Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-v5vhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-01T05:14:08.316Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Quantitative digestion of fresh herbage by sheep:V. The digestion of four herbages and prediction of sites of digestion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

M. J. Ulyatt
Affiliation:
DSIR, Applied Biochemistry Division, Palmerston North, New Zealand
A. R. Egan
Affiliation:
The Waite Agricultural Research Institute, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia

Summary

The extents and sites of digestion of organic matter (OM), and its constituent watersoluble carbohydrates, organic acids, pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose and crude protein have been studied in sheep prepared with re-entrant duodenal cannulas and fed four fresh herbage diets, Ruanui perennial ryegrass, Tama Westerwolds ryegrass, Pitau white clover and Fakir sainfoin, at each of two levels of intake.

The water-soluble carbohydrate, organic acids and pectin of all diets were almost completely digested within the rumen. Some 10% of water soluble carbohydrate reached the duodenum on each diet, though this may not have been of dietary origin. Only on legume diets, where pectin concentration was higher, did measurable amounts of pectin reach the intestine, accounting for some 5% of the pectin.

Hemicellulose and cellulose digestibilities differed between diets, being lowest for sainfoin, and next lowest for clover. Between 79 and 94% of digestible hemicellulose was digested in the stomach, but diet and intake had no significant effect on this partition. Of the digestible cellulose, 87–97% was digested in the stomach.

Digestibility of N was lowest for sainfoin and highest for Tama ryegrass. There were no significant differences between herbage species or intake in the percentage of digested N digested in the stomach or intestines. The tannin contained in sainfoin had no effect on nitrogen digestion.

Data from this and other studies reported in the literature were examined as a basis for establishing prediction equations whereby the partition of digestion of the major carbohydrate and nitrogenous constituents in stomach and intestines might be estimated from data obtainable from standard digestibility trials. Regressions were developed for predicting the amounts of OM, cellulose, and hemicellulose digested in the stomach. There are not yet enough suitable data available to predict the amount of nitrogen entering the small intestine.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

