Effects of live weight and energy intake on nitrogen balance and total N requirements of lambs

Abstract

1. Results of 298 nitrogen balance studies from experiments with male cross-bred lambs, ranging in weight from 3 to 38 kg, which had been either fasted, or fed entirely on liquid diets of varying protein content at various energy intakes up to ad lib. intake, were used to quantitatively describe the effects of the amount and quality of absorbed protein, energy intake and live weight on N balance and total N requirement of lambs.2. When N intake was less than the amount required, N balance was independent of energy intake, but linearly related to absorbed N and metabolic body-weight (live weight0·75). In the fitted relationship, the coefficient of absorbed N was shown to be an estimate of the biological value of absorbed protein and the coefficient of metabolic body-weight was an estimate of the loss of endogenous N in both urine and faeces. For the milk-based diets used in the experiment biological value was 0·72 and the total endogenous N loss in urine and faeces was 148 mg N/kg0·75 per d.3. When N intake was in excess of the amount required, N balance in lambs of a constant live weight increased linearly with metabolizable energy (ME) intake, at a rate that decreased with increasing live weight. Similarly at constant ME intake, N balance was a curvilinear decreasing function of metabolic body-weight. When N balance was expressed per unit metabolic body-weight, it was constant for lambs of all weights when ME intake was about 0·23 MJ/kg0·75 per d, but it decreased linearly with increasing metabolic body-weight for ME intakes above this level.4. N balance of fasted lambs was several times less than predicted by either of the relationships established for fed animals, and was found to be linearly related to metabolic body-weight.5. The effects of energy intake and live weight on the total N requirement of lambs were determined. When total N requirement was expressed per unit of energy intake, it was found to be constant at 0·9 g N/MJ ME for all lambs irrespective of live weight when ME intake was 0·23 MJ/kg0·7 per d. However, as ME intake/unit metabolic body-weight was raised above this level, N requirement/unit ME intake increased for lambs weighing less than c. 23 kg, but decreased for heavier animals.