Nutrient Utilization, Requirements and Nutrigenomics in Sheep and Goats

Area of Science:

• Animal Nutrition and Physiology
• Ruminant Metabolism and Requirements
• Agricultural Science and Technology

Background:

• The 2007 National Research Council (NRC) guidelines for sheep and goat nutrient requirements are foundational but require updates.
• Enhancing production efficiency, minimizing environmental impact, and optimizing resource use necessitate refined nutrient requirement estimations.
• Growing global importance of sheep and goat production drives the need for current and accurate nutritional data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and discuss advancements in estimating energy and protein requirements for sheep and goats since 2007.
• To highlight emerging factors and methodologies influencing nutrient requirement determination.
• To explore the potential of precision nutrition and novel techniques like nutrigenomics for future advancements.

Main Methods:

• Review of empirical feeding experimentation, comparative slaughter techniques, and minimum endogenous loss methods.
• Analysis of newer data on energy and protein requirements for maintenance, growth, and production in sheep and goats.
• Discussion of conventional and emerging factors (climate change, nutrigenomics, AI, sensor technology) impacting nutrient needs.

Main Results:

• Newer estimates for sheep energy and protein requirements are often similar to or lower than 2007 recommendations, influenced by breed, wool growth, and gender.
• Goat energy and protein requirements vary significantly by breed (meat vs. dairy) and life stage, with some existing recommendations potentially inadequate.
• Emerging factors like climate change and advancements in nutrigenomics and AI offer new avenues for precise nutrient requirement prediction.

Conclusions:

• Existing nutrient requirement models need refinement to incorporate breed, environmental, and physiological variations in sheep and goats.
• Emerging technologies such as nutrigenomics, artificial intelligence, and sensor technology hold promise for developing precision nutrition strategies.
• Future research should focus on integrating these advancements to improve the accuracy and applicability of nutrient requirement recommendations for enhanced animal production and sustainability.