Four crossbred wethers were utilized in a randomized block design to test Thiopeptin, an antibiotic, at .25% of the amount of wheat given, two levels of NaHCO3 (2 and 4%) expressed as a percentage of the wheat given, and a combination of the Thiopeptin (.25%) plus 2% NaHCO3. Acidosis was induced in the four sheep (controls) by feeding cracked soft white wheat at 50 g/kgBW -Ts divided among thre...

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of subacute rumen acidosis (SARA) in beef cattle grazing lush pasture and the effect of monensin on reducing SARA and improving animal performance. DESIGN Commercial Angus and Murray Grey steers received a monensin slow-release capsule (n = 19) or remained untreated (n = 19). Cattle grazed an oats crop or tetraploid ryegrass pasture for a total of 91 days...

This study aimed to investigate the impact of repeated acidosis challenges (ACs) and the effect of live yeast supplementation (Saccharomyces cerevisiae I-1077, SC) on rumen fermentation, microbial ecosystem and inflammatory response. The experimental design involved two groups (SC, n=6; Control, n=6) of rumen fistulated wethers that were successively exposed to three ACs of 5 days each, precede...

Bovine lactic acidosis syndrome is associated with large increases of lactic acid in the rumen, which result from diets that are high in ruminally available carbohydrates, or forage that is low in effective fiber, or both. The syndrome involves two separate anatomical areas, the gastrointestinal tract and body fluids, and is related to the rate and extent of lactic acid production, utilization,...

Assessment of the rumen fluid is an ancillary examination technique used in the clinical examination both of the individual bovine patient and at population level. The specific function and structure of the rumen makes ruminants different from other animals. Therefore, it logical to assess the rumen in detail when confronted with a bovine patient. Assessment of the rumen fluid is essential to a...

Dairy heifers were subjected to a non-life-threatening challenge designed to induce ruminal acidosis by feeding grain and sugar. Large among animal variation in clinical signs of acidosis, rumen metabolite concentrations, and the rumen microbiome occurred. This exploratory study investigates sources of the variation by examining associations between the genome, metabolome, and microbiome, albei...

In this study, the rumen metabolism of four ruminant species – blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia), sika deer (Cervus nippon dybowskii) and addax antelope (Addax nasomaculatus) – from the Nuremberg Zoo was investigated in relation to their feeding management. Parameters of microbial fermentation in the rumen as well as rumen tissue samples were examined. Additiona...

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...

Sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA) has become an increasing problem in well-managed, high yielding dairy herds and the monitoring of groups of cows for signs of the condition is now crucial. Rumenocentesis may be ethically questionable but the technique remains the most reliable means of diagnosing SARA. Continuous measurement of ruminal pH may however be possible in the future. Parameters refle...

Four in vitro experiments (Exp.) were conducted to evaluate lavender essential oil (LEO) effects at 0 (control), 250 (low dose), 500 (medium dose), 750 and 1000 µL per L(high doses) of incubation medium on rumen gas production kinetics (Exp.1), ruminal digestibility and fermentation (Exp.2), methane production (Exp.3) and rumen acidosis (Exp.4). The asymptote of gas production (A) incr...