Metabolizable protein and amino acid requirements of growing cattle

Metabolizable protein and amino acid requirements for growing cattle were estimated using data from 11 research trials. A total of 543 steers were individually fed a high-roughage diet supplemented with protein at several levels above a urea supplement control. The mean weight for all animals was 253 kg, with a range in mean initial to final weights of 200 to 316 kg, respectively. Daily gain ranged from -.04 to .89 kg. Metabolizable protein for each treatment group was calculated at the point at which the protein requirement was met. The sum of dietary escape protein (basal and supplemental) and calculated microbial protein represented metabolizable protein supplied per test protein source analyzed in each trial. Daily gain was regressed against calculated metabolizable protein flow using weighted regression analysis (r2 = .69, n = 45) to determine the metabolizable protein requirements for maintenance (3.8 x BW.75 g/d, where BW is expressed in kilograms) and growth (305 g/kg of live weight gain). Calculated metabolizable amino acid requirements as a percentage of metabolizable protein for a 253-kg animal gaining .49 kg/d were as follows: methionine, 3.0%; total sulfur amino acids, 5.8%; lysine, 8.0%; tryptophan, 1.0%; threonine, 5.2%; valine, 5.7%; isoleucine, 5.6%; leucine, 6.9%; phenylalanine, 3.9%; and histidine, 1.6%. The proposed requirements were based on live animal gain and intake of metabolizable protein and should represent the needs of the growing beef animal.