TY - JOUR
T1 - INVITED REVIEW
T2 - Nutrient requirements of ruminants: Derivation, validation, and application
AU - Galyean, M. L.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists.
PY - 2014/4/1
Y1 - 2014/4/1
N2 - In the United States, livestock nutrient requirements have been developed by volunteer committees of the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources of the NRC. Estimates of requirements for ruminants are founded on an understandingof digestive physiology and metabolism and are typically determined byempirical approaches based on reviews of the literature and analysis of derived and experimental data sets. Systems for describing nutrient requirements of animals are intrinsically composed of 2 parts: (1) estimates of animal requirements for nutrients and (2) estimates of the ability of feedstuffs to meet those requirements.Ultimately, these systems contribute toanimal health and well-being, but for application, they also should provide ameans to predict animal performance and adjust feeding and management practicesto achieve economic goals. Changes in feed intake and nutrient requirements associated with sex, breed, physiological state, and the environment add to the complexity of establishing requirements. For ruminants, describing the concentration and availability of nutrients in the wide variety of feedstuffs used in practicaldiets is a significant challenge forNRC committees. Validation of nutrientrequirement equations is an increasinglyimportant part of the NRC process, although the lack of independent data for validation is a problem. Development of computer models to facilitate application of nutrient-requirement systems also hasbecome increasingly important. Userfriendliness and functionality of models has improved over time, but more effort is needed to ensure that models allow forefficient, practical application of the systems. The recently established National Animal Nutrition Program (funded by USDA-National Institute of Food andAgriculture) should play an important role in interacting with NRC committees,particularly in providing support forfeed-composition databases and development and evaluation of computer models.
AB - In the United States, livestock nutrient requirements have been developed by volunteer committees of the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources of the NRC. Estimates of requirements for ruminants are founded on an understandingof digestive physiology and metabolism and are typically determined byempirical approaches based on reviews of the literature and analysis of derived and experimental data sets. Systems for describing nutrient requirements of animals are intrinsically composed of 2 parts: (1) estimates of animal requirements for nutrients and (2) estimates of the ability of feedstuffs to meet those requirements.Ultimately, these systems contribute toanimal health and well-being, but for application, they also should provide ameans to predict animal performance and adjust feeding and management practicesto achieve economic goals. Changes in feed intake and nutrient requirements associated with sex, breed, physiological state, and the environment add to the complexity of establishing requirements. For ruminants, describing the concentration and availability of nutrients in the wide variety of feedstuffs used in practicaldiets is a significant challenge forNRC committees. Validation of nutrientrequirement equations is an increasinglyimportant part of the NRC process, although the lack of independent data for validation is a problem. Development of computer models to facilitate application of nutrient-requirement systems also hasbecome increasingly important. Userfriendliness and functionality of models has improved over time, but more effort is needed to ensure that models allow forefficient, practical application of the systems. The recently established National Animal Nutrition Program (funded by USDA-National Institute of Food andAgriculture) should play an important role in interacting with NRC committees,particularly in providing support forfeed-composition databases and development and evaluation of computer models.
KW - Livestock
KW - National Research Council
KW - Nutrient requirement
KW - Ruminant
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84957798527&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.15232/S1080-7446(15)30099-1
DO - 10.15232/S1080-7446(15)30099-1
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:84957798527
SN - 1080-7446
VL - 30
SP - 125
EP - 128
JO - Professional Animal Scientist
JF - Professional Animal Scientist
IS - 2
ER -