neonate ruminants possess little cell-wall and starch degrading enzyme activity. importantly, early establishment of fibrolytic, amylolytic, and proteolytic capacities is influential for the early expansion of the reticulorumen epithelia. such an early development in reticulorumen fermentation will enable a timely hepatic adaptation to volatile fatty acids assimilation. the early nutrient relea...

the naturally occurring antioxidants: vitamin e, β-carotene and vitamin c are known to ameliorate theoxidative stress generated during various physiological and pathological conditions. the oxidative stress mayoccur at different sites, different times, and by different mechanisms in the animal system. lower levels ofthe anti-oxidant vitamins are associated with poor fertility and production lev...

Performance of ruminants is influenced by the proportion of nutrients in their daily feed intake. Protein and energy are the main determinants in the ruminant feed that can alter the animal’s performance. However, in developing countries ruminants are mainly fed on crop residues generally receiving only 62% of their crude protein (CP) requirements (Sarwar et al. 2002). Feeding ruminants accordi...