systems, the goal is to produce one calf/cow/year, ensuring quality weaned calves that meet market needs. Beef Cattle – Initiation Replace milk feed Promote the development of rumen epithelium Faster development of stomach compartments Increase the surface area of rumen villi (starch) Increase weaning weight Spare the cow – reduce dependence on maternal milk Prevent acidosis at the beginning of growth/fattening Maximum starch: 36% (prevent premature acidosis) Minimum CP: 17% (35% of total CP should be rumen undegradable protein) Feed should be provided ad libitum in selective feeders. Beef Cattle - Growth/Fattening Calves after weaning are destined for growth and fattening farms. If they are already accustomed to consuming starters, the transition process becomes easier: o With Starter: 1 week to 15 days transition to growth feed. o Without Starter: 20 to 30 days with adaptation feed followed by growth feed (higher risks of acidosis/alkalosis). Adaptation Compound feed: Moderate levels of energy and protein. High levels of fiber. In the first days, provide moderate and increasing amounts, then provide ad libitum. Beef Cattle - Fattening Beef Cattle - Fattening(finishing) Conclusions To increase the accuracy with which diets are formulated to meet animal requirements it is necessary to know with a certain degree of certainty: ○ Quantity of nutrients supplied and ingested ○ Animal requirements ○ Specificities of the farm In ruminants, the main nutritional elements to consider are ○ Energy ○ Protein ○ Minerals (macro and micro) ○ Vitamins Conclusions We must apply our sensitivity taking into account the species, the type of production, the management, the environmental conditions...  Thank You! Rui Alves Commercial Director of Animal Health & Nutrition (+351) 931 792 067 [email protected]