REVIEW PAPER
Feed-efficient ruminant production: opportunities and challenges
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1
Institute of Animal Nutrition, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI), Federal Research Centre of Animal Health, Bundesallee 50, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany
2
Food GmbH – Analytic Consulting; Orlaweg 2, 07743 Jena, Germany
Publication date: 2013-09-02
Corresponding author
G. Flachowsky
Institute of Animal Nutrition, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI), Federal Research Centre of Animal Health, Bundesallee 50, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany
J. Anim. Feed Sci. 2013;22(3):177-187
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Feed-efficient ruminant production is a key topic in the further
development of ruminant husbandry all over the world. Ruminants contribute
substantially to human nutrition by production of milk and meat. They are also
extremely useful for mankind by providing other important products and labour,
such as skins, clothing, bones, dung, heating material, and working as draft animals,
etc. The microorganisms in the rumen of ruminants are able to process
lignocellulose from low quality roughage into volatile fatty acids and energy,
to transfer non-protein nitrogen, such as urea, into microbial protein, and to
synthesize B vitamins. Therefore, ruminants are able to produce food of animal
origin without competition for feed with non-ruminants and man. On the other
hand, gas methane (CH4) with a high greenhouse gas potential is an unavoidable
by-product of rumen fermentation. Furthermore, growing ruminants are
characterized by a low growing potential (daily yield in edible protein < 0.05% of
body weight). The objectives of ruminant breeding, nutrition and keeping/management
should, therefore, be to maximize/optimize the advantages of ruminants
and to minimize their disadvantages. Feed-efficient ruminant production
is viewed as a complex system starting with plant and animal breeding. More
systemic approaches are considered necessary to understand interactions and
to find acceptable solutions for complex relationships in the context of food security,
resource efficiency, as well environmental, social and economic aspects.
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