J. Anim Sci.
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J. Anim Sci. 1971. 32:740-743.
© 1971 American Society of Animal Science
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Rumen Development in Lambs: I. Microbial Digestion of Starch and Cellulose1

S. E. Poe2, D. G. Ely, G. E. Mitchell, Jr., W. P. Deweese and H. A. Glimp3

University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506

Abstract

THE mature ruminant is unique in its ability to digest both starch and cellulose in the rumen. Under normal conditions the rumen develops as the animal becomes older and consumes increasingly greater amounts of dry feed and lesser amounts of milk. This development in the young ruminant apparently parallels establishment of a microbial population in the rumen that is capable of digesting dry feed (Warner, 1962). Since most pre-weaning creep diets contain large amounts of either starch or cellulose, in vitro digestion of these substrates by microorganisms collected from the rumen of young lambs should be indicative of rumen development. The ability of rumen microbes collected from lambs of different ages and fed different diets to digest starch and cellulose was evaluated in this study.

Trial I. Twenty Hampshire-sired crossbred lambs were randomly allotted into two groups of 10 each at birth. Both groups were separated from their dams at 3 days of age and housed by treatment groups.

Footnotes

1 The investigation reported in this paper (No. 70-5-50) is in connection with a project of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and is published with the approval of the Director.

2 Present address: W. R. Grace and Co., P.O. Box 7, Edinburg. Indiana 46124.

3 Present address: U.S.D.A. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Nebraska.






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Copyright © 1971 by the American Society of Animal Science.