The intake, digestibility and utilization of a low-quality roughage by Brahman cross, buffalo, banteng and Shorthorn steers

1979 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 333 ◽  
Author(s):  
JB Moran ◽  
BW Norton ◽  
JV Nolan

The intake, digestibility and utilization of a low quality (0.8% nitrogen) sorghum hay was studied in Brahman cross, buffalo, banteng and Shorthorn steers. Comparisons of diet utilization were made after data were adjusted for differences in liveweight and feed intake. There were no significant differences (P < 0.05) between species in voluntary feed intake, faecal excretion of organic matter, cellulose and energy, and urinary excretion of nitrogen, phosphorus and energy. Utilization of water was least efficient in the buffaloes and most efficient in the banteng. The concentrations of ammonia and volatile fatty acids in the rumens of Brahman crosses, buffaloes and bantengs were similar, but the Brahman crosses had a higher proportion of butyric and a lower proportion of propionic acid than the other two species. The bantengs had a smaller rumen fluid volume and a slower rumen fluid flow rate but all three species had similar mean marker residence times in the rumen. The results from this experiment support the view that there are few differences between cattle species in their ability to digest and utilize a low quality roughage when comparisons are made between animals of similar liveweight and feed intake.

1985 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Rowe ◽  
A. Davies ◽  
A. W. J. Broome

1. Studies on the quantitative significance of protozoa on carbon and nitrogen digestion and metabolism in the rumen were carried out in sheep given a diet of pelleted concentrate (500 g/d) and chopped hay (500 g/d).2. Measurements were made of apparent digestibility; flows of organic matter and dietary and microbial non-ammonia N (NAN) (using 15NH+4) to the duodenum; and rates of production, interconversion and metabolism of the major C fermentation end-products (from mathematical modelling of 14C isotope values).3. The population density of bacteria in the rumen increased as a result of defamation (28.6 compared with 8.2 x 10° organisms/ml). This high density was associated with greater utilization of volatile fatty acids (VFA) within the rumen.4. The rate of irreversible loss (IL) of bicarbonatefcarbon dioxide from the rumen was greater in the defaunated animals (98.5 v. 57.2 g C/d) but the IL from the blood was greater in the faunated group (138.6 v. 106.1 g C/d). This is consistent with the hypothesis that the high population density of bacteria found in the rumen fluid of defaunated animals may result in increased fermentation of rumen VFA and digestible dietary carbohydrate, thereby increasing the output of CO2 from the rumen and reducing the quantity of VFA (hence energy) available to the host.5. There was no difference in the flow of organic matter (OM) to the duodenum but there was a higher faecal excretion of OM in defaunated animals (apparent OM digestibility: 0.72 in faunated, 0.67 in defaunated).6. Defamation did not significantly increase the flow of NAN to the duodenum, the percentage of duodenal NAN of bacterial origin or the quantity of microbial NAN synthesized/g organic matter fermented. Faecal excretion of NAN was higher in defaunated animals (5.3 v. 3.6 g N/d).


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjuan Li ◽  
Hui Tao ◽  
Naifeng Zhang ◽  
Tao Ma ◽  
Kaidong Deng ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundFat is the main substance that provides energy to animals. However, the use of fat in twin Hu lambs has not been investigated. Thirty pairs of male twin lambs were examined to investigate the effects of dietary fat on the metabolism of energy and nitrogen, ruminal fermentation, and microbial communities. The twins are randomly allotted to two groups (high fat: HF, normal fat: NF). Two diets of equal protein and different fat levels. The metabolism test was made at 50-60 days of age. Nine pairs of twin lambs are slaughtered randomly, and the rumen fluid is collected at 60 days of age.ResultsThe initial body weight (BW) in the HF group did not differ from that of NF group (P > 0.05), but the final BW was tended to higher than that of NF group (0.05 < P < 0.1). The digestive energy (DE), metabolism energy (ME), DE/ME in the HF group tend to be higher than those in the NF group (0.05 < P < 0.1). Ruminal ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and the proportion of total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) are higher than that in the NF group (P < 0.05). A high throughput sequencing analysis reveals that there were no differences between the two groups in terms of the richness estimates and diversity indices (P > 0.05). The Proteobacteria and Fibrobacteres phyla were higher than that in NF group (P<0.05).ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that high fat diet before weaning can affect the abundance of several groups of rumen bacteria in rumen, such as significantly increasing phyla Proteobacteria and Fibrobacteres, and genera of Succinivibrio, Alloprevotella, and Saccharofermentans, but significantly decreasing genera of Clostridium IV, Dialister, Roseburia, and Butyrivibrio. And high fat diet improved the performance of lambs at weight gain, energy utilization, and had effect on VFA composition but no effects on serum enzymes and serum hormone.


