Nutrient mass balances were determined for turkeys fed 4 diets in a 2 × 2 factorial design to investigate the effects of diets with 100 or 110% of NRC (1994)-recommended amino acid (AA) formulation and diets containing 2 (Lys and Met) or 3 (Lys, Met, and Thr) supplemental AA. Hybrid tom turkeys were raised and monitored in 12 rooms (3 replicates/diet; 20 toms/room at hatch, culled to 16 at 21 d...

We combine a recently developed framework for describing dietary generalism with compositional data analysis to examine patterns of omnivory in a large widely distributed mammal. Using the brown bear (Ursus arctos) as a model species, we collected and analyzed data from the literature to estimate the proportions of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and lipid) in the diets of bear populatio...

The nutritional needs of bees are supplied by nectar carbohydrates and by protein and other nutrients in pollen but little is known of how bees achieve nutritional balance. Using newly emerged caged worker honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata), we investigated whether bees maintain their intake target when confined to pairs of imbalanced complementary diets varying in protein to carbohydrate (P...

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding all essential amino acids (EAA) equal to that of higher CP diets or a mixture of nonessential amino acids (NEAA) to low CP diets on the live performance of broilers during the period of 0 to 21 d. A series of experimental diets comprised primarily of corn and soybean meal were formulated to contain 3,200 ME kcal/kg. Five primary diets were...

An experiment was conducted to determine the interaction between fat source and xylanase supplementation on the performance, utilisation of energy and fat, and caecal microbiota counts in broiler starters fed wheat-based diets. The experimental design was 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments, which included two fat sources (60 g/kg soybean oil or tallow) and two levels of enzyme supplementat...

Meta-analysis, which drives evidence-based practice, typically focuses on the average response of subjects to a treatment. For instance in nutritional research the difference in average weight of participants on different diets is typically used to draw conclusions about the relative efficacy of interventions. As a result of their focus on the mean, meta-analyses largely overlook the effects of...

The postprandial glycaemic response following a meal is reduced with the addition of soluble dietary fibre. The reductions in the glycaemia are thought to be due largely to increased viscosity of the gastrointestinal (GI) contents retarding digestion and absorption. The aims of the present study were to determine the effect that the GI tract has on the viscosity of meals containing different so...

Eighteen multiparous early lactation Holstein cows were assigned to a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square with 28-d periods to evaluate milk protein production potential when corn silage (CS) or small grain silage (SGS) was added to diets based on alfalfa silage (AS). Treatments consisted of all AS, a mixture of AS and CS, or a mixture of AS and SGS. Treatment diets were isonitrogenous, isofibrous, a...

BACKGROUND Systems to calculate metabolizable energy (ME) in foods and diets are often based on Atwater factors. The accuracy of these factors with low-fat diets high in fiber is unknown when food intake is reduced spontaneously. OBJECTIVE The objective was to evaluate the accuracy of Atwater factors and other systems for calculating ME available from low-fat, high-fiber diets when food intak...

Women seeking to become pregnant and pregnant women are currently advised to consume high amounts of folic acid and other methyl donors to prevent neural tube defects in their offspring. These diets can alter methylation patterns of several biomolecules, including nucleic acids, and histone proteins. Limited animal model data suggests that developmental exposure to these maternal methyl supplem...