The influence of fiber content of hay (low-fiber 47% NDF and high-fiber 62% NDF of DM) and concentrate level (high 50% and low 20% of ration DM) on chewing activity, passage rate and nutrient digestibility were tested on four restrict-fed (11.1 to 13.7 kg DM/d) Holstein cows in late lactation. Aspects of ruminal fermentation and digesta particle size distribution were also investigated on two r...

Eliminating toxins from the hay begins in the field. However, toxic weeds frequently end up in hay and forage and pose a serious risk to livestock. The effects of poisonous plants on animals depend on the amount ingested and the individual weed present in hay. Many indications for poisoning exist. Obvious cases involve sudden onset of disease in a number of animals. Finding of common feed or en...

To validate a method for analysing indigestible marker excretion patterns in terms of digesta passage, the mean retention time (MRT) of long hay, ground hay and concentrate, marked, respectively, with thulium, ytterbium and dysprosium was measured in the total digestive tract (TMRT) and in the stomachs (SMRT) of four cows fed on a diet of hay in the long form (17.7 kg DM/day). The MRT of the pa...

Six sheep were fed twice a day on a different ratio of sheep pellets and hay (20:80 (diet 1), 40:60 (diet 2) and 80:20 (diet 3)) in a replicated Latin square design to study the effect of the host diet on the bacterial concentration of ruminal liquor and in vitro gas production degradability parameters of cellulose, glucose and hay. Bacterial DM, bacterial absorbance and the volume of gas produ...

The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition and in vitro digestibility, and to estimate the in vitro fermentation parameters of palm leaves and pedicels from Ghars palm variety. A rumen in situ technique was also used to examine In vitro Digestible Dry Matter (IDDM), In vitro Digestible Crude Protein (IDCP), and In vitro Digestible Neutral Fiber (IDNF), and rate and extent o...

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace mineral important for immune function and overall health of cattle. The nasopharyngeal microbiota in cattle plays an important role in overall respiratory health, especially when stresses associated with weaning, transport, and adaptation to a feedlot affect the normal respiratory defenses. Recent evidence suggests that cattle diagnosed with bovine respirator...

Cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz), an annual tropical tuber crop, was nutritionally evaluated as a foliage for ruminants, especially dairy cattle. Cultivation of cassava biomass to produce hay is based on a first harvest of the foliage at three months after planting, followed every two months thereafter until one year. Inter-cropping of leguminous fodder as food-feed between rows of cassava, ...

Two experiments were conducted to determine the dietary value of pellets containing kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus cv. 'Everglade 41') hay. Averaged across both experiments, kenaf pellets contained 82.6% kenaf hay, 16.6% liquid molasses, and 0.8% mineral oil. The chemical composition of the kenaf pellet was 12.6% crude protein (CP), 41.2% neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and 14.4% acid detergent fibe...

There is a surplus of Atriplex nummularia Lindl. grazing that can be used as animal feed. This material was harvested to assess the effects on intake, growth, and carcass characteristics of kids. Atriplex replaced alfalfa hay (Medicago sativa L.) in a proportion of 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% for 60 creole kids weighing 13 kg and was assigned to the diets in a completely randomized design. The p...