1. International cooperation in feed evaluation
10/05/2011
International cooperation in feed evaluation
Jaap van Milgen
100 Doctors of Philosophy in animal nutrition
Which questions can possibly remain?
Symposium in honor of Martin Verstegen

2. Outline
Role of livestock production systems
Notions of requirements, values, and responses
Towards a more unified European system of farm animal nutrition
One of the challenges in animal nutrition: dealing with variation among animals
Conclusions

3. Outline
Role of livestock production systems
Notions of requirements, values, and responses
Towards a more unified European system of farm animal nutrition
One of the challenges in animal nutrition: dealing with variation among animals
Conclusions

4. The role of livestock production systems
“The livestock sector is one of the most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global”
“As it stands now, there are no technically or economically viable alternatives to intensive livestock production for providing the bulk of the food supply”

5. The role of livestock production systems
resources
products

6. The role of (intensive) livestock production systems
« animal » or
« system »
resources
production
products
high flow rate
highly efficient (/ha, /€, or /capita)
in regions with high production densities

7. The role of (intensive) livestock production systems
« animal » or
« system »
resources
production
products

8. Outline
Role of livestock production systems
Notions of requirements, values, and responses
Towards a more unified European system of farm animal nutrition
One of the challenges in animal nutrition: dealing with variation among animals
Conclusions

9. A notion of “requirement” and response
Your Mn requirement is ~3.5 mg/d
Your body Mn storage is ~12 mg
Mn is a co-factor required for a variety of enzymes: oxidoreductases, transferases, hydrolases, lyases, isomerases

10. A notion of “requirement” and response
Have you had your Mn supply today?
Do you feel well?
Deficiency symptoms: Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, restless leg syndrome (no known effects on voting behavior)
Mn can be toxic: neurotoxicity

11. A notion of “requirement” and response
energy intake =
1.000 x energy expenditure
she knows her energy requirement
he does not know his energy requirement
energy intake =
1.002 x energy expenditure
or does he?

12. a compromise between “value” and “requirement”
Nutritional systems:
a compromise between “value” and “requirement”
nutrient value GE
total AA DE
ileal digestible AA ME
std. ileal digestible AA NE
ideal AA profile
nutrient requirement

13. Outline
Role of livestock production systems
Notions of requirements, values, and responses
Towards a more unified European system of farm animal nutrition
One of the challenges in animal nutrition: dealing with variation among animals
Conclusions

14. International cooperation in feed evaluation
Countries have developed “home-made” nutritional systems, which come in different flavors
Budget and brains become limiting to account for new challenges in current systems
Past initiatives to harmonize feeding systems have failed:
a “my-system-is-better-than-yours” attitude
personal initiatives without institutional backing or funding
willingness but no commitment

15. Challenges for future feeding systems
10/05/2011
Challenges for future feeding systems
(EAAP workshop, Bratislava August 31, 2012)
Methods of evaluation: rapid, cheap, “no animal”, precise
Technological aspects and feed additives
A more mechanistic approach towards digestion and absorption (nutrient-nutrient and animal-nutrient interactions)
Metabolic efficiency
Account for “non-productive” aspects (e.g., animal health and welfare, product quality, environment)
“new” animals, new feeds
Account for variation (feeds, animals)
Across-species approach
From a system of requirements to a system of responses
From models to tools

16. Challenges for future feeding systems
(EAAP workshop, Bratislava August 31, 2012)
Develop a collaborative initiative on innovation, harmonization and improvement of feed evaluation systems
Where do want to be10-15 years from now and how do we get there?
Development of a “reference” system
Work with the willing but go gently and leave room for history and local “dialects”
Commitment through funding (EU COST-program)
Involve stakeholders
EAAP support

17. Outline
Role of livestock production systems
Notions of requirements, values, and responses
Towards a more unified European system of farm animal nutrition
One of the challenges in animal nutrition: dealing with variation among animals
Conclusions

18. Dealing with variation among animals
10/05/2011
Dealing with variation among animals
Used in genetic selection
Many production practices are applied to groups of pigs

19. Dealing with variation among animals
10/05/2011
Dealing with variation among animals

20. Precision pork production
Inputs:
type of feed
quantity of feed
heating
Outputs:
feed intake
growth
body composition
Model
Sensors
Controller
Target
Wathes et al., 2008

21. Precision pork production
Pomar et al., 2009, 2010, 2011

22. Phenotyping and real-time monitoring is essential
10/05/2011
Phenotyping and real-time monitoring is essential
who’s who
animal behavior
skin temperature

23. Precision pork production
Still in its infancy
Will help to reduce the use of natural resources and reduce environmental impact
Can accounts for the requirement or response of individual pigs
May be seen as an instrumental use of pigs and further industrialization of pork production

24. Outline
Role of livestock production systems
Notions of requirements, values, and responses
Towards a more unified European system of farm animal nutrition
One of the challenges in animal nutrition: dealing with variation among animals
Conclusions

25. 100 Doctors of Philosophy in animal nutrition.
Which questions can possibly remain?
catalysts
decay ? +
membrane E4
E2E3 E1
proteome
decay +
How much do we know about biology?
Not much …
(but Martin is not to blame)
metabolome S1 S2
(S3) S4 P
Cornish-Bowden et al., 2004