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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #207850
Title: Development of Mathematical Models to Estimate Animal Performance and Feed Biological Values

Author
item TEDESCHI, LUIS - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item FOX, DANNY - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item Russell, James

Submitted to: International Advances in Ruminant Nutrition Research in Brazil
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/2007
Publication Date: 4/21/2007
Citation: Tedeschi, L. O., D. G. Fox, and J. B. Russell. 2007. Development of mathematical models to estimate animal performance and feed biological values, pp. 223-252. Proc. International Symposium of Advances in Research Techniques for Ruminant Nutrition, 1, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil. Studium 5D Marketing e Comunicação.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Mathematical models can be used to integrate our knowledge of feed, intake, and digestion and passage rates upon feed energy values, escape of dietary protein, and microbial growth efficiency. They can be valuable tools for estimating animal requirements and nutrients derived from feeds in each unique farm production scenario, and thus can have an important role in providing information that can be used in the decision-making process to enhance the feeding system. By accounting for farm-specific animal, feed, and environmental characteristics, more accurate prediction of dietary nutrient requirements for maintenance, growth and milk production of cattle and nutrient excretion in diverse production situations is possible. In the United States, livestock farms are under increasing pressure to reduce nutrient accumulation on the farm and manure nutrient excretions in order to meet environmental regulations. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an office of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), has identified the need to improve feed management in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) to reduce manure nutrients. The USDA-NRCS has developed a national conservation practice standard for feed management to be used as part of the nutrient management planning process. The purpose of a feed management plan is (1) to supply the quantity of available nutrients required by livestock while reducing the quantity of nutrients excreted, and (2) to improve net farm income by feeding nutrients more efficiently. This review describes the Cornell Net Carbohydrate Protein System and how it addresses these problems and goals.