J. Anim Sci.
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J. Anim Sci. 1974. 38:915-920.
© 1974 American Society of Animal Science
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Microbial Populations and Metabolic Parameters of Ruminants Fed a Purified Diet with and without Dietary Lipids

Robert R. Oltjen1 and Phletus P. Williams2

United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland 20705

Abstract

A purified diet with and without dietary lipids was fed to four ruminal cannulated steers for 42 weeks and to six ruminal cannulated wethers for 32 weeks to determine if dietary lipids are required by mature ruminants. One steer was maintained on the lipid-free diet for 99 weeks and one sheep for 70 weeks. The performance of animals fed the lipid-free diet was almost identical to those receiving dietary lipids.

Ruminal digesta and blood samples were periodically collected during the study. Gram stained smears and ruminal bacterial counts of these samples indicated that animals, regardless of diet and time on the diets, showed comparable proportions of morphological types of bacteria and total numbers of viable bacteria. Animals fed the diet with or without dietary lipids gradually decreased in total numbers of ruminal protozoa with Entodinium sp. being retained longer than Isotricha sp. or Eudiplodinium medium. The wethers showed a loss of ruminal flagellated protozoa. Both steers and wethers receiving dietary lipids had greater (P<.05) concentrations of lipids in the ruminal ingesta and blood plasma than did those not receiving dietary lipids. In comparing the animals on the basis of rumen microbial patterns and concentrations, ruminal digesta and blood plasma lipid concentrations, and daily gains, it is suggested that dietary lipids are not required for ruminal function nor for performance of the adult ruminant.

Footnotes

1 A.R.S., Ruminant Nutrition Laboratory, Nutrition Institute, Beltsville, Md. 20705.

2 A.R.S., Metabolism and Radiation Research Laboratory, Fargo, North Dakota 58102.






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Copyright © 1974 by the American Society of Animal Science.