The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of rumen inoculum from heifers with fast vs. slow rate of in situ fiber digestion on the fermentation of complex versus easily digested fiber sources in the forms of untreated and Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) treated barley straw, respectively, using an artificial rumen simulation technique (Rusitec). In situ fiber digestion was measured i...

Intake and excretory patterns, N and mineral balance, rumen fluid characteristics and acid-base status were measured for 15 days in five nonfistulated and six rumen-fistulated wethers. The animals were placed in metabolism crates and fed alfalfa hay from day 1 through 5, a 65% concentrate diet from day 6 through 10 and an 85% concentration diet from days 11 through 15. All diets were pelleted a...

The osmotic pressure of solutions in the ventral sac of the rumen of the conscious cow was varied with Na Cl or mannitol. The mucosal blood flow measured by HTO clearance was minimal when the lumen contained an isotonic solution and rose threefold when the rumen was hypo- or hypertonic to plasma by 150 mosmol/kg. Thus osmotic gradients actoss the rumen epithelium stimulated mucosal blood flow. ...

In vitro fermentation experiments and a feeding trial were conducted to determine how distillers byproducts impact rumen microbiology and metabolism. The in vitro rate of lactic acid disappearance was not stimulated by direct addition of distillers byproducts to mixed rumen contents collected from a steer adapted to a high concentrate diet. However, if animals were fed condensed distillers bypr...

Normal and acidotic rumen liquor samples from buffalo calves were subjected to various treatments and injected intraperitoneally to mice. The mortality rate was recorded up to 4B h of post injection. The toxic factors present in the acidotic rumen liquor were heat resistant and were found to be concentrated in the high centrifuged sediment. It was observed that the acidotic rumen liquor was abo...

1. The absorption rates of calcium, inorganic phosphate (Pi) and magnesium were determined from buffered solutions placed in the temporarily isolated and washed reticulo-rumen of conscious sheep. The basic composition of these solutions was similar to that found in supernatant fractions of ultracentrifuged rumen contents. 2. The Pi concentrations studied in these solutions were 2, 8.7, 14, 17.3...

Thirty neonatal male Holstein calves fed by starter diets containing ground wheat (GW) or dry-rolled wheat (DRW) to 12 weeks of age. Skeletal growth measures, starter digestibility, starter intake, blood metabolites and rumen metabolites of nursing calves were assessed in weeks 4, 8 and 12 to assess rumen development and find the optimum method of wheat processing for calves. Calves were weaned...

Five total mixed rations prepared from finger millet (Eleusine Coracana) straw as a roughage (48%) and mixed concentrate (52%), supplemented with a 1% isoacid mixture (i-C4, i-C5, C5 and phenylacetic acid in equal proportions) or oil (groundnut oil, 5% more than the control) or urea (5% more nitrogen than the control), and protein (groundnut cake, 5% more nitrogen than the control) were given i...

Sheep were fed once daily with 300 or 600 g dried perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) or white clover (Trifolium repens). Total rumen contents were sampled once daily at various intervals up to 24 h after feeding for 6 d. Total weight of fresh rumen contents and dry matter (DM), organic matter and particulate matter concentrations were measured and the particle size distribution of rumen conten...

Seventeen 350 lb (159 kg) Holstein steers were utilized to determine stability of rumen pH postmortem. Cattle were randomly assigned to two whole-corn ration treatment groups: 1) limit-fed (7.5 lb; 3.4 kg) or 2) fed ad libitum (9.5 lb; 4.3 kg). Calves were humanely euthanized, rumen fluid was collected, and pH measurements were taken at 0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours postmortem. A subset of fi...