Since 1944, the National Research Council (NRC) has published seven editions of the Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle. This reference has guided nutritionists and other professionals in academia and the dairy and feed industries in developing and implementing nutritional and feeding programs for dairy cattle.

The eighth revised edition of the Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle builds on the previous editions. A great deal of new research has been published and there is a large amount of new information for many nutrients. This book represents a comprehensive review of the most recent information available on efficient, profitable, and environmentally conscious dairy cattle nutrition and ingredient composition.

Contents

• The National Academies of SCIENCES • ENGINEERING • MEDICINE
• COMMITTEE ON NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS OF DAIRY CATTLE
• BOARD ON AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Summary
• 1. Defining Requirements
  • INTRODUCTION
  • REPORTING AND APPLICATION OF THE REQUIREMENTS
  • REFERENCES
• 2. Dry Matter Intake
  • INTRODUCTION
  • PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS
  • METABOLIC CONTROL
  • INTEGRATION OF SIGNALS
  • EQUATIONS FOR PREDICTING DRY MATTER INTAKE
  • FEEDING MANAGEMENT, FEEDING BEHAVIOR, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AFFECTING FEED INTAKE
  • REFERENCES
• 3. Energy
  • ENERGY UNITS
  • ENERGY VALUES OF FEEDS
  • OVERALL ENERGY SCHEME
  • FEED FRACTIONS
  • ESTIMATING THE DIGESTIBLE ENERGY VALUE FOR FEEDS AND DIETS
  • ENERGY REQUIREMENTS
  • REFERENCES
• 4. Fat
  • INTRODUCTION
  • RUMEN METABOLISM, DIGESTION, AND ABSORPTION
  • MODEL USED FOR FATTY ACID DIGESTION
  • MILK FAT COMPOSITION
  • LACTATING COW RESPONSES TO DIETARY FAT
  • DIETARY FAT INTERVENTIONS AND REPRODUCTION
  • DAIRY FAT AND HUMAN HEALTH AND POSSIBLE MODIFICATION OF MILK FAT
  • SUMMARY
  • REFERENCES
• 5. Carbohydrates
  • INTRODUCTION
  • NEUTRAL DETERGENT FIBER
  • NEUTRAL DETERGENT-SOLUBLE CARBOHYDRATES
  • RUMINAL AND TOTAL-TRACT DIGESTION
  • PREDICTION OF RUMINAL CARBOHYDRATE DIGESTIBILITY
  • PHYSICALLY EFFECTIVE NEUTRAL DETERGENT FIBER
  • RECOMMENDATIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 6. Protein
  • INTRODUCTION
  • MAJOR DIFFERENCES FROM THE PREVIOUS VERSION
  • METABOLIZABLE PROTEIN AND AMINO ACID SUPPLY
  • POSTABSORPTIVE USE OF METABOLIZABLE PROTEIN AND AMINO ACID
  • MEETING THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR METABOLIZABLE PROTEIN AND AMINO ACIDS
  • PROTEIN AND DRY MATTER INTAKE
  • EFFECTS OF PROTEIN ON REPRODUCTION
  • UREA RECYCLING AND ENERGY COST
  • REFERENCES
• 7. Minerals
  • MACROMINERALS
  • MICROMINERALS
  • REFERENCES
• 8. Vitamins
  • INTRODUCTION
  • FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS
  • WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMINS
  • REFERENCES
• 9. Water
  • INTRODUCTION
  • POOLS OF BODY WATER
  • WATER BALANCE
  • WATER LOSSES
  • WATER QUALITY
  • REFERENCES
• 10. Nutrient Requirements of the Young Calf
  • INTRODUCTION
  • BODY WEIGHT CONVERSIONS
  • DRY MATTER INTAKE
  • ENERGY REQUIREMENTS OF CALVES
  • EFFECTS OF SOURCES OF ENERGY
