Three ruminally and duodenally cannulated non-lactating Finnish Ayrshire cows were used to investigate ruminal and intestinal digestion of cell-wall carbohydrates by a combined in situ method. Five grasses cut at 10 d intervals were incubated in the rumen for 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h, and the undegraded residues were exposed to intestinal digestion. With advancing maturity of grass both th...

A digestion trial using cannulated lactating cows was conducted to evaluate the influence of barley grain processing on characteristics of ruminal fermentation and the site and extent of digestion. The experiment consisted in 4 periods and lasted 84 days. The total mixed rations contained 39.86% of grains and 42.90% of alfalfa hay and the rest of ration was composed mainly by cane molasses, fat...

In a previous study, preparations of polyclonal antibodies (PAP) against Fusobacterium necrophorum (PAP-Fn) or Streptococcus bovis (PAP-Sb) were successful in decreasing ruminal counts of target bacteria and increasing ruminal pH in steers fed high-grain diets. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding PAP-Fn or PAP-Sb on performance, carcass characteristics, and rumina...

Cattle feedlot diets commonly contain ethanol coproducts that are high in S. This dietary S is reduced in the rumen by sulfate reducing bacteria, resulting in an accumulation of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), increasing the risk for S toxicity. A negative correlation between H2S and ruminal pH has been observed previously. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of varying dietary NDF ...

Thiamine deficiency causes a decrease in transketolase activity and an increase in thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) effect on the erythrocytes. The objective of this experiment was to determine if ruminal acidosis alters erythrocytic transketolase enzyme activity as an indicator of thiamine level in feedlot cattle. A total of 65 feedlot cattle (1–2 years old) were fed either high concentrate diet (...

Effects of zinc sulfate (0 vs 1,142 ppm supplemental zinc from zinc sulfate) and feeding frequency (1 x vs 12x daily) on ruminal protozoa numbers, fermentation patterns and amino acid passage were investigated using four ruminally and abomasally cannulated mature Jersey steers in a 4 x 4 Latin square experiment. Steers (530 kg) were fed a 50:50 roughage:concentrate diet at 1.5 times their NEm r...

The objective of this study was to determine the incidence, prevalence, severity, and risk factors for ruminal acidosis in feedlot steers during backgrounding, diet transition, and finishing. Steers were purchased from a local auction market (n = 250; mean ± SD; 330 ± 20.0 kg initial BW) and were grouped together with 28 steers fitted with a ruminal cannula (248 ± 25.5 kg initial BW). Steers we...

Effects of a bacterial probiotic (BP) on ruminal fermentation and plasma metabolites were evaluated in four Holstein cattle (body weight, 645 ± 62 kg; mean ± SD) with induced subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA). SARA was induced by feeding a SARA-inducing diet, and thereafter, 20, 50 or 100 g per head of a commercial BP was administered for 7 consecutive days during the morning feeding. Cattle wit...