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The effect of inclusion of mineral salts in the diet on dilution rate, the pattern of rumen fermentation and the composition of the rumen microflora

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

D. J. Thomson ,
D. E. Beever ,
M. J. Latham ,
M. E. Sharpe  and
R. A. Terry
D. J. Thomson
Affiliation:
The Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, Maidenhead, Berks SL6 5LR
D. E. Beever
Affiliation:
The Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, Maidenhead, Berks SL6 5LR
M. J. Latham
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading RQ2 9AT
M. E. Sharpe
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading RQ2 9AT
R. A. Terry
Affiliation:
The Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, Maidenhead, Berks SL6 5LR
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Summary

The mixed buffer salts of artificial saliva were incorporated at three rates: 0 (diet 1), 5·7 (diet 2) and 11·4% (diet 3) (w/w) in pelleted diets prepared from60% ground flaked maize and 40% dried ground grass. The control and mineral-supplemented diets were fed to sheep hourly (Expt 1) or twice daily (Expt 2).

When the sheep were fed hourly or twice daily the pattern of fermentation in the rumen was altered from a predominantly propionate to mainly acetate fermentation. Dilution rate in the rumen increased from 0·036 to 0·053 to 0·064 when diets 1, 2 and 3 were fed hourly, and dilution rate was negatively related to the molar proportion of propionic acid (P < 0·05) and positively related (P < 0·05) to the molar proportion of acetic acid in rumen fluid, but these relationships were not apparent in Expt 2.

Nitrogen retention was higher for lambs fed diet 2 than for those fed diets 1 and 3 (P < 0·05) in Expt 1.

In sheep fed hourly, selenomonads and bacteroides were the predominant rumen bacteria associated with the control diet but the inclusion of mineral salts resulted in the bacteroides being replaced by large number of chain-forming cocci. Numbers of protozoa were variable. The relationship of these changes to the fermentation pattern is discussed. In sheep fed twice daily there was much variation between animals.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 91 , Issue 1 , August 1978 , pp. 1 - 7
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

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