Nutrición Animal Tropical
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Nutrición Animal Tropical 14(2): 85-100. ISSN: 2215-3527/ 2020
86
Palabras clave:
requerimientos, nutrición de rumiantes, balance de raciones, nutrimentos.
ABSTRACT
Estimation of the supply of metabolizable protein in dairy cattle.
Protein is an essential nutrient
in the diet of dairy cows as it provides amino acids for the animal and, at the same time, supplies
nitrogen for the rumen microorganisms; therefore, part of the protein available to ruminants
comes from microbial protein and dietary sources. In most feeding situations, microbial protein
is the primary source of absorbed AA; however, when large amounts of rumen undegradable
protein are fed to the animals, microbial protein may not be the primary source. Metabolizable
protein is the true protein absorbed as amino acids by the intestine and supplied by microbial
protein, endogenous protein and dietary protein that escapes degradation in the rumen.
Normally, the concept of crude protein is used; however, this can incur in excess protein that, in
addition to being expensive, can cause problems to the animal and the environment, thus the
objective of this document is to present an extract of the methodology used by the NRC (2001)
model to determine metabolizable protein requirements in dairy cattle. Within the steps, it is
required to calculate the maintenance requirement that includes urinary endogenous nitrogen
(N), scurf N, fecal metabolic N and endogenous N, and the requirement for milk production. To
determine the metabolizable protein contribution of the ration, it is necessary to calculate the
amount of total digestible nutrients (TDN) supplied in the ration. Despite the fact that many years
have passed since the publication of the nutrient requirements of dairy cattle, and that there are
computer programs that perform these calculations, it is intended to detail the way in which the
calculations are carried out to make this information more accessible to potential users in Costa
Rica and Latin America.
Key words
: requirements, ruminant nutrition, ration balance, nutrients.
INTRODUCCION
El nitrógeno, junto con el carbono y el oxígeno, es el más complejo y crucial de los elementos
esenciales para la vida. El fertilizar los granos y forrajes con fertilizantes nitrogenados, orgánicos
o inorgánicos, ha sido reconocido como un punto clave para mejorar el rendimiento y los
retornos económicos en los sistemas de producción de leche (Keeney y Hatfield, 2008).
Desde el punto de vista nutricional de rumiantes, los requerimientos de nitrógeno son cubiertos
por aminoácidos, péptidos y polipéptidos, productos terminales del metabolismo de la proteína