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Fully Automated System for Aerobic or Anaerobic Sampling of Duodenal Digesta in Sheep or Cattle Equipped with Duodenal Reentrant Cannulas^1,2,

Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0C6

Abstract

A versatile system for automated collection and sampling of duodenal digesta in reentrant cannula-equipped sheep and cattle capable of operating under aerobic and anaerobic conditions is described. The sampling apparatus is mobile, fully automatic and programmable. The system consists of a programmable controller and several other components encolsed in mechanical, refrigerated and electronic compartments. The apparatus is coupled to the reentrant cannula of an animal via a digesta collection line and a digesta return line supported by a counterweight-pulley system. The digesta output from the animal is pumped into the apparatus, mixed, sampled, then blown to the return system positioned over the animal after adding donor digesta to compensate for the sample taken. The digeta then flow by gravity into the digestive tract. The digesta are refrigerated upon entering the apparatus and reheated to body temperature upon return to the animal. The flow and time of sampling are recorded. The apparatus is easily washed and decontaminated. The system has been used in several experiments of up to 14 d of uninterrupted sampling. In some experiments individual samplers were coupled to individual animals, but in others, each sampler received digesta from one animal and returned them to another animal. Coefficients of variation percentage for the amount of collected digesta and aliquot sampling were 1.01 and 3.55 for the sheep system, and .88 and 4.09 for the cattle system. The coefficients for the corresponding percentage dry matter were 1.64 and 2.21 for the sheep, and 1.73 and 1.74 for the cattle systems, respectively.

¹ The authors gratefully acknowledge the technical assistance of M. K. Bryan.

² An abstract of this research was presented at the VIth International Symposium on Ruminant Physiology. Banff, September 10–14, 1984, and published in Can. J. Anim. Sci. 64(Suppl):118.

³ Animal Research Centre (Contribution No. 1263).

⁴ Engineering and Statistical Research Institute (Contribution No. I 600).