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Salivary Nitrogen Contamination in Rumen Fistula Forage Samples^1,2,

University of Arizona, Tucson 85721

Abstract

Eleven range plant species were collected and fed individually to rumen fistulated steers in 1966, and nine of the same species were collected and fed in the same manner in 1967. No apparent differences were found in the nitrogen content of forage offered compared to masticated forage recovered from the rumen. Masticated species of plants were combined into 24 mixtures (of four species each) of varying percent composition. No apparent differences were found between a calculated weighted nitrogen content of the mixture (based on nitrogen content of individual plant species prior to feeding) as compared to actual nitrogen content of the masticated mixtures. Nitrogen content of saliva collected from five stall-fed steers on an alfalfa hay ration ranged from .007 to .027%. Samples of saliva and of fluid remaining in the rumen (after fistula forage removal) were collected from four rumen fistulated steers grazed on desert grassland during 1967. The nitrogen content of the saliva ranged from .003 to .018%. Nitrogen content of fluid remaining in the rumen after removal of fistula forage samples was from four to 16 times greater than that in saliva; however, nitrogen losses from leaching were minor. These data substantiate that the high protein levels of rumen fistula forage samples obtained from grazing animals (relative to clipped forage) are not due to an artifact created by the fistula sampling technique.

¹ Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station Paper 2328.

² The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, U.S. Forest Service for use of range facilities.

³ This work was accomplished while the senior author was on leave of absence from the Soil Conservation Service.

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