Protein-Energy Interrelationships in Productive Ruminants

Abstract

The digestion and metabolism of protein and energy in ruminants were reviewed. Important features were: a) the influence of the rumen on amounts and form of protein and energy available for production, b) the effects of nutrients which escape rumen fermentation, c) the interrelationships between protein and energy metabolism in the animal, and d) the effect of the endocrine system on utilization and partitioning of absorbed nutrients. A number of studies were undertaken at the productive and metabolic level to study the factors related to protein and energy supplementation of ruminants which influence productivity, in particular, the sites of digestion of protein and starch.