Manipulation of Rumen Fermentation

Thomas, P. C.; Rook, J. A. F.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-408-10804-1.50012-x

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The molar proportion of VFAs in all the supplemented diets were within levels recommended as adequate for cellulolytic bacteria: 65-74% acetic acid, 15-20% for propionic acid and 8-16% for butyric acid (Thomas and Rooke 1981). The proportion of acetic acid was high (0.73) in all the diets, indicating that forage quality was so low (Thomas and Rooke 1981) that a small proportion of energy was absorbed in the form of sugars by the animal.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…The isobutyric and isovaleric acids, essential for some cellulolytic microbes, were increased by the legume supplementation of the veld hay, presumably through supplying amino acids, which were deaminated to provide the branched-chain skeletons for the VFAs (Ndlovu and Buchanan-Smith 1985). The molar proportion of VFAs in all the supplemented diets were within levels recommended as adequate for cellulolytic bacteria: 65-74% acetic acid, 15-20% for propionic acid and 8-16% for butyric acid (Thomas and Rooke 1981). The proportion of acetic acid was high (0.73) in all the diets, indicating that forage quality was so low (Thomas and Rooke 1981) that a small proportion of energy was absorbed in the form of sugars by the animal.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

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Voluntary intake, nitrogen metabolism and rumen fermentation patterns in sheep given cowpea, silverleaf desmodium and fine-stem stylo legume hays as supplementary feeds to natural pasture hay

Baloyi¹,

Ngongoni²,

Hamudikuwanda³

2006

African Journal of Range & Forage Science

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Voluntary intake, nitrogen metabolism and rumen fermentation patterns in sheep given cowpea, silverleaf desmodium and fine-stem stylo legume hays as supplementary feeds to natural pasture hay The effect of feeding legumes as protein supplements to veld hay on voluntary feed intake, nitrogen metabolism and rumen fermentation patterns was evaluated. Four sheep were randomly allocated to the four dietary treatments of either veld hay alone or veld hay supplemented with either cowpea, fine-stem stylo or silverleaf desmodium. Total dry matter intake was highest with cowpea (P < 0.05), and the lowest increment (P < 0.01) was with silverleaf desmodium. The pH of the rumen fluid was lower (P < 0.01) in sheep given the supplemented diets than the veld hay alone. The cowpea-supplemented diet produced higher (P < 0.05) levels of ammonia N than the other diets. The silverleaf desmodium diet produced the highest level of total volatile fatty acids (VFA) (P < 0.05). Supplementation with the legumes improved the nitrogen retention, although animals on all treatments were in negative nitrogen balance. Legume supplementation to the veld hay also enhanced rumen fermentation, as reflected by an increase in ruminal ammonia N and VFA concentrations. These results suggest that although the legume hay increased dry matter and nitrogen utilisation, the negative nitrogen retentions might indicate the inadequacy of the specific legume hays used as nitrogen supplementary feeds to sheep fed a basal diet of veld hay.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%