HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by van der Linden, Y. Articles by Schwartz, H. M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by van der Linden, Y. Articles by Schwartz, H. M.

Influence of Supplementation of Corn Stover with Corn Grain on the Fibrolytic Bacteria in the Rumen of Sheep and Their Relation to the Intake and Digestion of Fiber¹

National Chemical Research Laboratory, CSIR, Pretoria 0001, Republic of South Africa

Abstract

Twelve sheep were fed corn stover ad libitum plus a protein-mineral supplement (period 1). The diet of each sheep was then supplemented differently with corn grits so that these constituted 0, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 270, 300, 330, 360 or 390 g/kg of the total daily food intake (period 2). All diets contained 13.8% crude protein. Stover intake and the amount of cellulose and hemicellulose digested per day declined progressively with increasing grain supplementation. Retention time of solids in the rumen decreased. Numbers of total culturable, cellulolytic and active xylanolytic bacteria per gram rumen ingesta did not change significantly with grain feeding. In both periods, the predominant cellulolytic bacteria resembled Ruminococcus albus. Other major species were Ruminococcus flavefaciens-like cocci and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens-like rods. The number of R. albus-like bacteria did not change but those of other cellulolytic species tended to increase with increasing amounts of grain fed. The same species constituted the major hemicellulolytic bacteria, but the B. fibrisolvens-like rods were more numerous than the R. albus-like cocci. Grain supplementation did not affect the proportions of the different hemicellulolytic species. The decline in the intake and digestion of fiber when grain was fed could not be attributed to a decrease in production of cellulolytic or hemicellulolytic bacteria in the rumen.

¹ The authors thank the Director of the Veterinary Research Institute, Onderstepoort for facilities for carrying out the research; the Division of Agricultural Engineering, Dept. of Agr. for preparing the pellets; Dr. C. Z. Roux for advice on the design of the experiments; Mrs. J. Galpin for the statistical evaluation of the results; Mr. B. Briel for fistulating the sheep and Mr. L. F. Wentzel and Mr. J.J.T.K. van der Toorn for able technical assistance.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. L. Lawler-Neville, S. M. Shellito, T. D. Maddock, M. L. Bauer, G. P. Lardy, T. C. Gilbery, and J. S. Caton Effects of concentrated separator by-product (desugared molasses) on intake, site of digestion, microbial efficiency, and nitrogen balance in ruminants fed forage-based diets J Anim Sci, August 1, 2006; 84(8): 2232 - 2242. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]