The application of the n-alkane technique for estimating the composition of diets consumed by equines and cattle feeding on upland vegetation communities

Animal Feed Science and Technology

Volumn 138, Issue 1, 2007, Pages 47-60

  Ferreira, L M M ^a   Garcia, U ^b   Rodrigues, M A M ^a   Celaya, R ^b   Dias da Silva, A ^a   Osoro, K ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF TRÁS OS MONTES AND ALTO DOURO   (Portugal)

^b Área de Cultivos Hortofrutícolas y Forestales   (Spain)

Author keywords

Heathland; Herbivores; n Alkane markers

Indexed keywords

ANIMALIA; BOS; CALLUNA; CALLUNA VULGARIS; ERICA; LOLIUM PERENNE; ULEX EUROPAEUS; ULEX GALLII;

EID: 34548828275     PISSN: 03778401     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2006.11.007     Document Type: Article

References (32)

1. Aldezabal A. El sistema de pastoreo del Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido (Pirineo Central, Aragón). Interacción entre la vegetación supraforestal y los grandes herbívoros 28 (2001), Publicaciones del Consejo de Protección de la Naturaleza de Aragón, Zaragoza
2. Association of Official Analytical Chemists, 1990. Official Methods of Analysis, 14th ed., AOAC, Washington, DC.
3. Brosh A., Henkin Z., Rothman S.J., Aharoni Y., Orlov A., and Arieli A. Effects of faecal n-alkane recovery in estimates of diet composition. J. Agric. Sci. 140 (2003) 93-100
4. Dove H., and Mayes R.W. Using n-alkanes and other plant wax components to estimate intake, digestibility and diet composition of grazing/browsing sheep and goats. Small Rum. Res. 59 (2005) 123-139
5. Dove H., Mayes R.W., and Freer M. Effects of species, plant part, and plant age on the n-alkane concentrations in the cuticular wax of pasture plants. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 47 (1996) 1333-1347
6. Elwert C., Kluth H., and Rodehutscord M. Effect of variable intake of alfalfa and wheat on faecal alkane recoveries and estimates of roughage intake in sheep. J. Agric. Sci. 142 (2004) 213-223
7. Ferreira L.M.M., Oliván M., Celaya R., Garcia U., Rodrigues M.A.M., and Osoro K. The use of the alkane technique to estimate diet selection of sheep grazing grass-clover/heather-gorse vegetation communities. J. Sci. Food Agric. 87 (2006) 274-285
8. Ferreira L.M.M., Oliván M., Rodrigues M.A.M., Garcia U., and Osoro K. Validation of the alkane technique to estimate diet selection of goats grazing heather-gorse vegetation communities. J. Sci. Food Agric. 85 (2005) 1636-1646
9. Ferreira L.M.M., Oliván M., Rodrigues M.A.M., Osoro K., Dove H., and Dias-da-Silva A. Estimation of feed intake by cattle using controlled-release capsules containing n-alkanes or chromium sesquioxide. J. Agric. Sci. 142 (2004) 225-234
10. Gudmundsson O., and Thohallsdottir A.G. Evaluation of n-alkanes for intake and digestibility determination in horses. Proceedings of the IXth European Intake Workshop. North Wyke, Devon, UK (1998) 1-4
11. Hendricksen R.E., Gazzola C., Reich M.M., Roberton R.F., Reid D.J., and Hill R.A. Using molasses as an alternative to controlled release devices for administering n-alkane markers to cattle. Anim. Sci. 76 (2003) 471-480
12. Hendricksen R.E., Reich M.M., Roberton R.F., Reid D.J., Gazzola C., Rideout J.A., and Hill R.A. Estimating the voluntary intake and digestibility of buffel-grass and lucerne hays offered to Brahman-cross cattle using n-alkanes. Anim. Sci. 74 (2002) 567-577
13. JMP. User's Guide: Statistical Discovery Software. Version 5 (2003), SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC
14. Laredo M.A., Simpson G.D., Minson D.J., and Orpin C.G. The potential for using n-alkanes in tropical forages as a marker for determination of dry matter intake by grazing ruminants. J. Agric. Sci. 117 (1991) 355-361
15. Lechner-Doll, M., Hume, I.D., Hofmann, R.R., 1995. Comparison of herbivore forage selection and digestion. In: Journet, M., Grenet, E., Farce, M.-H., Theriez, M., Demarquilly, C. (Eds.), Recent developments in the nutrition of herbivores. Proceedings of the IVth International Symposium on the Nutrition of Herbivores. INRA Editions, Paris, pp. 231-248.
