Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-qxdb6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T13:34:14.242Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The effects of diet supplements and gamma irradiation on dissimilation of low-quality roughages by ruminants: I. Studies on the terylene-bag technique and effects of supplementation of base ration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

W. R. McManus
Affiliation:
School of Wool and Pastoral Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, N.S.W. 2033, Australia
L. Manta
Affiliation:
School of Wool and Pastoral Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, N.S.W. 2033, Australia
J. D. McFarlane
Affiliation:
School of Wool and Pastoral Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, N.S.W. 2033, Australia
A. C. Gray
Affiliation:
C.S.I.B.O. Computing Research Section, Sydney, Australia

Summary

The terylene-bag technique was evaluated as a means of establishing the rate of intra-ruminal degradation of the following test materials: nassella (Nassella trichotoma), wire grass (Aristida sp.), rice straw, lucerne chaff and cotton lint. The tests were made in sheep fed base rations of lucerne chaff, wire grass and rice straw at different levels of intake. Values established by this technique are of acceptable repeatability and provided a more responsive indicator of intraruminal degradation rates of the test materials than did base diet apparent digestibility.

Supplementation with casein, urea and sucrose did not significantly alter voluntary feed intake of sheep fed rice straw. Supplementation had no statistically significant effects on apparent digestibility of the base diet of rice straw, but had significant effects upon the rate of degradation of test materials suspended in the reticulo-rumen in terylene bags for 72 h.

Results are presented which indicate that casein supplementation of rice-straw-fed sheep enhanced ruminal production of trace VFA's (butyric, iso-butyric, iso-valeric and valeric). Urea supplementation did not lead to statistically significant increases in VFA concentration or proportion of individual acids in rumen liquor, with the exception of valeric acid.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1972

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allison, M. J. & Bryant, M. P. (1963). Volatile fatty acid growth factor for cellulolytic cocci of bovine rumen. Science, N.Y. 128, 474–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allison, M. J., Bryant, M. P. & Doetsch, R. N. (1962). Studies of the metabolic function of branchedchain volatile fatty acids, growth factors for rumenococci. J. Bacteriol. 83, 523–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Balch, C. C. & Johnson, V. W. (1950). Factors affecting the utilization of food by dairy cows. 2. Factors influencing the rate of breakdown of cellulose (cotton thread) in the rumen of the cow. Br J. Nulr. 4, 389–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bryant, M. P. & Doetsch, R. (1955).Factors necessary for the growth of Bacteroides sucdnogenes in the volatile acid fraction of rumen fluid. J. Dairy Sci. 38, 340–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cline, T. R., Gakrigus, U. S. & Hatfield, E. E. (1966). Addition of branched- and straight-chain volatile fatty acids to purified lamb diets and effects on utilization of certain dietary components. J. Anim. Sci., 25, 734–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Downes, A. M. & McDonald, I. W. (1964). The chromium- 51 complex of ethylenediamime tetraacetic acid as a soluble rumen marker. Br. J. Nutr. 18, 153–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Erwin, E. S. & Elliston, N. G. (1959). Rapid method of determining digestibility of concentrates and roughages in cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 18, 1518 (Abstr.)Google Scholar
Erwin, E. S., Mabco, G. J. & Emery, E. M. (1961). Volatile fatty acid analyses of blood and rumen fluid by gas chromatography. J. Dairy Sci. 44, 1768–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Faiohney, G. J. (1965). The effect of sucrose on the utilization of straw plus urea diets by sheep. Aust. J. agric. Res. 16, 159–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hemsley, J. A. & Mora, R. J. (1963). The influence of higher volatile fatty acids on the intake of ureasupplemented low quality hay by sheep. Aust. J. agric. Res. 14, 509–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, R. R. (1966). Techniques and procedures for in vitro and in vivo rumen studies. J. Anim. Sci. 25, 855–75.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hopson, J. D., Johnson, R. R. & Doherty, B. A. (1963). Evaluation of the dacron bag technique as a method of measuring cellulose digestibility and rate of forage digestion. J. Anim. Sci. 22, 448–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lambert, M. R. & Jacobson, N. L. (1958). The effect of chloretra-cycline feeding on cellulose digestion in the bovine rumen. J. Anim. Sci. 17, 656–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lusk, J. W., Browning, C. B. & Miles, J. T. (1962). Small sample in vivo cellulose digestion procedure forn forage evaluation. J. Dairy Sci. 45, 6973.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Markham, R. (1942). A steam distillation apparatus suitable for micro-kjeldahl analyses. Biocliem. J. 36, 690–1.Google Scholar
McDonald, I. W. (1952). The role of ammonia in ruminal digestion of protein. Biochem. J. 51, 8690.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McLaren, G. A., Anderson, G. C., Tsai, L. T. & Barth, K. M. (1965). Level of readily fermentable carbohydrates and adaptation of lambs of all urea supplemented rations. J. Nutr. 87, 331–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Neathery, M. W. (1969). Dry matter disappearance of roughages in nylon bags suspended in the rumen. J. Dairy Sci. 52, 74–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Qtjicke, G. V., Bentley, O. G., Scott, H. W. & Moxon, A. L. (1959). Cellulose digestion in vitro as a measure of the digestibility of forage cellulose in ruminants. J. Anim. Sci. 18, 275–87.Google Scholar
Somogie, M. (1954). Practical Physiological Chemistry, ed. Hawk, P. P., Oser, B. L. and Summerson, W. H.. London: J. & A. Churchill Ltd.Google Scholar
Slyter, L., Weaver, J. M. & Kern, D. L. (1969). Some nutritional requirements of ruminal cellulolytic bacteria. J. Anim. Sci. 28, 877 (Abstr.)Google Scholar
Van Dyne, G. M. (1962). Micro-methods for nutritive evaluation of range forages. J. Range Mgmt 15, 303–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Ketjren, R. W. & Heinemann, W. W. (1962). Study of a nylon bag technique for in vivoestimation of forage digestibility. J. Anim. Sci. 21, 340–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weston, R. H. (1966). Factors limiting the intake of feed by sheep. I. The significance of palatability, the capacity of the alimentary tract to handle digesta and the supply of glucogenic substrate. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 17, 939–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weston, R. H. (1967). Factors limiting the intake of feed by sheep. II. Studies with wheaten hay. Aust. J. agric Res.18, 9831002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar