
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Walker, D.M. 
A1  - Vickery, K. 
T1  - Nitrogen balance studies on pouch young Macropus rufus and M. giganteus (Marsupialia: Macropodidae): The utilisation of cows&apos; milk and carbohydratefree milk replacers.
JF  - Australian Mammalogy
JO  - Aust. Mammalogy
Y1  - 1989
VL  - 12
IS  - 1
SP  - 23
EP  - 30
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/AM89003 
N2  - Young Macropus rufus and M. giganteus, aged between 150 and 250 days were reared on two carbohydrate-free milk replacer diets (CF-25 and CF-35 containing, respectively, 25 0Jo and 35% of their total energy as protein). Cows&apos; milk (26% protein energy) was given as a control diet. CF diets were offered to the joeys to provide a wide range of intakes of energy. Cows&apos; milk was offered over a narrow range to avoid diarrhoea. Nitrogen balances over a 5 day collection period demonstrated the protein-sparing effect of the carbohydrate (lactose) in cows &apos; milk. At the same daily intakes of energy ( 430 kJ kg -0.73) the nitrogen balances of the joeys (mg N kg -0.73) were: CF-25 (n~l4), 195; CF-35 (n ~ l4), 408; cows&apos; milk (n ~ 6), 421; while the daily liveweight changes (g kg -0.73) were: CF- 25, - 0.2; CF-35, +6.6; cows&apos; milk, +11.2. The superior nitrogen balances of joeys given the cows&apos; milk diet could be attributed to the presence of carbohydrate, since similar nitrogen balances could be obtained only with a carbohydrate-free diet if the protein content was raised by some 40% above that in cows&apos; milk. However, the use of cows&apos; milk as the sole feed for pouch young kangaroos is limited by its high content of lactose and the inevitable diarrhoea that follows when cows&apos; milk is fed in amounts sufficient to give acceptable liveweight gains. 
ER  -

