Butyrate, a major rumen VFA, has been indirectly linked to enhancement of urea recycling on the basis of increased expression of urea transporter in the rumen epithelia of steers fed a rumen butyrate-enhancing diet. Two studies were conducted to quantify the effect of elevated rumen butyrate concentrations on N balance, urea kinetics and rumen epithelial proliferation. Wether sheep (n= 4), fitt...

UNLABELLED To study the effects of an extract of plant flavonoids [Bioflavex (FL)] in cattle fed high-concentrate diets, 2 experiments were designed. In the first experiment, the effects of Bioflavex on the development of rumen acidosis was evaluated in 8 Holstein-Friesian crossbreed heifers (451 kg; SEM 14.3 kg of BW) using a crossover design. Each experimental period lasted 22 d; from d 1 to ...

Remote rumen temperature monitoring is a potential method for early disease detection in beef cattle. This experiment was conducted to determine if remotely monitored rumen temperature boluses could detect a temperature change in steers exposed to bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and challenged with a common bovine respiratory disease pathogen, Mannheimia haemolytica (MH). Twenty-four Angus c...

The objective of this experiment was to examine the effects of concentrates in feed, differing in carbohydrate source, on the rumen development of veal calves. For this purpose, 160 male Holstein Friesian x Dutch Friesian crossbred calves were used in a complete randomized block design with a 5 x 2 factorial arrangement. Dietary treatments consisted of 1) a milk replacer control, 2) a pectin-ba...

Molecular microbial ecology techniques are widely used to study the composition of the rumen microbiota and to increase understanding of the roles they play. Therefore, sampling and DNA extraction methods that result in adequate yields of microbial DNA that also accurately represents the microbial community are crucial. Fifteen different methods were used to extract DNA from cow and sheep rumen...

The present study was conducted to determine the effect of feed intake on the composition of the rumen contents of sheep and on their bacterial densities. Whole rumen contents were sampled after a period of continuous inter-rumen infusion of 15NH3 from four rumen-cannulated wethers successively fed on a hay-concentrate diet (2:1, w/w on a DM basis) at two rates of feed intake: 40 and 80 g DM/kg...

The aim of the present study was to describe age-related changes in anatomic, functional and microbial variables during the rumen development process, as affected by the feeding system (supplemental feeding v. grazing), in goats. Goats were slaughtered at seven time points that were selected to reflect the non-rumination (0, 7 and 14 d), transition (28 and 42 d) and rumination (56 and 70 d) pha...

The growing public concerns over chemical residues in animal-derived foods and threats of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have renewed interest in exploring safer alternatives to chemical feed additives in ruminant livestock. Various bioactive phytochemicals including saponins appear to be potential 'natural' alternatives to 'chemical' additives in modulating rumen fermentation favourably and ani...

The study aimed at assessing the prevalence of poor rumen development, presence of rumen plaques, rumen papillae hyperkeratinization, and abomasal lesions in veal calves and to investigate risk factors for their occurrence at the farm level. Within a wide cross-sectional study, a sample of 170 veal farms representative of the European veal meat production systems was considered in the 3 major p...

The rumen is arguably the most important organ in the ruminant digestive system. Ruminal microbial protein and volatile fatty acid (VFA) synthesis supply most of the protein and energy needs of the ruminant. Rumen function problems can reduce intake, digestion, and health of ruminants and culminate in death. Furthermore, inefficient rumen function reduces animal performance and health and contr...