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Rate of Passage of Chromic Oxide and Composition of Digesta along the Alimentary Tract of Wethers¹

North Dakota State University, Fargo

Abstract

Six wethers were fed 1500 gm./day of pelleted alfalfa. The rate of passage of Cr₂O₃ incorporated as a component of paper and as a powder in rations was determined. Chromic oxide "powder" was excreted significantly faster than "paper".

The wethers were put on a 10-day digestion trial, and coefficients obtained by the conventional method agreed with those obtained by the ratio technique using Cr₂O₃ "paper". Low recovery of the "powder" was noticed in all runs. The levels of Cr₂O₃ paper and crude fiber in the feces were correlated significantly.

Following the digestibility trial the wethers were slaughtered 10 to 12 hours after the last feeding and the alimentary tract contents removed in 13 sections. The digesta from each section was analyzed for dry matter, ash, Cr₂O₃, calcium, phosphorus, protein, crude fiber and lignin. Indigestibilities of these feed constituents were calculated using Cr₂O₃ "paper", Cr₂O₃ "powder", and lignin techniques. Chromic oxide apparently was passed out of the rumen faster than lignin or the bulk of the dry matter. The rate of flow of calcium and Cr₂O₃ appeared to be very similar. Indigestibilities and levels of lignin and crude fiber showed a high degree of association of these constitutents in their rate of flow through the tract. The concentrations of phosphorus did not follow those of calcium.

¹ Published with approval of Director, North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station, Fargo, North Dakota, as Journal Article No. 38.

² Present address: Department of Animal Husbandry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.