Effects of level and frequency of supplementation with alfalfa (A) on feed intake and digestion by steers fed bermudagrass (B) or orchardgrass (O) were determined in two Latin square experiments. In Exp. 1, six Holstein steers (224 kg) were fed B (2.25% N; 71.4% NDF) or O (2.52% N; 64.3% NDF) with 0, 15 or 30% (DM) A (2.70% N; 44.0% NDF). Total DMI was 2.43, 2.72 and 2.85% BW for B and 2.98, 3....

The effect of early feed restriction on metabolic programming and compensatory growth was studied in broiler chickens. A total of 480 female 1-d-old broiler birds (Aconred) were randomly allocated to ad libitum and feed-restricted groups, each of which was replicated 6 times with 40 birds per replicate. Broilers were provided commercial diets. Feed-restricted broilers were deprived of feed for ...

Experiment 1 consisted in the genetic selection of two divergent lines D+ and Don the basis of AMEn value measured at 3 weeks of age with birds being fed a wheat diet, using the wheat Rialto cultivar characterised by a high in-vitro viscosity value. Significant difference (3413 J/g DM; P< 0.0001) in AMEn between lines reached 29 % on 4 generation. From the experiment 2 consisting in the test of...

Calf starter was offered to 40 calves in a plastic bucket or from a nipple bottle, and intake, growth, and selected blood parameters were measured. The nipple was designed with a large opening to allow feed particles to pass through the nipple during meals. Calves began the study at 7 d of age and were fed for 56 d. A commercially prepared calf starter was offered for ad libitum consumption fro...

Post-weaning feed restriction strategies have proved to reduce mortality and morbidity, but result in decreased growth and lower slaughter yield. To compensate for those deleterious effects without negatively impacting the health parameters, we have studied the possibility of increasing the dietary energy level of the feed. Four treatments differing in dietary digestible energy content (“low” e...

The genetic and phenotypic associations between performance and feed intake traits of finished gilts (GFI), along with their subsequent reproductive performance and feed intake during lactation (LFI), were estimated using data collected from two maternal lines recorded under the same management system. Ad-libitum feed intake was heritable (h: 0.33±0.08) when recorded in post-finisher gilts or d...

OBJECTIVE To observe the physiological and biochemical effects of intermittent fasting combined with hunger-resistant food on mice, and to evaluate the safety and beneficial effects of this regimen. METHODS One hundred and forty-four adult ICR mice were divided into 4 groups: standard feed AL group (ad libitum intake of standard feed), hunger-resistant food AL group (ad libitum intake of hung...

Boars (entire male pigs) consume less feed than barrows (castrated male pigs) under practical ad libitum feeding conditions, but the knowledge about possible reasons is only limited. Since the lysine and energy contents of the diet are known to be important determinants of voluntary feed intake, it was of interest if sex specific responses to selected dietary lysine-toenergy ratios could explai...

(allowed to eat according to appetite). Generally, this allows for maximum performance because energy consumed above the maintenance requirement is available for gain. However, recent work suggests that limit-fed animals may have better feed efficiency. This has economic importance in that changes in feed efficiency have three times the impact on cost of gain as an equal change in rate of gain....

The poultry market has changed due to a higher consumer interest on products with differentiated organoleptic characteristics, making of free-range broiler production a promising activity. This experiment was conducted to determine the digestible lysine requirements of Redbro Cou Nu male and female chickens during the starter phase (one to 21 days of age). Six hundred and thirty Redbro Cou Nu b...