  • PROTEIN REQUIREMENTS
  • CALCULATION OF METABOLIZABLE ENERGY VALUES OF FEEDS
  • VALIDATION OF MODEL WITH EXPERIMENTAL DATA
  • ENERGY AND PROTEIN REQUIREMENTS FOR CALVES
  • MINERAL AND VITAMIN REQUIREMENTS OF CALVES
  • PRACTICAL FEEDING CONSIDERATIONS
  • OTHER ASPECTS OF CALF NUTRITION
  • REFERENCES
• 11. Growth
  • INTRODUCTION
  • ENERGY AND PROTEIN REQUIREMENTS FOR GROWING DAIRY HEIFERS
  • EFFECTS OF PLANE OF NUTRITION ON FUTURE MILK PRODUCTION
  • TOTAL REQUIREMENTS FOR METABOLIZABLE ENERGY AND METABOLIZABLE PROTEIN
  • TARGET BODY WEIGHTS AT BREEDING AND CALVING
  • PREDICTING GAIN FROM AVAILABLE METABOLIZABLE ENERGY AND METABOLIZABLE PROTEIN
  • HEIFER GROWTH PROGRAMS
  • MODEL LIMITATIONS AND RESEARCH NEEDS
  • REFERENCES
• 12. Dry and Transition Cows
  • METABOLIC AND PHYSIOLOGIC STATUS OF THE TRANSITION COW
  • NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS FOR PREGNANCY AND TRANSITION
  • ETIOLOGY AND NUTRITIONAL PREVENTION OF METABOLIC DISORDERS
  • REFERENCES
• 13. Dairy Production Systems
  • GROUP HOUSED WITH TOTAL MIXED RATIONS
  • PASTURE-BASED SYSTEMS
  • FEEDING AND AUTOMATIC MILKING SYSTEMS
  • ORGANIC DAIRY SYSTEMS
  • GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CROPS AND DAIRY CATTLE
  • REFERENCES
• 14. Dairy Cattle Nutrition and the Environment
  • INTRODUCTION
  • METHANE
  • NITROGEN
  • VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
  • INTEGRATED APPROACHES
  • MINERALS
  • TOTAL MANURE
  • REFERENCES
• 15. Feed By-Products
  • INTRODUCTION
  • POORLY DIGESTIBLE FIBER
  • DIGESTIBLE ENERGY
  • PROTEIN FEEDS
  • ENERGY/PROTEIN BY-PRODUCTS
  • REFERENCES
• 16. Feed Additives
  • INTRODUCTION
  • IONOPHORES
  • YEAST AND DIRECT-FED MICROBIALS
  • SILAGE INOCULANTS
  • ENZYMES
  • ESSENTIAL OILS AND OTHER PHYTONUTRIENTS
  • REFERENCES
• 17. Agents That Are Toxic to Dairy Cattle
  • INTRODUCTION
  • PLANT SECONDARY COMPOUNDS AND TOXIC AGENTS PRODUCED IN PLANTS
  • MYCOTOXINS
  • MICROBES AS TOXIC AGENTS IN FEED OR WATER
  • PRIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 18. Feed Analysis
  • INTRODUCTION
  • CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL ANALYSES
  • DIGESTION ANALYSES
  • REFERENCES
• 19. Nutrient Composition of Feeds
  • INTRODUCTION
  • SOURCE OF DATA
  • STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND GENERATION OF DATA
  • REFERENCES
• 20. Model Description and Evaluation
  • MODEL ABBREVIATIONS AND UNITS
  • MODEL INPUTS
  • NUTRIENT SUPPLY MODEL
  • NUTRIENT UTILIZATION AND ANIMAL PRODUCTION
  • MODEL EVALUATIONS
  • MODEL VARIANCE RELATIVE TO ANIMAL PERFORMANCE AND DIET SPECIFICATIONS
  • MODEL APPLICATION IN R
  • REFERENCES
• 21. Nutrient Requirement Tables
• Appendix A. Statement of Task
• Appendix B. Acronyms and Abbreviations
• Appendix C. Committee Member Biographies

Suggested citation:

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle: Eighth Revised Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25806.

Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/25806 Library of Congress Control Number: 2021915851

This publication is available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.

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