This book presents specially commissioned reviews of key topics in farm animal metabolism and nutrition, such as repartitioning agents, near infrared reflectance spectroscopy and digestibility and metabolisable energy assays, where major advances have recently been made or which continue to represent issues of significance for students and researchers. Authors include leading researchers from Europe, North America and Australia.

An indispensable resource for the dairy farmer or veterinarian, the researcher, teacher, or advanced student, this book puts the cutting–edge science of raising dairy calves into an accessible, usable form. Geared to those with a basic understanding of principles of animal nutrition and husbandry, the volume gives a comprehensive account of all aspects of calf rearing, from the rudiments of anatomy and development through the practicalities of feeding and housing. The Development, Nutrition and Management of the Young Calf begins with an overview of how the calf′s digestive system develops, highlighting the period of transition from preruminant to ruminant digestion. Here the authors provide information essential to understanding nutritional needs and restrictions during the liquid–feeding phase in the young calf as well as those factors that govern the development of a functional rumen. Major emphasis is given to the energy and protein requirements of the young calf, with attention to the effects of environmental temperature on energy requirements. The authors also review the adequacy of current National Research Council recommendations on the energy and protein requirements of young calves. They discuss the management, nutrition, and care of the pregnant cow as well as calving management necessary to deliver a healthy calf. Other topics include liquid–feeding systems, formulation and use of milk replacers and starter feeds, the weaning process, housing principles, and the interactions of nutrition and disease

NorFor is a semi-mechanistic feed evaluation system for cattle, which is used by advisors in Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. This book describes in detail the system and it covers five main sections. The first is concerned with information on feed characteristics, feed analysis and feed digestion methods. The second section describes the digestion and metabolism in the gastrointestinal tract and the supply and requirement of energy and metabolizable amino acids. The third section considers the prediction of feed intake and physical structure of the diet. The fourth section focuses on model evaluation and the final section provides information on the IT solutions and feed ration formulation by a non-linear economical optimization procedure. This book will be of significant interest to researchers, students and advisors of cattle nutrition and feed evaluation.

Principles; Food energy; Measurements of metabolisable energy; Metabolisable energy of the ration; Matabolisable energy concentration of rations; Metabolisable energy requirements; Maintenance; Liveweight gain; Milk production; Mobilisation of body reserves; Pregnancy; A net energy system for growing animals; Net energy requirements; Net energy values of foods; Animal production level; Safety margins; Dairy cows; Calculation of metabolisable energy allowances; Liveweight change; Daily ME allowances; Appetite Limits for dairy cows; Checking a ration; Ration formulation; Rapid method; Linear programming; Feeding the dairy cow; Significance of liveweight changes; Ration formulation for stages of lactation; Feeding according to yield; Energy requirements of grazing cows; Growing and fattening cattle; Prediction of performance; Ration calculations; Predicted liveweight gain; Calculation of metabolisable energy allowances; Ration formulation; Rapid method; Linear programming; Net energy system for ration formulation; Animal production level; Net energy values of foods; Net energy allowances; Ration formulation; Replacement values of foods; Linear programming; Sheep; Pregnant and lactating ewes; Maintenance allowances; Pregnancy allowances; Ration formulation; Growing and fattening sheep; Performance prediction; Prediction of liveweight gain; Calculation of metabolisable energy allowances; Net energy system for ration formulation; Net energy allowances; Animal prodution level; Net energy values of foods; Replacement values of foods; Metabolisable energies of foods; Energy values of foods; Digestibility measurements of foods; Metabolisable energy values of foods; Prediction of the ME of forages; Estimation of the ME of compound foods; Tables of food composition.