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Relationship of Digestibility and Certain Rumen Fluid Components to Level of Feed Intake and Time of Sampling after Feeding^{1, 2,}

Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

ABSTRACT

Feeding trials were conducted to investigate the effect of level of intake on digestibility and on changes of some rumen fluid components as a function of time after feeding. Trials with sheep showed no significant effect of level of intake on digestibility of dry matter, energy, or nutrients. Trials using fistulated cows revealed that levels of intake and time of sampling had important and predictable effects on relative proportions of components in rumen fluid. Direction and magnitude of the response to levels of intake varied among these components. Prediction equations expressing the responses are shown. Except for iso-butyric acid, all components investigated showed significant changes as a function of time after feeding. Prediction equations are given expressing these changes as a function of time after feeding. Means of samples taken at 3 hr after feeding on five consecutive days were compared to means of samples taken at nine consecutive hourly intervals on a single day. Results show that knowledge of the pattern of variation, characteristic of a particular component of the rumen fluid after feeding a particular ration, appears to be necessary for a proper interpretation of data obtained by the technique of a single sampling at a fixed time after feeding.

¹ A contribution of the Massachusetts Experiment Station.

² This work was supported by the Regional Research Project NE-24.