J. Anim Sci.
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bailoni, L.
Right arrow Articles by Bittante, G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bailoni, L.
Right arrow Articles by Bittante, G.

Journal of Animal Science, Vol 76, Issue 12 3095-3103, Copyright © 1998 by American Society of Animal Science

JOURNAL ARTICLE

The effect of in vitro fermentation on specific gravity and sedimentation measurements of forage particles

L. Bailoni, M. Ramanzin, A. Simonetto, N. Oblakov, S. Schiavon and G. Bittante
Dipartimento di Scienze Zootecniche, Universita di Padova, AGRIPOLIS, Legnaro (PD), Italy. lbailoni@agripolis.unipd.it

Dry matter degradability (DMD), gas production (GP), functional specific gravity (FSG), volume of gas associated (GA), water-holding capacity (WHC), and sedimentation measurements of orchard-grass (OG) and alfalfa (AA) hays (ground through a 8-mm screen) were studied before and after in vitro incubation with ruminal fluid for 2, 4, 8, 24, 48, and 72 h. The DMD was higher for AA than for OG (P < .001), but GP did not differ. The FSG of unfermented OG and AA was .59 and .73, respectively (P < .01). During fermentation, the FSG of OG increased more than did that of AA (from .93 to 1.39 for OG and from .97 to 1.27 for AA after 2 and 72 h, respectively), and GA decreased more rapidly (from .94 to -.04 mL/g DM and from .74 to .15 mL/g DM, respectively). The DMD was positively correlated with FSG (r = .83; P < .001) and, therefore, negatively with GA (r = -.72; P < .01). The WHC increased similarly in the two forages with fermentation time. Unfermented and fermented samples were incubated in sedimentation columns filled with distilled water for 19, 37, 75, 150, and 300 s. After 300 s of sedimentation time, the unfermented AA and OG samples tended to float (91.1 and 72.7% of DM, respectively). In contrast, fermented samples tended to sediment (90.7 and 90.9% of DM, respectively). There were only small effects of forage species and fermentation time on sedimentation tendency. Correlations between sedimentation measurements and DMD and FSG were not significant, with the only exception of DM recovered in the lower section of sedimentation columns after 75 s, which was particularly correlated with DMD (P < .01) and FSG (P < .05). The results suggest that degradation rate of fibrous particles is related to changes in FSG and GA and, therefore, could influence ruminal transit. However, FSG was unable to predict accurately the sedimentation behavior of samples.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J DAIRY SCIHome page
J. A. Voelker and M. S. Allen
Pelleted Beet Pulp Substituted for High-Moisture Corn: 1. Effects on Feed Intake Chewing Behavior, and Milk Production of Lactating Dairy Cows
J Dairy Sci, November 1, 2003; 86(11): 3542 - 3552.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1998 by the American Society of Animal Science.