• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.675-690
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• 2019

Objective: This study investigated the effect of diet and roughage quality (RQ) on dry matter intake, duration and number of daytime and night-time eating bouts, idling sessions and ruminating activities in small ruminants. Methods: In Exp 1 and 2, RQ was improved by urea treatment of veld hay, while diet quality was improved by supplementing with Lucerne hay (Exp 3), sunflower meal and lespedeza (Exp 4), fish meal (Exp 5a), and sunflower meal (Exp 5b). In all experiments goats and sheep were blocked by weight and randomly allocated to experimental diets. Day-time (06:00 to 18:00 h) and night time (18:00 to 06:00 h) feeding behaviour activities were recorded. Results: RQ affected rumination index in Exp 1, but not in Exp 2, 3, and 5. Time spent eating and ruminating was affected by RQ (Exp 1, 3, and 4), period of day (all experiments) and their interaction (Exp 1). Intake rates (g/bout and g/min) were similar across diets. Period of day affected the duration of rumination sessions (Exp 1, 2, and 3); diet or RQ affected the duration of eating bouts (Exp 3) and rumination sessions (Exp 1 and 2). RQ had a significant effect on the duration of eating sessions in Exp 3 only, whilst period of day affected this same behaviour in Exp 2 and 3. Generally, goats and sheep fed on roughage alone ruminate at night and eat more during the day but those fed a roughage and supplemented with Lucerne hay spent more time ruminating than eating. Time spent eating and ruminating had positive correlations to crude protein and feed intake. Intake rates had strong positive correlations to intake. Conclusion: Chewing time, number of eating and ruminating sessions, and duration of eating bouts are physiologically controlled in small ruminants, though chewing time requires isometric scaling during modelling of intake.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1705-1712
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• 2007

The effect of different tropical feed sources on rumen ecology, cellulolytic bacteria, feed intake and digestibility of beef cattle was investigated. Four fistulated, castrated male crossbred cattle were randomly allocated to a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design. The treatments were: T1) urea-treated (5%) rice straw (UTS); T2) cassava hay (CH); T3) fresh cassava foliage (FCF); T4) UTS:FCF (1:1 dry matter basis). Animals were fed concentrates at 0.3% of body weight on a DM basis and their respective diets on an ad libitum basis. The experimental period was 21 days. The results revealed that the use of UTS, CH, FCF and UTS:FCF as roughage sources could provide effective fiber and maintain an optimal range of ruminal pH and $NH_3-N$. Total viable and cellulolytic bacterial populations were enhanced (p<0.05) with UTS as the roughage source. Animals fed FCF had a higher rumen propionate production (p<0.05) with a lower cellulolytic bacteria count. Moreover, three predominant cellulolytic bacteria species, namely Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus albus and Ruminococcus flavefaciens, were found in all treatment groups. Roughage intake and total DM intake were highest with UTS (2.2 and 2.5% BW, respectively) as the roughage source (p<0.05). Nutrient intake in terms of organic matter intake (OMI) was similar in UTS, CH and UTS:FCF treatments (8.0, 6.8 and 8.7 kg/d, respectively), while crude protein intake (CPI) was enhanced in CH, FCF and UTS:FCF as compared to the UTS treatment (p<0.05). Digestion coefficients of DM and organic matter (OM) were similar among treatments, while the CP digestion coefficients were similar in CH, FCF and UTS:FCF treatments, but were higher (p<0.05) in CH than in UTS. CP and ADF digestible intakes (kg/d) were highest (p<0.05) on the CH and UTS treatments, respectively. It was also observed that feeding FCF as a full-feed resulted in ataxia as well as frequent urination; therefore, FCF should only be fed fresh as part of the feed or be fed wilted. Hence, combined use of FCF and UTS as well as CH and FCF were recommended.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1604-1609
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• 2003

A metabolism trial with four ruminally fistulated sheep was conducted in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design to examine the effect of concentrate to roughage ratio (70:30 vs. 85:15) and oil source (soybean oil vs. rapeseed oil) on the ruminal fermentation pattern and $C_{18}$-fatty acids composition including trans11-$C_{18:1}$ (trans11-ODA) and cis9, trans11-18:2 (cis9, trans11-CLA) in the rumen fluid and plasma. Oil was added to the concentrate at 5% level of the total diet (DM basis) and chopped rye grass hay was fed as roughage. An increased level of concentrate (85%) within supplemented oil slightly lowered pH but increased ammonia concentration. Supplementation of rapeseed oil relatively increased pH and ammonia concentration. Higher concentrate level resulted in increased tendencies of total VFA concentration while oil source did not affect the total VFA concentration and VFA proportion. Whole tract digestibilities of DM, CP, EE, NDF and OM in diets slightly increased at higher concentrate level. Proportions of oleic acid ($C_{18:1}$) and linoleic acid ($C_{18:2}$) in the rumen fluid were influenced by the fatty acid composition of oil source but oil source did not affect the in vitro formations of trans11-ODA and cis9, trans11-CLA. Slightly increased trans11-ODA and cis9, trans11-CLA proportions, however, were observed from the sheep fed high roughage diet supplemented with both soybean oil and rapeseed oil. The $C_{18:1}$ and $C_{18:2}$ composition in supplemented oils responded to those in plasma of sheep. Effects of concentrate to roughage ratio and oil source on trans11-ODA and cis9, trans11-CLA proportions in plasma were found to be small. Proportion of cis9, trans11-CLA in plasma tended to be increased from the sheep fed high roughage diet and collection time at 9h post feeding.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.516-517
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• 1989

