Intake and feeding behaviour of Morada Nova lambs fed different energy levels

Figures & data

Table 1 Chemical composition of the ingredients in g/kg DM (unless otherwise stated).

	Tifton hay	Corn meal	Soybean meal	Concentrate
				1	2	3	4	5
DM, g/kg	953.6	891.0	951.8	967.0	962.4	954.3	958.3	947.3
OM	873.8	879.3	885.7	930.4	889.2	911.9	919.5	903.2
CP	78.9	91.4	546.3	298.6	525.5	279.3	221.3	188.9
EE	14.6	53.9	29.1	25.4	29.7	36.7	34.2	30.8
Ash	79.8	11.7	66.1	36.6	73.2	42.4	38.8	44.1
NDF	754.0	176.6	154.3	128.7	132.0	142.9	140.6	145.8
NDIN	0.44	0.38	0.56	0.14	0.23	0.14	0.15	0.14
ADF	447.2	82.8	145.4	96.7	75.2	44.0	48.6	47.2
ADIN	2.66	5.44	0.38	0.04	0.32	0.04	0.04	0.04
LIG	51.2	8.1	37.3	9.5	13.8	16.4	18.9	19.4
CEL	304.4	24.1	55.3	35.7	72.0	33.7	33.5	35.3
HEM	306.8	93.8	8.9	32.0	56.8	98.9	92.0	98.6
TC	826.7	842.9	358.4	675.1	393.6	662.0	680.6	693.7
FC	701.3	138.8	104.2	96.0	99.5	110.7	95.3	104.0
NFC	125.3	704.1	254.2	579.1	294.1	551.3	585.3	589.7

DM, dry matter; OM, organic matter; CP, crude protein; EE, ether extract; NDF, neutral detergent fibre; NDIN, neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen; ADF, acid detergent fibre; ADIN, acid detergent insoluble nitrogen; LIG, lignin; CEL, cellulose; HEM, hemicellulose; TC, total carbohydrates; FC, fibrous carbohydrates; NFC, non-fibrous carbohydrates.

Table 2 Composition of the experimental diets.

	Level of metabolizable energy, Mcal/kg DM
	0.96	1.28	1.72	2.18	2.62
Ingredients
Tifton hay	95	80	60	40	20
Concentrate	5	20	40	60	80
Corn meal°	626.3	158.7	694.5	724.6	756.1
Soybean meal°	326.2	806.5	285.3	248.8	225.9
Urea°	37.7	30.0	12.5	11.2	5.1
Limestone°	-	-	-	5.4	6.6
Dicalcium phosphate°	-	-	-	-	0.7
Sodium chloride°	8.6	4.0	7.0	9.3	5.0
Mineral premix°#	1.2	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.6
Chemical components
Dry matter, g/kg	954.3	955.4	953.9	956.4	951.2
Mineral matter, g/kg DM	38.0	78.5	64.8	55.2	51.2
Crude protein, g/kg DM	89.9	168.2	159.1	164.4	166.9
Ether extract, g/kg DM	24.9	26.7	27.9	22.4	27.6
Neutral fibre detergent, g/kg DM	722.5	629.6	509.6	386.0	267.4
peNDF§, g/kg DM	60.07	48.54	31.20	16.98	8.02
Acid fibre detergent, g/kg DM	429.6	372.8	285.9	208.0	127.2
Lignin, g/kg DM	49.1	43.7	37.3	31.8	25.8
Cellulose, g/kg DM	293.2	259.8	197.6	142.8	89.6
Hemicellulose, g/kg DM	293.0	256.8	223.7	178.0	140.2
Fibrous carbohydrates, g/kg DM	671.1	581.0	465.1	337.7	223.5
Total carbohydrates, g/kg DM	817.3	735.7	764.6	754.0	746.3
Non-fibrous carbohydrates, g/kg DM	146.2	154.7	299.5	416.3	522.8
Total digestible nutrients, g/kg DM	280.1	344.6	453.9	593.9	723.6
TDN:CP	3.12	2.04	2.85	3.61	4.33

° Centesimal concentration in relation to the concentrated portion of the diets.

