1. A low-magnesium diet was fed to four sheep, each of which had been surgically prepared with a rumen fistula, a tube into the cranial one-third of the omasum, a tube to the cranial one-third of the abomasum and a re-entrant duodenal cannula. Mg, as gluconate or acate or acetate, was continuously infused for 12-14 d in turn into (1) the caudal duodenal cannula, (2) the abomasum, (3) the omasum...

1. Five rumen-fistulated cows were given freshly cut ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), on separate occasions, to compare rates of particle breakdown and aspects of rumen fermentation. 2. Cattle were required to consume their daily allowance (offered ad lib.) in two 2 h feeding periods daily. 3. During the first 2 h feeding period, dry matter (DM) intakes of ryegrass...

BACKGROUND The rumen harbors a complex microbial ecosystem for efficient hydrolysis of plant polysaccharides which are the main constituent of the diet. Xylanase is crucial for hemicellulose hydrolysis and plays an important role in the plant cell wall degradation. Xylanases of ruminal strains were widely studied, but few studies have focused on their diversity in rumen microenvironment. METH...

A partially balanced changeover design experiment was undertaken to evaluate the effects of level of fish oil inclusion in the diet on rumen fermentation parameters and digestion with 10 beef cattle offered grass silage ad libitum as the basal forage supplemented with 5 kg concentrates headÿ1 dayÿ1. Concentrates were prepared to provide either 0 (T0), 150 (T150), 300 (T300) or 450 g (T450) fish...

Meat and milk produced by ruminants are important agricultural products and are major sources of protein for humans. Ruminant production is of considerable economic value and underpins food security in many regions of the world. However, the sector faces major challenges because of diminishing natural resources and ensuing increases in production costs, and also because of the increased awarene...

This editorial seeks to help eradicate confusions, enlighten the current perceptions, and highlight a global need to develop feasible guidelines for optimum bioprocessing of barley grain (BG). The optimum processing techniques must result in moderated rumen fermentation of starch and protein, improved rumen microbial protein synthesis, reduced risks of Sub-Acute Rumen Acidosis (SARA) and pro-in...

The effect of heat and humidity stresses on the rumen bacterial molecular diversity of heifers was studied. No statistically significant changes in the rumen microbiota composition were found in the first experiment (average body mass 250kg) while in the second and third experiments (additional variables included the relative humidity and body weight), the microbiota composition was significant...

BACKGROUND This study describes the ultrasonographic findings of the rumen in 45 healthy dairy cows. RESULTS The cows were scanned on both sides using a 5.0 MHz transducer. The dorsal visible margin of the rumen ran parallel to the lung from cranioventral to caudodorsal. It was furthest from the dorsal midline at the 9th intercostal space (48.3 ± 9.24 cm) and closest at the 12th intercostal s...