Differences between Yaks and Qaidam Cattle in Digestibilities of Nutrients and Ruminal Concentration of Volatile Fatty Acids Are not Dependent on Feed Level
The Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is characterized by highly fluctuating seasonal pastures. Yaks (<i>Bos grunniens</i>) graze at higher altitudes than Qaidam cattle (<i>Bos taurus</i>), but the two bovine species co-graze in their overlapping ranges. We hypothesized that yaks...
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Fermentation |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/8/8/405 |
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| author | Hu Liu Daozhicairang Wu Abraham Allan Degen Lizhuang Hao Shuiyan Gan Hongshan Liu Xuliang Cao Jianwei Zhou Ruijun Long |
| author_facet | Hu Liu Daozhicairang Wu Abraham Allan Degen Lizhuang Hao Shuiyan Gan Hongshan Liu Xuliang Cao Jianwei Zhou Ruijun Long |
| author_sort | Hu Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is characterized by highly fluctuating seasonal pastures. Yaks (<i>Bos grunniens</i>) graze at higher altitudes than Qaidam cattle (<i>Bos taurus</i>), but the two bovine species co-graze in their overlapping ranges. We hypothesized that yaks would digest nutrients to a greater extent and utilize energy more efficiently than cattle at low dietary intakes, but the difference between bovine species would not be apparent at high intakes. To test this hypothesis, six yaks (203 ± 6.0 kg) and six Qaidam cattle (214 ± 9.0 kg), all 3.5-year-old castrated males, were used in two concurrent 4 × 4 Latin square designs with two extra steers of each species in each period. The digestibilities of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, neutral and acid detergent fiber were greater (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in yaks than in cattle and decreased linearly (<i>p</i> < 0.05) when feed level (FL) increased. The average daily gain (ADG), the ratios of digestible energy (DE) to gross energy and metabolizable energy (ME) to DE, and ruminal total volatile fatty acids and ammonia-N concentrations were greater (<i>p</i> < 0.001) in yaks than in cattle and increased linearly (<i>p</i> < 0.001) when FL increased. Based on the regression equations of ADG on ME intake, the daily ME requirement for maintenance in yaks was 0.53 MJ BW<sup>−0.75</sup> d<sup>−1</sup>, which was lesser (<i>p</i> < 0.05) than the 0.62 MJ BW<sup>−0.75</sup> d<sup>−1</sup> in cattle. We concluded that: (1) when differences between breeds emerged, the differences existed for all FLs; (2) maintenance energy requirement was lesser and ADG was greater in yaks than in cattle; (3) the digestibilities of nutrients were greater in yaks than in cattle when consuming only oat hay pellets. These findings indicate that yaks adapt to fluctuating dietary intakes in harsh environments by having a low energy requirement and high digestibility of nutrients, independent of the FL. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:57:31Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
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| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:57:31Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-88fd20e91d564f19b167b1c0a95cbd692023-12-01T23:41:00ZengMDPI AGFermentation2311-56372022-08-018840510.3390/fermentation8080405Differences between Yaks and Qaidam Cattle in Digestibilities of Nutrients and Ruminal Concentration of Volatile Fatty Acids Are not Dependent on Feed LevelHu Liu0Daozhicairang Wu1Abraham Allan Degen2Lizhuang Hao3Shuiyan Gan4Hongshan Liu5Xuliang Cao6Jianwei Zhou7Ruijun Long8State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Centre of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Centre of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, ChinaDesert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of Negev, Beer Sheva 8410500, IsraelKey Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, Qinghai Academy of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Centre of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Centre of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Centre of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Centre of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, ChinaInternational Centre for Tibetan Plateau Ecosystem Management, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, ChinaThe Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is characterized by highly fluctuating seasonal pastures. Yaks (<i>Bos grunniens</i>) graze at higher altitudes than Qaidam cattle (<i>Bos taurus</i>), but the two bovine species co-graze in their overlapping ranges. We hypothesized that yaks would digest nutrients to a greater extent and utilize energy more efficiently than cattle at low dietary intakes, but the difference between bovine species would not be apparent at high intakes. To test this hypothesis, six yaks (203 ± 6.0 kg) and six Qaidam cattle (214 ± 9.0 kg), all 3.5-year-old castrated males, were used in two concurrent 4 × 4 Latin square designs with two extra steers of each species in each period. The digestibilities of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, neutral and acid detergent fiber were greater (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in yaks than in cattle and decreased linearly (<i>p</i> < 0.05) when feed level (FL) increased. The average daily gain (ADG), the ratios of digestible energy (DE) to gross energy and metabolizable energy (ME) to DE, and ruminal total volatile fatty acids and ammonia-N concentrations were greater (<i>p</i> < 0.001) in yaks than in cattle and increased linearly (<i>p</i> < 0.001) when FL increased. Based on the regression equations of ADG on ME intake, the daily ME requirement for maintenance in yaks was 0.53 MJ BW<sup>−0.75</sup> d<sup>−1</sup>, which was lesser (<i>p</i> < 0.05) than the 0.62 MJ BW<sup>−0.75</sup> d<sup>−1</sup> in cattle. We concluded that: (1) when differences between breeds emerged, the differences existed for all FLs; (2) maintenance energy requirement was lesser and ADG was greater in yaks than in cattle; (3) the digestibilities of nutrients were greater in yaks than in cattle when consuming only oat hay pellets. These findings indicate that yaks adapt to fluctuating dietary intakes in harsh environments by having a low energy requirement and high digestibility of nutrients, independent of the FL.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/8/8/405yaksQaidam cattleapparent digestibilitiesaverage daily gainenergy requirement for maintenancefeed level |
| spellingShingle | Hu Liu Daozhicairang Wu Abraham Allan Degen Lizhuang Hao Shuiyan Gan Hongshan Liu Xuliang Cao Jianwei Zhou Ruijun Long Differences between Yaks and Qaidam Cattle in Digestibilities of Nutrients and Ruminal Concentration of Volatile Fatty Acids Are not Dependent on Feed Level Fermentation yaks Qaidam cattle apparent digestibilities average daily gain energy requirement for maintenance feed level |
| title | Differences between Yaks and Qaidam Cattle in Digestibilities of Nutrients and Ruminal Concentration of Volatile Fatty Acids Are not Dependent on Feed Level |
| title_full | Differences between Yaks and Qaidam Cattle in Digestibilities of Nutrients and Ruminal Concentration of Volatile Fatty Acids Are not Dependent on Feed Level |
| title_fullStr | Differences between Yaks and Qaidam Cattle in Digestibilities of Nutrients and Ruminal Concentration of Volatile Fatty Acids Are not Dependent on Feed Level |
| title_full_unstemmed | Differences between Yaks and Qaidam Cattle in Digestibilities of Nutrients and Ruminal Concentration of Volatile Fatty Acids Are not Dependent on Feed Level |
| title_short | Differences between Yaks and Qaidam Cattle in Digestibilities of Nutrients and Ruminal Concentration of Volatile Fatty Acids Are not Dependent on Feed Level |
| title_sort | differences between yaks and qaidam cattle in digestibilities of nutrients and ruminal concentration of volatile fatty acids are not dependent on feed level |
| topic | yaks Qaidam cattle apparent digestibilities average daily gain energy requirement for maintenance feed level |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/8/8/405 |
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