Chapter 4 Livestock Nutrition

Protein

Objectives
Describe protein List sources of protein. Describe the functions of protein. Describe the symptoms of protein deficiency in the animal.

Proteins
Long complex organic compounds that are formed when amino acids are combined with each other into polymers. Contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur and sometimes phosphorus and iron. All proteins in the food chain originate from plants.

Proteins
Digestion of plant protein by the animal provides the amino acids used in the body to form animal protein. Plant cell nucleus and protoplasm is mainly protein Most protein in plants is found in leaves, petioles and seeds.

Crude Protein
All of the nitrogenous compounds found in a feed. The nitrogen content of protein averages 16%. A commercial feed tag shos the guaranteed minimum crude protein content of the feed as a percent of the weight. Not all crude protein in a feed is digestible. 60% of a roughage ration is digestible. 75-85% of a high concentrate ration is digestible.

Crude Protein
Because ruminants can utilize both protein and NPN through microbial action in the rumen, the use of crude protein value is valid and realistic when balancing ruminant rations. Non-ruminant animals cannot use the amides (NPN) as a substitute for the essential amino acids.

Digestible protein
A rations approximate amount of protein available for use by the animal. The difference between the protein content of the feed and what is found in the feces (poop).

Amino Acids
Organic acids containing one or more alphaamino groups that form the building blocks of proteins. The average protein contains 100 or more amino acids. There are 20 to 22 amino acids commonly found in proteins. Amino acids are classified by the number of acidic and basic carboxyl groups.

Essential Amino Acids

Those acids which must be provided in the ration of non-ruminant animals because the animals cannot synthesize them fast enough to meet their needs. Ruminant animals can generally synthesize the essential amino acids by rumen microbial action. Non-essential amino acids are synthesized in the body from other amino acids and therefore, do not have to be provided in the ration. There are 10 essential and 13 nonessential for swine and 14 for poultry.

Amino Acids
The quality of a protein is related to its amino acid content. High quality protein have a good balance of the essential amino acids. Poor quality proteins are deficient in amount or balance of the essential amino acids. When feeding non-ruminant animals, the amino acid content of the protein is of greater importance than the percent of protein present in the feed.

Functions of Proteins
An essential part of all living tissue. Needed for maintenance, finishing, work, and wool production, the greatest need is for growth, reproduction and lactation. No other nutrient can replace protein in the diet. Depending upon the species, the minimum level of protein needed in the ration ranges from 8 to 21 percent. More protein is required for younger animals. Protein requirements are also higher during the gestation and lactation periods than at other times.

Protein Deficiency
A shortage of protein n the diet results in a variety of symptoms. Including depressed performance, higher production costs. Unthriftyness poor hair coat.

Dairy Cattle
Limited amounts of protein is stored n the blood, liver and muscles of cattle. When a diet is deficient in protein, this reserve is quickly used up and signs of deficiency appear. During lactation the solids-not-fat content of the milk is reduced. Will lower immunity and reduce hormone secretions.

Beef Cattle
Appetite depression, which results in reduced energy intake. Irregular or delayed estrus in breeding females. Loss of weight, slow growth and reduced milk production.

Sheep
Also depresses appetite, reduces feed intake and resulting in an energy shortage. Poor growth rate, poor muscular development, and loss of weight. Wool production is lower and reproductive problems also appear. When the deficiency is drastic anemia will result.

Horses
Depressed appetite is the primary indication of protein deficiency in horses. Mature horses will lose weight and young horse will grow slowly. Reduction in fertility in mares.

Swine
Slows down growth. Increases susceptibility to bacterial infection. Anemia, and increased fat concentration in the liver.

Protein as an Energy Source

When excess protein is included in the diet the excess may be used as an energy source. The remaining material is used for energy need or stored as body fat. Protein feeds are more expensive than energy feeds therefore they are not as economical. Every effort should be made to have the correct balance of amino acids in the diet.

Unavailable Feed Protein

Feed can lose protein due to improper storage. When calculating rations, adjustments must be made for this loss of protein.

