Dietary energy and protein gradients drive metabolic adaptation in growing-finishing yaks on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.

ABSTRACT: The study investigated the metabolic responses of yaks to dietary net energy for gain (NEg) and metabolizable protein (MP), and explored potential biomarkers for average daily gain (ADG) in serum metabolites. A total of 40 three-year-old yaks (initial body weight = 255 ± 8.04 kg) were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial treatment arrangement based on dietary NEg (4.18 vs 4.81 MJ/kg DM; low NEg [LE] vs high NEg [HE]) and MP (72.0 vs 82.8 g/kg DM; low MP [LP] vs high MP [HP]), comprising 4 treatments with 10 replicates each (1 yak per replicate). The yaks were fed these diets for 55 days including a 15-day adaptation period. Yaks on HP diets had greater ADG (P = 0.013) and a reduced feed-to-gain ratio (P = 0.019) compared to those on the LP diet, and those on the LE diet had greater

SUBMITTER: Zhao S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12143763 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature