scholarly journals Digestion of concentrate and of hay diets in the stomach and intestines of ruminants

1968 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Topps ◽  
R. N. B. Kay ◽  
E. D. Goodall

1. The flow of digesta to the abomasum and through the duodenum and terminal ileum was measured over 24 h periods in sheep. Pelleted diets of concentrates, principally composed of barley, and of poor-quality hay were given. The seven Scottish Blackface ewes studied were all fitted with rumen cannulas, and in addition two had simple abomasal cannulas, one a re-entrant abomasal cannula, two re-entrant duodenal cannulas, and two re-entrant ileal cannulas.2. Paper impregnated with chromium sesquioxide was given twice daily by rumen fistula. The amounts of dry matter, starch, cellulose, total nitrogen and energy passing through the abomasum, duodenum and ileum and the amounts excreted in the faeces were measured. The flows of digesta were adjusted to give 100% recovery of chromium sesquioxide and the extent of digestion in various parts of the alimentary tract was calculated using these adjusted values. Concentrations of glucose in the blood and of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the rumen were also measured.3. For the concentrate diet, 69% of the digestible dry matter disappeared in the stomach (reticulo-rumen, omasum and abomasum), 17% in the smail intestine and 14% in the large intestine. Values for disappearance of digestible energy were 72% in the stomach, 23% in the small intestine and 5% in the large intestine. Of the 298 g starch fed daily only 6–35 g passed through the abomasum or duodenum and only 1–4 g reached the terminal ileum. The cellulose in the diet was poorly digested.4. For the hay diet, 67% of the digestible dry matter disappeared in the stomach, 22% in the small intestine and 11% in the large intestine. Values for disappearance of digestible energy were 81% in the stomach, 7% in the small intestine and 12% in the large intestine. Of the 33 g of starch consumed daily, from 5 to 13 g passed through the abomasum or duodenum. The cellulose in the hay was 59% digestible and virtually all this digestion took place in the stomach.5. The concentration of VFA and the proportion of propionate in the rumen fluid, 2·5 h after feeding, were considerably greater on the concentrate diet than on the hay diet, but diet had little influence on the concentration of blood glucose.6. The importance of the small amount of starch passing to the sheep's small intestine is discussed.

1968 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 281-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Topps ◽  
R. N. B. Kay ◽  
E. D. Goodall ◽  
F. G. Whitelaw ◽  
R. S. Reid

1. Two young steers, aged approximately 6 months and each fitted with a rumen and an abomasal cannula, were used to measure the flow of digesta to the abomasum over periods of 24 h. A diet of concentrates, at two levels, and a diet of hay cubes were given to the steers. Paper impregnated with chromium sesquioxide was inserted into the rumen twice daily.2. The amount of digesta passing to the abomasum and the output of faeces were measured and the values were adjusted to give 100% recovery of chromium sesquioxide. Measurements were also made of concentrations of plasma glucose, of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in both the rumen and abomasal fluid, and of rumen fluid volume and outflow.3. About 60–80% of the digestible dry matter and of the digestible energy of both diets disappeared from the forestomach (reticulo-rumen and omasum). The amounts of starch flowing through the abomasum differed little between diets and ranged from 29 to 77 g daily.4. The volume of rumen fluid did not differ consistently between diets, but the outflow of fluid from the rumen was considerably higher when hay was given.5. Diet had little influence on plasma glucose but affected the concentrations and molar proportions of VFA in the rumen fluid, and to a lesser extent in the abomasal fluid.


1969 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 377-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Macrae ◽  
D. G. Armstrong

1. In seven experiments sheep were given diets ranging from all-hay to all-barley, and also a diet comprising one part hay to two parts flaked maize. Each sheep was equipped with a cannula into the rumen and a re-entrant cannula in the proximal duodenum; six of the ten also had a re-entrant cannula in the terminal ileum. Paper impregnated with chromic oxide (Cr2O3) was given twice daily by rumen fistula.2. Amounts of α-linked glucose polymer entering and leaving the small intestine and excreted in the faeces were measured. Some values for a fraction designated non-glucose reducing polymer for cellulose and for gross energy were also obtained. The amounts passing the proximal duodenum and the terminal ileum were adjusted to give 100% recovery of Cr2O3 and the values were used to measure the extent of digestion in various parts of the alimentary tract.3. When rolled or whole barley was given alone or was the major feed constituent the amount of α-linked glucose polymer entering the small intestine was 6.0±0.76% of that ingested (range 2.6–8.1%). The value was significantly lower than that found for the diet of hay and flaked maize (10.4±1.3%, range 8.0–13.6 %).The α-linked glucose polymer which entered the small intestine was almost completely digested there.4. The digestibility of the non-glucose reducing polymer, which included much of the hemicelluloses present, ranged from 51 to 73% and almost all the digestible fraction (93–97%) was digested before the small intestine when hay or predominantly hay diets were given. On high-cereal diets only 71–85% of the digested fraction disappeared before the small intestine and appreciable amounts were digested in the large intestine.5. On the all-hay diet 91% of the digestible cellulose and 67% of the digestible energy were lost before the small intestine, 0 and 21% in the small intestine and 9 and 12% in the large intestine.6. Mean digestibility coefficients determined in sheep fed solely on either whole or rolled barley were: for dry matter 88.1 and 87.9%, for nitrogen 83.5 and 82.1%, for crude fibre 53.7 and 56.6% and for gross energy 87.7 and 88.0%.


1963 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 174-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Friend ◽  
H. M. Cunningham ◽  
J. W. G. Nicholson

A total of 208 digesta samples from the stomach, small intestine, caecum and colon of 79 piglets killed between 1 and 9 weeks of age were analysed for volatile fatty acids (C1 – C5) and lactic acid.The total concentration of the acids in the large intestine ranged from 11 to 29 meq./100 ml. fluid which generally exceeded that in the stomach and small intestine. As the pigs aged, concentration tended to decrease in the upper sections and increase in the lower section of the tract. The addition of whey to a basal "creep" ration, fed from 3 weeks of age, had no apparent effect on the concentration of acids.Formic acid was found only in the small intestine. Increased proportions of acetic and propionic acids in the stomach of the 5-week-old pig indicated dietary effects due to the introduction of solid feed. Lactic acid proportions were from zero in the large intestine to 95 per cent in the stomach. The proportions of lactic acid in the stomach and small intestine of pigs at 9 weeks was markedly higher than at 7 weeks when weaned. Antibiotic (100 gm. chlortetracycline/ton) added to the whey ration fed to 4 pigs from 7 weeks of age gave increases in concentration which were significant (P < 0.05) only in the stomach. The proportion of acids was not altered by antibiotic in the feed.


1987 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 1083-1091 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. R. NDLOVU ◽  
J. G. BUCHANAN-SMITH

Nine lambs fitted with rumen cannulae were used in two 5 × 5 Latin squares to measure the effect of alfalfa hay, C4- and C5-branched- and straight-chain volatile fatty acids (C4/C5 VFAs), cell wall from alfalfa hay (ALFCW) and a soybean protein preparation on intake and rumen digestion of a basal corncob diet with urea included at 30 g kg−1. Relative to the control, alfalfa hay decreased (P < 0.05) intake of the basal diet but increased (P < 0.05) total dry matter intake. ALFCW and soybean protein did not affect intake of the basal diet and total dry matter (P > 0.05). C4/C5 VFAs increased intake of basal diet by sheep in one square (P < 0.05) but had no effect (P > 0.05) on intake with sheep in the other square. Alfalfa hay, ALFCW and soybean protein increased (P < 0.05) total VFA concentration in rumen fluid while only alfalfa hay and C4/C5 VFAs consistently increased isobutyrate, isovalerate and valerate levels in rumen fluid (P < 0.05). In comparison with the control diet, soybean protein elevated (P < 0.05) mean rumen ammonia-N levels whereas C4/C5 VFAs depressed them; however, values exceeded 17 mg dL−1 rumen fluid on all treatments. Most measures of digestion kinetics of fiber from corncobs were unaffected by supplementation (P > 0.05). Alfalfa hay and ALFCW increased (P < 0.05) rate of passage of digesta from the reticulo-rumen. It was concluded that alfalfa hay has a reduced role in improving intake of corncob diets when there is also sufficient NPN in the diet. Key words: Roughage (poor quality), volatile fatty acids, rumen ammonia levels, chromium-mordanted cell walls


1991 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Schutte ◽  
J. de Jong ◽  
R. Polziehn ◽  
M. W. A. Verstegen

Hemicellulose consists primarily of pentose sugars, joined together in a polysaccharide chain with d-xylose as the most abundant component. Ileal digestibility and urinary excretion of d-xylose and associated effects of this pentose sugar on ileal and faecal digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), gross energy (GE) and nitrogen were studied in pigs. Castrated pigs were prepared with a post-valvular T-caecum cannula to measure ileal digestibility. Faecal digestibility was measured in non-cannulated pigs. d-xylose was given at dietary inclusion levels of 100 and 200 g/kg, and the control sugar, d-glucose, at a rate of 200 g/kg diet. Ileal digestibility of d-xylose as well as that of d-glucose was found to be close to 100%. The presence of d-xylose in the diet decreased ileal digesta pH and increased ileal flow of volatile fatty acids, suggesting the occurrence of microbial degradation of d-xylose in the pig small intestine. In pigs fed on the 100 g d-xylose/kg diet, 44.5% of the d-xylose intake appeared in the urine. This percentage increased significantly to 52.6 when pigs were fed on the 200 g d-xylose/kg diet. Ileal and faecal digestibility of DM, OM, GE and N, as well as N retention, decreased significantly in pigs fed on the 200 g d-xylose/kg diet.


1965 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
VJ Williams

Sheep were fed on either lucerne chaff, high wheat grain, or high maize grain rations. Analyses were made on digesta from the rumen and large intestines of cannulated and slaughtered animals. The results for the large intestine showed that, when equal quantities of dry matter are given, the composition of the ration can affect the pH, the water content, and the total dry matter of the digesta; diet can also affect the total quantities of volatile fatty acid and ammonia in the organ.The proportions of the individual volatile fatty acids in the caecal fluid were not affected by the different diets fed in this experiment. The data did not suggest any consistent pattern in the pH or in the concentrations of ammonia and volatile fatty acid in the caecal fluid during the 24 hr between feeds.


1988 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 653 ◽  
Author(s):  
DM Murray ◽  
O Slezacek

A study was made of the non-carcass components of 16 crossbred wethers (progeny of Dorset Horn rams and Border Leicester x Merino ewes) maintained at 30 kg liveweight for either 0,25, 50 or 75 days. Animals were individually penned and fed a pelleted ration of 80% lucerne chaff and 20% cereal grain (89.3% dry matter, 14.8% crude protein and 18.27 kJ/g gross energy). The weight of hooves increased significantly (P < 0.05) during weight stasis, while the weight of the liver decreased significantly (P < 0.001) as did the weight of the kidneys (P < 0.01). Neither head, skin, heart, lungs, spleen, pancreas nor total alimentary tract fat weight was influenced by weight stasis. The separate parts of the alimentary tract did not respond to the weight stasis treatment in the same manner. The weight of the rumen-reticulum, small intestine and large intestine each showed a significant reduction (P < 0.001) in weight. In contrast, neither omasum nor abomasum weight was affected by weight stasis. Total alimentary tract weight was significantly reduced (P < 0.001) by weight stasis. An evaluation of the weights of digesta in the separate parts of the alimentary tract showed that the weight of omasal contents increased significantly (P < 0.01) during weight stasis, while small intestine contents weight decreased significantly (P < 0.01). The weight of contents in either the rumen-reticulum, abomasum, large intestine or total alimentary tract was not influenced by weight stasis.


1982 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 215-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Mathers ◽  
E. L. Miller

SUMMARYTwo experiments were carried out with adult sheep to investigate the effects of chloral hydrate (CH) on rumen metabolism and on the sites and extent of digestion.Experiment 1 confirmed that CH is a very potent methane inhibitor; doses of 1 or 4 g/day reduced methane production to 4% of that observed in the absence of the drug. In both experiments, CH administration altered the proportions of volatile fatty acids in rumen fluid. The main changes were an increase in propionic acid and a decrease in acetic acid with smaller increases in the proportion of isovaleric, valeric and caproic acids. Stoichiometric calculations indicated that only 21% of the hydrogen saved by prevention of methanogenesis was diverted to the synthesis of additional propionic and butyric acids and the fate of the remaining hydrogen was not determined unequivocally.CH had little effect on the extent of biohydrogenation in the rumen of the long-chain fatty acids in dried grass.The apparent digestibility of ether extract was reduced (P< 0·05) by CH but those of other proximate constituents and energy were little affected. There were no s gnificant effects of CH on the extent of digestion of dry matter, organic matter, non-ammonia nitrogen or ash between the mouth and abomasum, abomasum and terminal ileum or ileum and anus.


1972 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Farrell ◽  
K. A. Johnson

SUMMARY1. Six pigs, four with caecal cannulae, were given diets containing 8% or 26% cellulose. Cannulation did not affect the digestibility of dry matter or cellulose.2. Digestibility of cellulose, though variable, was higher for the 8%-cellulose diet.3. Pigs on the 26%-cellulose diet had larger amounts of digesta in the caecum, and lower caecal retention times, than pigs on the 8%-cellulose diet.4. Measurements of production rates of volatile fatty acids in the caecum indicated that only 2·7% and 1·9% of the apparent digestible energy of the 26%- and 8%-cellulose diets respectively came from the acids, and it was concluded that the caecum played only a small role in the breakdown of feed substances.


1970 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Pfeffer ◽  
A. Thompson ◽  
D. C. Armstrong

1. In each of three experiments, two sheep were given diets consisting of hay, or two parts hay to one part barley or one part hay to two parts barley. Each sheep was equipped with a cannula into the rumen and re-entrant cannulas into the proximal duodenum and the terminal ileum. The rations containing barley were supplemented to adjust the intake of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium and potassium to a level similar to that in the all-hay ration. Paper impregnated with chromic oxide (Cr2O3) was given twice daily by rumen fistula.2. Amounts of crude ash and the five minerals entering and leaving the small intestine and excreted in the faeces were measured. The amounts passing through the re-entrant cannulas were adjusted to give 100% recovery of chromic oxide. The values were used to calculate the direction and net movements of the elements through the walls of the three main parts of the alimentary tract.3. In all instances there was an extensive net secretion of Na and P between mouth and small intestine, net absorption of K and P from the small intestine and of Na from the large intestine.4. The net movements of Ca and Mg were small and rather variable. In five of the six observations there was a small net secretion of Ca and small net absorption of Mg during passage of the digesta through the reticulo-rurnen, omasurn and abomasurn. Net secretion of Ca and Mg apparently occurred in the small intestine and net absorption of Mg in the large intestine.5. The only between-diet differences were small differences in net movements of Na and K.


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