The fasting metabolism of cattle

Abstract

1. The metabolism of seventeen steers was determined on forty-nine occasions during fasts of either 112 or 136 h duration.2. Faeces continued to be produced during fasts of up to 136 h duration at rates which were 15–20% of those noted before the fasts began.3. Carbon dioxide production and oxygen consumption fell continuously throughout with animals weighing less than 200 kg but changed little after 88 h in animals weighing more than 200 kg. Methane production was considerably reduced during fasting but did not disappear. Urinary nitrogen excretion changed very little. Of the total loss of energy from the body, the loss of protein accounted for 25%. This was unaffected by age or size of animal.4. With individual Ayrshire steers, metabolism increased during growth with body-weight raised to the power 0.68±0.05. No greater precision of estimate was obtained from logarithmic regressions of metabolism on body-weight than from linear ones.5. Seven Ayrshire steers had a mean fasting metabolism of 100±1.6 kcal/kg W0.73 24 h, eight Black cattle of the Aberdeen Angus type a fasting metabolism of 81±1.5 kcal/kg W0.73 24 h and two Ayrshire x Beef Shorthorn steers a fasting metabolism of 96±2.9 kcal/kg W0.73 24 h. Variation in the fasting metabolism of an individual steer from time to time, expressed as a coefficient of variation, was ±7.4%.6. The results are discussed in relation to interspecies generalizations about the relation between fasting metabolism and body-weight.