Efficiency of utilisations of food energy by female growing minks

The efficiency of utilisation of food energy by female growing minks, from weaning to adult age, was studied. The food given, pelleted according to an original technology, has the following chemical composition on a DM basis: 87.0% organic matter, 37.1% crude protein, 11.7% crude fat, 2.6% crude fiber, 35.6% nitrogen-free extractives and 13.0 per cent ash. Young minks had a feed intake, in relation to body weight, warying from 11.6 g to 58.6 g DM/d. Maximum feed intake related to kg0.75 was recorded at 700 g body weight (approximately 98 g DM/kg0.65). Digestibility of the given food expressed in DE, averaged 87.7 +/- 1.2%, while metabolizability, 82.3 +/- 1.1%. Total heat production related to the intaked gross energy, was 48.0 +/- 3.0%, and the retained energy, 34.3 +/- 4.0 per cent. The net efficiency of the metabolizable energy used for maintenance and production could not be accurately determined. However, taking to account the calculated values required for maintenance, of 649 kJ/kg0.75 in 300 to 600 g young minks, and of 607 kJ/kg0.75 in 600 to 1100 g young minks and also the maintenance efficiency, Km = 0.75, the coefficient for ME utilisation in protein and fat synthesis, of 0.50 and 0.75, respectively, it was able to determine the average ME efficiency used as net energy for maintenance and production: 70%. The highest values of nictemeral metabolism were recorded in the evening, and the lowest ones, at noon; the difference between the maximal and the minimal value did not exceed 6 per cent.