Energetics of Animal Production

Abstract

Principles and results concerning Danish research during the last 10 years on energetics of animal production are reviewed. All presented results have been obtained by means of the respiration plant in Copenhagen working according to the indirect calorimetry technique. In the first part of the paper, the concepts of maintenance requirement and efficiency of metabolizable energy utilization for growth, egg and milk production are examined. Subsequently, different methods for estimation of maintenance and energy utilization are described and illustrated with 30 equations. The specific problems concerning the methodology and interpretation of the results are deliberated. Finally, the general issues concerning animal energetics are discussed and a new procedure for estimation of energy utilization is proposed.