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Indirect measurement of saliva secretion in sheep fed diets of different structures and the effect of such diets on ruminal fluid kinetics and fermentation pattern
Author(s) -
Duric M,
Zhao GY,
Orskov ER,
Chen XB
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
experimental physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.925
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1469-445X
pISSN - 0958-0670
DOI - 10.1113/expphysiol.1994.sp003810
Subject(s) - rumen , hay , dry matter , latin square , saliva , fermentation , zoology , excretion , biology , nitrogen balance , chemistry , dilution , clearance rate , food science , biochemistry , nitrogen , endocrinology , physics , organic chemistry , thermodynamics
Four Suffolk x Dorset sheep were allocated in a 4 x 4 Latin square design and received a hay‐barley‐molasses diet in one of four different physical structures: (1) pelleted; (2) pelleted:chopped (60:40); (3) chopped:pelleted (60:40); or (4) chopped. The animals were penned individually and the diet was restricted to provide 20 g of dry matter (DM) per kilogram live weight daily. The effects of the diets on rumen fluid kinetics, fermentation pattern and microbial nitrogen (MN) supply were examined. Saliva secretion was estimated using an indirect method based on water balance in the rumen. When the animals were fed the chopped diet, the salivation rate, rumen fluid volume and rumen liquid outflow were all increased significantly (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01). No consistent effect of dietary structure on rumen fluid dilution rate, purine derivative (PD) excretion or MN supply was observed. Dietary structure had no effect on the rumen fermentation pattern, digestibility of DM or nitrogen.