# Composition: Ca 7.5%; P 3%; Fe 16.500 ppm; Mn 9750 ppm; Zn 35.000 ppm; I 1000 ppm; Se 225 ppm; Co 1000 ppm.

§ Physically effective neutral detergent fibre.

Table 3 Intake of diet constituents by sheep fed with different levels of metabolizable energy.

	ME level in diet, Mcal/kg DM					SEM	Effect degree
	0.96	1.28	1.72	2.18	2.62		L	Q	C
DM°, g/day	370.38	467.99	527.05	687.75	628.86	26.45	<0.0001	0.0861	0.2291
OM#, g/day	310.84	410.05	487.86	646.20	583.85	26.18	<0.0001	0.0361	0.1654
CP§, g/day	32.05	80.81	89.79	115.48	119.01	6.50	<0.0001	0.0191	0.3257
NDFˆ, g/day	237.03	278.87	265.89	238.72	187.99	10.69	0.0166	0.0170	0.5152
TC$, g/day	281.23	330.32	400.75	510.82	455.79	18.98	<0.0001	0.0564	0.1182
FC°°, g/day	225.88	256.35	238.42	202.44	134.03	10.33	0.0030	0.0030	0.6572
NFC##, g/day	21.71	51.36	133.10	258.90	303.72	19.36	<0.0001	0.8289	0.0221
TDN§§, g/day	96.71	158.23	244.86	412.88	449.51	24.83	<0.0001	0.6300	0.0612
DMˆˆ, g/kg BW^0.75	50.12	51.64	59.01	75.91	68.91	2.53	<0.0001	0.3510	0.0379
OM$$, g/kg BW^0.75	45.43	46.90	54.63	71.33	65.09	2.45	<0.0001	0.3495	0.0298
NDF°°°, g/kg BW^0.75	36.09	31.90	28.91	26.03	17.71	1.35	<0.0001	0.3803	0.2320
TC###, g/kg BW^0.75	40.94	37.78	44.79	55.24	49.51	1.68	0.0003	0.4740	0.0067
FC§§§, g/kg BW^0.75	32.77	29.33	26.67	22.29	14.63	11.68	<0.0001	<0.0001	0.0070
NFCˆˆˆ, g/kg BW^0.75	3.17	5.89	14.89	28.30	32.99	2.03	<0.0001	0.7581	0.0050

ME, metabolizable energy; L, linear degree; Q, quadratic degree; C, cubic degree; DM, dry matter; OM, organic matter; CP, crude protein; NDF, neutral detergent fibre; TC, total carbohydrates; FC, fibrous carbohydrates; NFC, non-fibrous carbohydrates; TDN, total digestible nutrients;

° Ŷ=317.41+71.170X (R²=0.60);

# Ŷ=170.435+181.606X (R²=0.69);

§ Ŷ=26.325+20.491X (R²=0.66);

ˆ Ŷ=82.969+242.862X-77.787X²(R²=0.54);

$ Ŷ=238.732+51.828X (R²=0.41);

°° Ŷ=5,147+17,609X-6,112X² (R²=0.57);

## Ŷ=-80.117+77.758X (R²=0.90);

§§ Ŷ=-17.426+96.478X (R²=0.87);

ˆˆ Ŷ=35.201+14.782X (R²=0.60);

$$ Ŷ=29.944+15.245X (R²=0.64);

°°° Ŷ=45.83-10.103X(R²=0.84);

### Ŷ=30.775+8.463X (R²=0.52);

§§§ Ŷ=25.84+10.18X -2.83X² (R²=0.86);

ˆˆˆ Ŷ=-17.437+19.658X (R²=0.95).

Table 4 Particle size distribution in percentage of feeds and diets.

PSD°% MS retained on sieves	Tifton 85 hay	Concentrate	ME level in diet, Mcal/kg DM
			0.96	1.28	1.72	2.18	2.62
Above 19.0 mm	59.18	0.00	49.06	41.67	20.41	6.00	2.00
8.0-19.0 mm	2.04	0.00	3.77	4.17	4.08	2.00	2.00
1.18-8.0 mm	32.65	18.00	35.85	31.25	36.73	36.00	26.00
Below 1.18 mm	6.12	82.00	11.32	22.92	38.78	56.00	70.00
%>1.18 mm	93.87	18.00	88.68	78.09	61.22	44.00	30.00

° PSD, particle size distribution; ME, metabolizable energy.

Table 5 Ingestive behaviour of Morada Nova lambs fed rations with different metabolizable energy levels.

	ME level in diet, Mcal/kg DM					SEM	Effect degree
	0.96	1.28	1.72	2.18	2.62		L	Q	C
Items
ET, h/day°	5.73	4.88	4.02	2.91	1.90	0.27	<0.0001	0.9876	0.8742
FE, g DM/h#	61.38	99.73	151.39	244.22	349.98	20.07	<0.0001	0.1770	0.9139
FE, g NDF/h§	44.23	61.08	74.81	83.60	90.08	4.96	0.0016	0.4115	0.8170
RT, h/dayˆ	8.87	8.70	7.98	7.12	6.01	0.29	<0.0001	0.4606	0.9096
RE, g DM/h$	39.17	52.83	68.86	104.36	111.42	5.87	<0.0001	0.8062	0.3306
RE, g NDF/h°°	28.21	32.31	34.13	36.48	28.60	1.54	0.7531	0.0630	0.5553
TCT, h/day##	14.61	13.58	12.00	9.98	7.91	0.50	<0.0001	0.5514	0.9703
Idle, h/day§§	9.38	10.32	11.91	13.85	15.87	0.49	<0.0001	0.5525	0.9408

ME, metabolizable energy; DM, dry matter; L, linear degree; Q, quadratic degree; C, cubic degree; ET, eating time; FE, feeding efficiency; NDF, neutral detergent fibre; RT, ruminating time; RE, ruminating efficiency; TCT, total chewing time;

° Ŷ=7.882-2.280X (R²=0.90);

# Ŷ=-122.442+173.139X (R²=0.97);

§ Ŷ=24.709+26.366X (R²=0.93);

ˆ Ŷ=10.827-1.761X (R²=0.71);

$ Ŷ=-6.321+46.591X (R²=0.92);

°° Ŷ=31.946;

## Ŷ=18.724-4.055X (R²=0.85);

§§ Ŷ=5.361+3.936X (R²=0.85).

Table 6 Ingestive behaviour of Morada Nova lambs fed rations with different metabolizable energy levels.

	ME level in diet, Mcal/kg DM					SEM	Effect degree
	0.96	1.28	1.72	2.18	2.62		L	Q	C
Items
Nrb, n°/day#	643.04	704.73	609.38	602.38	616.52	27.74	0.3498	0.8538	0.3784
Ncd, n°/day§	34.976.50	38.786.57	38.211.39	36.321.53	32.507.52	1.231.012	0.2931	0.1240	0.6834
Ncrb, n°/bolˆ	56.36	56.13	61.00	58.44	56.13	1.48	0.9048	0.3167	0.7947
Tcrb, sec/bol$	52.36	45.75	47.19	41.75	36.50	1.46	0.0004	0.7059	0.3854

ME, metabolizable energy; DM, dry matter; L, linear degree; Q, quadratic degree; C, cubic degree; Nrb, number of ruminal boluses; TCrb, time spent chewing ruminal bolus; NCrb, number of chews per ruminal bolus; NCd, number of chews per day;

# Ŷ = 634.41;

§ Ŷ = 36.610.70;

ˆ Ŷ = 57.61;

$ Ŷ = 59.298-8.342X (R² = 0.78).

Figure 1 Distribution of consumption and ruminating activities in four periods (06h00 to 12h00, 12h00 to 18h00, 18h00 to 24h00 and 24h00 to 06h00) of the day.