16. Mayes R.W., Lamb C.S., and Colgrove P.M. The use of dosed and herbage n-alkanes as markers for the determination of herbage intake. J. Agric. Sci. 107 (1986) 161-170
17. Monks A., Payton I., and Efford M. Validation of the n-alkane technique for estimating diet composition, digestibility and dry matter intake in the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Wildlife Res. 32 (2005) 321-331
18. Oliván M., Dove H., Mayes R.W., and Hoebee S.E. Recent developments in the use of alkanes and other plant wax components to estimate intake and diet composition in herbivores. Revista Portuguesa de Zootecnia VI 1 (1999) 1-26
19. Oliván M., Ferreira L.M.M., Celaya R., and Osoro K. Accuracy of the n-alkane technique for intake estimates in beef cattle at different sampling times and feeding levels. Lives. Sci. 106 (2007) 28-40
20. Oliván M., and Osoro K. Utilización de la técnica de los n-alcanos en estudios de ingestión y selección de dieta de los rumiantes en pastoreo: Revisión. Información Técnica Económica Agraria 93A (1997) 193-208
21. Oliván M., and Osoro K. Effect of temperature on alkane extraction from faeces and herbage. J. Agric. Sci. 132 (1999) 305-312
22. Ordakowski A.L., Kronfeld D.S., Holland J.L., Hargreaves B.J., Gay L.S., Harris P.A., Dove H., and Sklan D. Alkanes as internal markers to estimate digestibility of hay or hay plus concentrate diets in horses. J. Anim. Sci. 79 (2001) 1516-1522
23. Osoro K., Garcia U., Jáuregui B.M., Ferreira L.M.M., Oliván M., and Celaya R. Conducta de pastoreo y variaciones de peso de los herbívoros domésticos en un brezal-tojal parcialmente mejorado. In: Osoro K., Argamendia A., and Larraceleta A. (Eds). Producciones agroganaderas: gestión eficiente y conservación del médio natural (Volumen 1). XLV Reunión Científica de la Sociedad Española para el Estudio de los Pastos. Gijón (2005) 252-258
24. Osoro, K., Garcia, U., Jáuregui, B.M., Ferreira, L.M.M., Rook, A.J., Celaya, R., in press. Diet components, its nutrient content and live weight changes and productivity of two breeds of goats grazing on heathlands. Anim. Sci.
25. Osoro K., Oliván M., Martínez A., García U., and Celaya R. Diet selection and live weight changes in domestic ruminants grazing on heathland vegetation with areas of improved pastures. Proceedings of the VI International Symposium on the Nutrition of Herbivores, Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems vol. 3, no. 1-3 (2003) 491-494
26. Rook A.J., Dumont B., Isselstein J., Osoro K., WallisDeVries M.F., Parente G., and Mills J. Matching type of livestock to desired biodiversity outcomes in pastures - a review. Biol. Conserv. 119 (2004) 137-150
27. Salt C.A., Mayes R.W., Colgrove P.M., and Lamb C.S. The effects of season and diet composition on the radiocaesium intake by sheep grazing on heather moorland. J. Appl. Ecol. 31 (1994) 125-136
28. Sehested, J., Breinhild, K.K., Søegaard, K., Vognsen, L., Hansen, H.H., Fernández, J.A., Danielsen, V., Kristensen, V.F., 1999. Use of n-alkanes to estimate grass intake and digestibility in sows. In: Dove, H., Coleman, S.W. (Eds.), Nutritional Ecology of Herbivores. Satellite Symposium: Emerging techniques for studying the nutrition of free ranging herbivores. San Antonio, Texas, USA (CD-ROM).
29. Valiente O.L., Delgado P., de Vega A., and Guada J.A. Validation of the n-alkane technique to estimate intake, digestibility, and diet composition in sheep consuming mixed grain-roughage diets. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 54 (2003) 693-702
30. Van Soest P.J., Robertson J.B., and Lewis B.A. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and nonstarch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. J. Dairy Sci. 74 (1991) 3583-3597
31. Vouzela, C.F.M., 2002. Validação dos n-alcanos como marcadores em herbívoros. PhD Thesis, University of Azores, Angra do Heroísmo.
32. Wilson H., Sinclair A.G., Hovell F.D.DeB., Mayes R.W., and Edwards S.A. Validation of the n-alkane technique for measuring herbage intake in sows. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science (1999) 171