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Evaluation of faecal indices for predicting phosphorus status of cattle
Author(s) -
HOLECHEK J. L.,
GALYEAN M. L.,
WALLACE J. D.,
WOFFORD H.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
grass and forage science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1365-2494
pISSN - 0142-5242
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2494.1985.tb01782.x
Subject(s) - latin square , phosphorus , zoology , linear regression , regression analysis , mathematics , dairy cattle , feces , biology , statistics , chemistry , ecology , food science , rumen , organic chemistry , fermentation
An experiment examining the relationships between dietary and faecal phosphorus (P) concentration and intake and faecal output of P by steers is described. Six forages with a wide range of chemical properties were fed to six steers in a Latin square design. Dietary P concentration was highly associated with faecal P concentration in simple linear regression equations including ( r 2 = 0.91) and excluding ( r 2 = 0.94) animal variation. The regression slopes were similar to those in an Australian study involving dairy cows. However, the intercept values for the two studies differed. Phosphorus intake was well associated with daily faecal P output. Another study in Australia with steers showed similar results. However, the linear regression equation in the present study differed from that in the Australian study. Therefore, the application of a generalized equation to predict P intake from faecal P output is not advocated until the reliability of the equation in this study is confirmed with other forages.