• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.188-205
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• 1996

This study was conducted to examine the effects of dietary energy and protein sources on the rumen microbial population of sheep. The results obtained were summarized as the follows; 1. Ruminal pH was highest in sheep fed the diet rapidly degraded in the rumen(F-F) as a energy (barley plus beet pulp) and protein source (rapeseed meal), and lowest in the diet (F-S) of rapidly degradable energy source plus slowly degradable protein source (corn gluten meal + cotton seed meal) without affecting by postfeeding time. 2. Ruminal ammonia concentration was higher in corn (slowly degradable) for energy source and rapeseed meal (rapidly degradable) for protein source (S-F) than others, and abruptly increased at 1 hr after feeding regardless of treatments. 3. Concentration of ruminal total volatile fatty acid, acetate and propionate were highest in F-S and peaked at 1 hr after feeding firstly and formed second peak at 9hrs, respectively. 4. Digestibilities of the proximates and ADF were not affected by treatment but NDF was highest in F- F. 5. Nitrogen retention was highest in S-F and lowest in F-F and F-S. 6. Digestibility and metabolizability of energy, contents of OCP, TDN, DE and ME were not affected by treatment.