1988 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1181 ◽  
Author(s):  
BS Punia ◽  
J Leibholz ◽  
GJ Faichney

Six Friesian heifers (c. 300 kg) fitted with cannulas were given diets of wheat straw sprayed with NaOH (4.4 % wlw) and essential minerals either with or without urea (3% w/w). The total protozoal numbers in the rumen fluid were not significantly different between dietary trcatments (mean 6.2 X 104/ml). However, there were more holotrichs and medium-size entodiniomorph protozoa in the rumen fluid of the cattle given the HU and LU diets than the Hand L diets. Protozoal counts in the omasal fluid were 44% of those in rumen fluid. The apparent digestibilities of OM and neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) in the stomach and in the total tract were lower with high than low feed intakes. The urea supplement enhanced the digestibilities of OM and NDF in the stomach and in the total tract. The total nitrogen (N) and non-ammonia N (NAN) flowing to the omasum and to the duodenum per unit of N intake were significantly greater with the low than the high feed intakes and with urea supplementation of the diets than without urea supplementation. The proportions of total microbial N and bacterial N in omasal NAN were higher with the supplement of urea than the unsupplemented straw. The bacterial N in the NAN flowing to the omasum was lower for the high than the low intakes. Concentrations of ammonia-N and total volatile fatty acids in rumen fluid were higher for the ureasupplemented straw than the unsupplemented straw. The high level of feed intake was associated with higher water volume and solid contents in the rumen.


1996 ◽  
Vol 126 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Wang ◽  
G. B. Douglas ◽  
G. C. Waghorn ◽  
T. N. Barry ◽  
A. G. Foote ◽  
...  

SUMMARYA grazing experiment, conducted for 22 weeks in 1992/93 at Aorangi Research Station, AgResearch Grasslands, Manawatu, New Zealand, compared the productivity of weaned lambs grazing Lotus corniculatus (birdsfoot trefoil) and lucerne (Medicago sativa). Effects of condensed tannins (CT) in lotus were evaluated by studying the responses of lambs to twice daily oral supplementation with polyethylene glycol (PEG). A rotational grazing system with restricted feed allowance was used. Measurements were made of pre- and post-grazing herbage mass, the composition of the feed on offer and diet selected, voluntary feed intake (VFI), liveweight gain (LWG), carcass growth, wool growth and the concentration of metabolites in rumen fluid. For both lotus and lucerne swards, the diet selected was mainly leaf. Lotus contained 34 g total CT/kg dry matter in the diet selected, whilst there were essentially no CT in lucerne. Compared to lambs grazing lucerne, lambs grazing lotus had slightly lower VFI, and higher LWG, carcass weight gain, carcass dressing-out percentage and wool growth. PEG supplementation had no effect on these measurements or upon the composition of rumen fluid in lambs grazing lucerne. However, in lambs grazing lotus, PEG supplementation reduced wool growth (10·9 ν. 12·1 g/day), slightly reduced LWG (188 ν. 203 g/day), increased rumen ammonia concentration, and increased the molar proportions of /.so-butyric, isovaleric and n-valeric acids and protozoa numbers in rumen fluid. PEG supplementation did not affect carcass gain, carcass fatness or the molar proportion of rumen acetic, propionic or n-butyric acids in lambs grazing lotus. It was concluded that the principal effect of CT in growing lambs grazing lotus was to increase wool growth without affecting VFI, thereby increasing the efficiency of wool production, that the greater rate of carcass gain of lambs grazing lotus than those grazing lucerne was mainly caused by factors other than CT and that CT did not affect the rumen fermentation of carbohydrate to major volatile fatty acids.