Protein Solubility
Poorly soluble crude protein when all silage rations are fed. Quickly attacked in the rumen by bacteria enzymes and degraded to simpler compounds. Byproduct concentrate feeds often contain a high level of soluble crude protein which makes them a poor choice in the ration when feeding silages.

Biological Value of Protein

In feed, the percent of digestible protein that is retained by the animal for use is a measure of the biological value of the protein. A protein feed with a good balance of the essential amino acids will show less excreted protein,thus having a high biological value. Animal protein feeds have a higher biological value than plant proteins because they contain a better balance of amino acids.

Plant Protein Supplements

Feeds that are high in amino acids. A protein supplement generally contains over 20% crude protein. Two groups of supplements, plant and animal origin. Protein supplements of the animal origin are considered to be of higher quality because they contain a better balance of the essential amino acids. Not all of the animal origin protein is superior.

Plant Protein Supplement

The major source of plant protein supplements is oil seed byproducts. Soybean meal is the most used and economical, containing between 43-48% protein on a dry matter basis. Cottonseed and linseed meal are also important plant protein sources. Dehydrated alfalfa meal is also an important source of plant protein.

Fat Extraction Methods

The three kinds of extraction methods are used; hydraulic, expeller and solvent. Hydraulic is a mechanical method, leaving a lot of the oil in the meal, rarely used today. The expeller method was developed for soybeans, mechanical, uses a screw press, still widely used in the cotton belt. Solvent, is a chemical process, used since 1940s. Removes almost all of the fat, all soybean meal is being produced using the solvent method.

Soybeans as a Protein Source

Soybeans average 37-38% protein and 17-18% fat. Should be no more than 20% of the total grain mix. Soybeans contain urease and antitrypsin. The release ammonia from urea, and prevent the effectiveness of the enzyme trypsin.

Urea
A non-protein nitrogen compound that contains 45% nitrogen. Manufactured by combining atmospheric nitrogen with ammonia and carbon dioxide. Most common of the non-protein nitrogen sources used in ruminant rations. In beef cattle it can be used to provide all the supplemental protein needed for animals over 600 pounds.

Urea
Not palatable and must be thoroughly mixed in the ration to be acceptable to the animal. Mixing urea with molasses increase its palatability.

Urea Toxicity
Urea is a normal byproduct of protein metabolismin animals and is not toxic. However, the ammonia produced by mocrobe activity in the rumen may be toxic if more is released than can be completely utilized by the microbes. Two mechanisms operate to keep ammonia below a toxic level, one the conversion of ammonia to microbial protein, and two, the liver where ammonia is combined with carbon dioxide to form less toxic urea.

Nitrates/Nitrites
Plants with a high accumulation of nitrates may have a toxic effect on livestock. Causes of high nitrate accumulation include excess levels of nitrate in the soil, dry conditions followed by inadequate soil moisture an imbalance in soil fertility. Annual grasses are more likely to accumulate excess nitrates.

Nitrates/Nitrites
Cereal grains generally do not cause a nitrate problem. Symptoms include, poor appetite, slower gains, low production, watery eyes, rough hair coat and lower conception rate. Pinkeye and foot rot are secondary infections from nitrate poisoning. Supplementing Vitamin A can reduce the effects f nitrate poisoning. Monogastric animals are more tolerant of higher nitrate levels in the feed than are ruminants because there is less reduction of nitrate to nitrite by non-ruminants.

Other Non-protein Nitrogen

Include ammoniated molasses, ammoniated beet pulp, ammoniated cottonseed meal, ammoniated citrus pulp, ammoniated rice hulls, ammonia in anhydrous (without water) or water form can be added to corn silage.The digestibility of straw and other low quality roughages is improved by the addition of ammonia.

Grain as a Protein Source

Vary greatly in protein level, fed mainly as an energy source. Protein content of grains must be taken into account when formulating rations. Corn, the most fed grain in livestock rations is deficient in lysine. Deficiencies of amino acids in the grains are important in formulating rations.