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

REFERENCES

Bailey, R. W. (1967). Quantitative studies of ruminant digestion. II. Loss of ingested plant carbohydrates from the reticulo-rumen. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 10, 1532.Google Scholar
Baldwin, R. L., Koong, L. J. & Ulyatt, M. J. (1977). The formation and utilization of fermentation endproducts: Mathematical models. In Microbial Ecology of the Chit (ed. Clarke, R. T. J. and Bauchop, T.), pp. 347391. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Beever, D. E., Thomson, D. J. & Cammell, S. B. (1976). The digestion of frozen and dried grass by sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 86, 443452.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beever, D. E., Coelho Da Silva, J. F., Prescott, J. H. D. & Armstrong, D. G. (1972). The effect in sheep of physical form and stage of growth on the sites of digestion of a dried grass. 1. Sites of digestion of organic matter, energy and carbohydrate. British Journal of Nutrition 28, 347356.Google Scholar
Beever, D. E., Thomson, D. J., Pfeffer, E. & Armstrong, D. G. (1971). The effect of drying and ensiling grass on its digestion in sheep. Sites of energy and carbohydrate digestion. British Journal of Nutrition 26, 123134.Google Scholar
Clarke, E. M. W., Ellinger, G. M. & Phillipson, A. T. (1966). The influence of diet on the nitrogenous components passing to the duodenum and through the ileum of sheep. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 166, 6379.Google Scholar
Coelho Da Silva, J. F., Seeley, R. C, Beever, D. E., Prescott, J. H. D. & Armstrong, D. G. (1972 a). The effect in sheep of physical form and stage of growth on the sites of digestion of a dried grass. 2 Sites of nitrogen digestion. British Journal of Nutrition 28, 357371.Google Scholar
Coelho Da Silva, J. F., Seeley, R. C, Thomson, D. J., Beever, D. E. & Armstrong, D. G. (1972 b). The effect in sheep of physical form on the sites of digestion of a dried lucerne diet. British Journal of Nutrition 28, 4361.Google Scholar
Corbett, J. L., Furnival, E. P., Inskip, M. W., Perez, C. J. & Pickering, F. S. (1976). Nutrition and growth of lambs grazing lucerne or phalaris. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 11, 329332.Google Scholar
Egan, A. R. (1974). Protein-energy relationships in the digestion products of sheep fed on herbage diets differing in digestibility and nitrogen concentration. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 25, 613630.Google Scholar
Egan, A. R., Walker, D. J., Nader, C. J. & Storer, G. B. (1975). Comparative aspects of digestion of four roughages by sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 26, 909922.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ekern, A., Blaxter, K. L. & Sawers, D. (1965). The effect of artificial drying on the energy value of grass. British Journal of Nutrition 19, 417434.Google Scholar
Faichney, G. J. (1972). Digestion by sheep of concentrate diets containing formaldehyde-treated peanut meal. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 23, 859869.Google Scholar
Gill, E. M. (1976). A study of the amino acid status of sheep fed silage, with particular reference to methionine. Ph.D. thesis, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Harrison, D. C, Beever, D. E., Thomson, D. J. & Osbourn, D. F. (1973). The influence of diet upon the quantity and types of amino acids entering and leaving the small intestine of sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 81, 391401.Google Scholar
Hogan, J. P. (1973). Intestinal digestion of subterranean clover by sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 24, 587598.Google Scholar
Hogan, J. P. & Weston, R. H. (1967 a). The digestion of chopped and ground roughages by sheep. II. The digestion of nitrogen and some carbohydrate fractions in the stomach and intestines. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 18, 803819.Google Scholar
Hogan, J. P. & Weston, R. H. (1967 b). The digestion of two diets of differing protein content but with similar capacities to sustain wool growth. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 18, 973981.Google Scholar
Hogan, J. P. & Weston, R. H. (1969). The digestion of pasture plants by sheep. III. The digestion of forage oats varying in maturity and in the content of protein and soluble carbohydrate. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 20, 347363.Google Scholar
Hogan, J. P. & Weston, R. H. (1971). The utilization of alkali-treated straw by sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 22, 951962.Google Scholar
Hogan, J. P., Weston, R. H. & Lindsay, J. R. (1969). The digestion of pasture plants by sheep. IV. The digestion of Phalaris tuberosa at different stages of maturity. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 20, 925940.Google Scholar
Hogan, J. P., Connell, P. J. & Mllls, S. C. (1972). The digestion of oil-casein particles protected against ruminal hydrogenation in sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 23, 8795CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hume, I. D. (1974). The proportion of dietary protein escaping degradation in the rumen of sheep fed on various protein concentrates. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 25, 155165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hume, I. D. & Purser, D. B. (1974). Kuminal and post ruminal protein digestion in sheep fed on subterranean clover harvested at four stages of maturity. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 26, 199208.Google Scholar
Jones, W. T., Anderson, L. B. & Ross, M. D. (1973). Bloat in cattle XXXIX. Detection of protein precipitants (flavolans) in legumes. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 16, 441446.Google Scholar
Koong, L. J., Baldwin, R. L., Ulyatt, M. J. & Charlesworth, T. J. (1975). Iterative computation of metabolic flux and stoichiometric parameters for alternative pathways in rumen fermentation. Computer Programs in Biomedicine 4, 209213.Google Scholar
Macrar, J. C. & Armstrong, D. G. (1969). Studies on intestinal digestion in the sheep. 2. Digestion of some carbohydrate constituents in hay, cereal and haycereal rations. British Journal of Nutrition 23, 377387.Google Scholar
Macrae, J. C. & Ulyatt, M. J. (1974). Quantitative digestion of fresh herbage by sheep. II. The sites of digestion of some nitrogenous constituents. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 82, 309319.Google Scholar
Macrae, J. C, Ulyatt, M. J., Pearce, P. D. & Hendtlass, J. (1972). Quantitative intestinal digestion of nitrogen in sheep given formaldehydetreated and untreated casein supplements. British Journal of Nutrition 27, 3950.Google Scholar
Nicholson, J. W. G. & Sutton, J. D. (1969). The effect of diet composition and level of feeding on digestion in the stomaoh and intestines of sheep. British Journal of Nutrition 23, 585601.Google Scholar
Reid, C. S. W., Ulyatt, M. J. & Wilson, J. M. (1974). Plant tannins, bloat and nutritive value. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 34, 8292.Google Scholar
Sutton, J. D., Smith, R. H., McAllan, A. B., Storby, J. E. & Corse, D. A. (1975). Effect of variations in dietary protein and supplements of cod-liver oil on energy digestion and microbial synthesis in the rumen of sheep fed hay and concentrates. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 84, 317326.Google Scholar
Thomson, D. J., Beever, D. E., Harrison, D. G., Hill, I. W. & Osbourn, D. F. (1971). The digestion of dried lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) and dried sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) by sheep. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 30, 14A15A.Google Scholar
Thomson, D. J., Beever, D. E., Coelho Da Silva, J. F. & Armstrong, D. G. (1972). The effect in sheep of physical form on the sites of digestion of a dried lucerne diet. 1. Sites of organic matter, energy and carbohydrate digestion. British Journal of Nutrition 28, 3141.Google Scholar
Topps, J. H., Kay, R. N. B. & Goodall, E. D. (1968). Digestion of concentrate and of hay diets in the stomach and intestines of ruminants. 1. Sheep. British Journal of Nutrition 22, 261280.Google Scholar
Ulyatt, M. J. (1971). Studies on the causes of the differences in pasture quality between perennial ryegrass, short-rotation ryegrass, and white clover. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 14, 352367.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ulyatt, M. J. & Macrae, J. C. (1974). Quantitative digestion of fresh herbage by sheep. 1. The sites of digestion of organic matter, energy, readily fermentable carbohydrate, structural carbohydrate and lipid. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 82, 295307.Google Scholar
Van Tull, H. D. W., Lampe, J. E. M. & Dijkshoorn, W. (1964). The possibility of relating the ash alkalinity to the organic salt content. Jaarboek Instituut Voor Biologish en Scheikundig Onderzoek van Landbourgenassen (Year Book IBS), Wageningen, pp. 157160.Google Scholar
Waldo, D. R. (1973). Extent and partition of cereal grain starch digestion in ruminants. Journal of Animal Science 37, 10621074.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walker, D. J., Egan, A. R., Nader, C. J., Ulyatt, M. J. & Storer, G. B. (1975). Rumen microbial protein synthesis and proportions of microbial and non-microbial nitrogen flowing to the intestines of sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 26, 699708.Google Scholar
Weston, R. H. & Hogan, J. P. (1968 a). Factors limiting the intake of feed by sheep. IV. The intake and digestion of mature ryegrass. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 19, 567576.Google Scholar
Weston, R. H. & Hogan, J. P. (1968 b). The digestion of pasture plants by sheep. II. The digestion of ryegrass at different stages of maturity. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 19, 963979.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weston, R. H. & Hogan, J. P. (1971). The digestion of pasture plants by sheep. V. Studies with subterranean and berseem clovers. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 22, 139157.Google Scholar
Williams, C. H., David, D. J. & Iismaa, O. (1962). The determination of chromic oxide in faeces samples by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 59, 381385.Google Scholar