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Flushing of mink (Mustela vison): effects on energy metabolism and some blood metabolites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. Fink  and
A.-H. Tauson
R. Fink
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Animal Health, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Bülowsvej 13, DK–1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
A.-H. Tauson
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Animal Health, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Bülowsvej 13, DK–1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
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Abstract

Energy metabolism during flushing of mink (Mustela vison) in relation to a control group was studied by means of combining pooled data from balance and respiration experiments carried out in 1993 (experiment I) and 1994 (experiment II) and some blood metabolites from experiment II. The experiments, which were divided into six 1-week balance periods, started on 7 February and continued until 22 March. Flushing was performed by restricted feeding in periods 2 and 3 and refeeding in periods 4 and 5. Each balance period included a 24-h measurement of heat production by means of indirect calorimetry in open-air circuit respiration chambers. In experiment II blood samples were taken at weekly intervals and analysed for total triiodothyronine, total thyroxine, free thyroxine, glucose, insulin and fructosamine. Generally, intake of digestible nutrients and energy metabolism measurements within the flushed group were strongly influenced by period (energy supply), whereas they remained stable in the control group and differences between treatment groups over the total experiment were non-significant. The fluctuation in energy status induced by flushing did not involve major changes in body weight. Blood metabolites reflected the food intake by being fairly stable in the control group and decreasing during restriction and increasing during refeeding in the flushed group (P < 0·05). As an effect of flushing the number of corpora lutea increased significantly (P < 0·05).

Keywords

blood chemistrycorpus luteumenergy balanceflushingmink
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 66 , Issue 1 , February 1998 , pp. 277 - 284
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1998

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