Autor: Silke Ausmeier
Opinion on the indispensability of animal experiments in animal nutrition research and suitability of alternative methods
The public has high expectations regarding availability of food, including global food security, feed and food safety, animal welfare, and the protection of natural resources and of the environment. To meet these expectations and solve conflicts of interest requires extensive research. Animal nutrition research needs both, animal trials and alternative replacement methods. If appropriate alternative methods are not available, animal trials are indispensable. The planning and carrying out of animal trials are based on the 3 R principle, minimizing any load, stress and discomfort of the animals.
Statement on energy evaluation of feeds for pigs based on metabolisable energy versus net energy
This statement is a comprehensive presentation of the scientific arguments and aspects relevant to practical feeding and formulation of rations and compound feeds which are important in evaluating feeds for pigs on the basis of metabolisable energy (ME) and net energy (NE).
The ME indicates the capacity of a feed to provide energy for the animal’s metabolism. The NE additionally includes the nutrient-specific heat losses occurring in the metabolism and represents the retained energy (RE) in the growing animal. However, because the extent of these losses is not constant, especially for protein, and the energy requirements for basal metabolism, gestation, thermoregulation and physical activity must be expressed as equivalents to RE, this leads to problems or inaccuracies. The RE as part of performance prediction is therefore only partly successful with a NE system. Only by knowing the composition of the ration, especially its protein and amino acid contents, and the animal’s characteristics, notably protein deposition capacity, is it possible to predict growth, body composition and nutrient excretion.
Equations for predicting metabolisable energy and digestibility of organic matter in forage legumes for ruminants
In recent years, the cultivation of forage legumes such as lucerne, red and white clover has become more important to obtain roughage sources. This is particularly relevant not only for supplying ruminants with farm-produced protein, but also for improving the supply of feed to induce an adequate structural fibre effect. When forage legumes are included in ration planning, its energy value must be adequately predicted. Evaluation of the data described below had suggested that the metabolisable energy (ME) of forage legumes cannot be predicted with sufficient precision based on the equations recommended for predicting the ME of grass and grass products (GfE 2008), and prediction equations were therefore derived specifically for forage legumes.
Proteineffizienz erfordert keine Nettoenergie
In verschiedenen Verlautbarungen zur Schweinefütterung wird seit einigen Monaten behauptet, bei der Futteroptimierung führe die Verwendung der Nettoenergie als Alternative zur Umsetzbaren Energie per se zu einer Reduzierung der Stickstoff-ausscheidungen der Schweine und zu einer Verbesserung der Proteineffizienz.
Der Ausschuss für Bedarfsnormen der Gesellschaft für Ernährungsphysiologie (GfE) stellt fest, dass diese Behauptung nicht zutreffend ist.
Gesellschaft für Ernährungsphysiologie 