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The Use of the Esophageal Fistula for the Determination of Consumption and Digestibility of Pasture Forage by Sheep^{1, 2,}

University of California, Davis

Abstract

A test conducted to study the change in chemical composition of forage during the process of passing through the mouth and out an esophageal fistula indicated that there was little difference between the sample fed and that collected from the fistula.

A technique is described in which esophageal fistulated wethers were used to collect samples of Sudan grass, trefoil, and alfalfa pasture as consumed by grazing sheep and normal wethers equipped with fecal collection harnesses were used to collect feces. Assuming that all sheep are eating the same quality forage and using the lignin-ratio procedure, dry matter consumption, total digestible nutrients, and digestible protein of the pasture forage were calculated.

Improvements and possible use of this technique are discussed.

¹ This research was supported in part by Western Regional Project W-34.

² The authors wish to express their appreciation to G. P. Lofgreen and J. H. Meyer for their advice in connection with this research.

³ Present address: Santa Rosa High School, Santa Rosa, California.

⁴ Associate Professor of Animal Husbandry, Davis.

⁵ Associate Specialist in Animal Husbandry, Hopland Field Station.