1994 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 1215 ◽  
Author(s):  
RS Hegarty ◽  
JV Nolan ◽  
RA Leng

Two experiments were undertaken to study the effects of protozoa on sulfur and nitrogen availability and on fermentation and the composition of bacteria in the rumen of sheep. In Experiment 1, 12 faunated and 12 fauna-free sheep were offered a basal diet of chopped wheaten straw with or without sulfur (S) and urea-nitrogen (N) supplements. Sulfur supplementation increased the rate of straw digestion and the concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the rumen while reducing methane production. The presence of protozoa did not significantly affected this response, although it increased rumen H2S concentration. In contrast, the response of rumen fermentation to a urea supplement was affected by the presence of protozoa. Unsupplemented faunated sheep had a faster rate of in-sacco straw digestion in the rumen than did fauna free sheep (44 v. 36%DM/day). Supplementary urea increased the rate of in-sacco digestion of the basal ration in fauna free sheep (36 to 42%DM/day) but not in the faunated sheep (44 to 46%DM/day), suggesting that N availability was greater in the rumen of faunated sheep. Ammonia and total VFA concentrations in the rumen were not affected by protozoa, but the molar proportions of butyrate and isoacids in rumen VFA were greater in faunated sheep. Bacteria from the rumen fluid of faunated sheep contained a higher proportion of lipid and a lower proportion of N in their cell DM. In a second experiment, the chemical composition of rumen bacteria of faunated and fauna free sheep was further investigated. In both groups, bacteria associated with the particle-phase of digesta contained a higher proportion of lipid and a lower proportion of N than did fluid-phase bacteria. Fluid-phase bacteria from faunated sheep tended to have more lipid and less N in their DM than did those from fauna-free sheep. It was concluded that the presence of protozoa enables sustained fermentation of diets low in rumen available nitrogen and also increases the lipid content of rumen fluid-phase bacteria.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-167
Author(s):  
A. B. I. Udedibie ◽  
L. E. Chase

Digestion and Balance trials were conducted with 18 lactating dairy cows in their 7-8 weeks of lactation using 7 day total collection to determine nitrogen and energy balance and digestibility of ration nutrients by lactating dairy cows fed three levels (0.8 and 16%) of corn condensed distillers solubles (CCDS). Cows were fed treatment rations for 4 weeks before collection. Following digestion and balance trials, rumen fluid samples were collected esophagially before feeding and 3 hours after feeding to determine the influence of CCDS on rumen pH, ammonia nitrogen and volatile fatty acids. Corn condensed distilers solubles significantly (P<0.05) improved the digestibility of the neutral detergent fiber and ether extract but depressed the digestibility of the ash. Apparent nitrogen retention was significantly (P <0.05) lower for animals on 8% CCDS ration. There were no significant differences in energy utilization among groups. Corn condensed distilers soluble did not significantly affect rumen pH, but depressed rumen ammonia nitrogen. On molar percentage basis, animals on the 8% CCDS ration had significantly (P< 0.05) higher acetate in the rumen 3 hours after feeding. Other VFA remained relatively unaffected by treatments.  


1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 869-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Galloway Sr. ◽  
A. L. Goetsch ◽  
A. Patil ◽  
L. A. Forster Jr. ◽  
Z. B. Johnson

Holstein steer calves were fed late vegetative bermudagrass or mature bromegrass free choice in three Latin-square experiments to determine influences of ionophore type and level, supplementation with cereal grain, and source of low-quality grass on feed intake and digestion. In exp. 1, neither lasalocid nor monensin given at 0.5 mg kg−1 of body weight (BW) affected intake or digestion with either forage source. In exp. 2, steers received lasalocid or monensin at 0, 0.5 or 1.0 mg kg−1 of BW. Neutral detergent fiber digestibility was not depressed by ionophores and was slightly greater (P < 0.05) for ionophores at 1.0 than at 0.5 mg kg−1 of BW. Digestible organic matter intake with bermudagrass was slightly greater with ionophores at 1.0 than at 0.5 mg kg−1 of BW, but an opposite difference between ionophore levels occurred with bromegrass (ionophore level × forage source interaction; P < 0.07). The concentration of total volatile fatty acids in rumen fluid at 4 h post-feeding was lower (P < 0.05) for monensin than for lasalocid; the acetate/propionate ratio was decreased by ionophores and was lower for monensin than for lasalocid (P < 0.05). In exp. 3, lasalocid at 0.5 mg kg−1 of BW did not affect intake or digestion or interact with supplemental corn (7.2 g kg−1 of BW) or forage source. In conclusion, level of ionophore maximizing digestible organic matter intake may vary with characteristics of source of low-quality forage. However, when present, effects of ionophores on digestibility or energy intake may be relatively small. Key words: Cattle, ionophore, forage, intake, digestion


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