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Chewing Time, Rumen Fermentation and Their Relationship in Steers as Affected by Diet Composition

The University of Georgia College of Agriculture, Experiment Stations, Georgia Station, Experiment 30212

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted to study the effects of three concentrate types (citrus pulp, corn and soybean mill feed) at three concentrate levels (10, 40 and 70%) on chewing time and volatile fatty acid (VFA) parameters of steers.

Chewing time was reduced with each increase in concentrate (713, 490 and 387 min per day) but was not significantly affected by concentrate type. Linear regression equations suggest that the relationship of chewing time to VFA levels is constant over the 70 and 40% concentrate levels, but is different at 10%. Also, the slopes of the regressions of the ratio of acetate to propionate on chewing time for initial concentration data and zero-time rate data are not significantly different, indicating chewing time does not influence VFA patterns independent of the dilution effects by saliva. However, all regression equations had low R squared values. Correlation coefficients of chewing time with VFA parameters were all low, but the ratio of acetate to propionate for initial concentration had significant coefficients for all three concentrate levels (–.517, –.459 and –.443 for 10, 40 and 70% concentrate).

¹ Department of Animal Science.

² The author acknowledges the assistance of Professor J. C. Elrod, Agricultural Economics Department, for statistical assistance, and Mr. L. R. Sisk and Mrs. Betty Robicheaux for technical assistance.

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