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.249-250
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• 1989

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.509-514
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• 1993

The experiment was conducted to determine the effect of different fiber levels on milk production of crossbred Holstein milking cows fed urea-treated rice straw (UTS) as a roughage. Eight cows were allotted into 2 squares of 4 cows each with 4 treatments by a balanced design. The treatments were 17%, 22%, and 24% crude fiber (CF) diets and Thai feeding system (free choice of roughage and 1 kg of concentrates/2 kg of milk) as a control. Body weight change was not significantly different among the treatments during the experiment. Milk production (4% FCM) and milk protein content wee not different among the treatments, but milk fat content was low in the 17% CF group and high in the control group. Cows fed the 17% CF diet consumed less UTS and more concentrates than the others, and consequently total DM intake was not different among the treatments. The feed conversion ratio was significantly higher in the control. Feed cost per kg milk was lowest in the control and highest in the 17% CF diet. The fiber content of the diet would be more than 17%, preferably 22-24% for normally producing Thai crossbred Holstein cows when the UTS was fed as a main roughage source.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.45-58
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• 2021

This study investigated the dietary effect of total mixed ration (TMR) based on high roughage content on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of Hanwoo steers. Twenty-four Hanwoo steers (average body weight, 195.3±4.7 kg; age, 8.5 mon) were randomly allocated to three experimental groups according to forage and concentrate ratio (DM basis): 25:75 (control), 50:50 (T50), and 70:30 (T70). Productivity in the fattening period and final body weight were significantly higher in the control. Average daily gain and feed conversion ratio were the same among treatments. Serum parameters, cholesterol, blood urea nitrogen, and total protein were higher in the control. Carcass weight was comparable in the control and T50 but feeding more roughage was significantly correlated with a higher intramuscular fat. Shear strength and drip loss were higher while n-6/n-3 was lower in T70 compared to the other groups. However, meat color was not significantly different among treatments. In terms of free amino acid contents, glutamic acid and glycine were higher in the control than T50 and T70. Overall, feeding Hanwoo steers with high forage content TMR had the lowest n-6/n-3 ratio of fatty acid content but highest intramuscular fat, shear strength, and drip loss. High forage content TMR is the best feed for Hanwoo steers that gives more benefits for human health and consumption but also provides the best meat grade and quality, which is important in the beef market in Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1235-1239
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• 2013

The effects of probiotic additions to feed and manure on temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) emissions in Hanwoo manure during summer (4 weeks) were evaluated. Fifteen Hanwoo (24-mo-old, $580{\pm}20kg$) were housed in individual pens ($5{\times}8m$) and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments (n = 5 cattle per treatment). Hanwoo were fed experimental rations as follows: control (10 kg roughage + 2 kg concentrate); T1 (10 kg roughage + 2 kg concentrate, 2% probiotics on as-fed basis); and T2 (10 kg roughage + 2 kg concentrate, 2% probiotics on as-fed basis + 7 kg probiotics as top-dressing on the surface of Hanwoo manure). In comparison to the control, the addition of probiotics to feed or feed and manure had an effect (P < 0.05) on temperature and humidity over the 4 weeks, except for humidity at 0 weeks. The only significant difference (P < 0.05) observed in $CO_2$ emission was among all treatments at 3 and 4 weeks (but not at 0 through 2 weeks). These results indicated that use of probiotics as feed and manure additives did not have a significant effect on environmental parameters.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.187-193
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• 1990

In the present experiment, the relationship between rumination and the amount of roughage eaten by sheep was investigated in detail. Daily time spent eating was obviously changed along with an increase or decrease in daily hay intake. Daily time spent ruminating and daily number of boli regurgitated was also linearly increased or decreased with an increase or decrease of daily hay intake, and there were regression lines between daily amount of hay eaten and daily ruminating time or daily number of boli with statistical significant coefficients. Cyclic rate (total rumination time(s)/number of boli regurgitated) and daily number of rumination periods did not change in an outline along with the changes in daily hay intake. From these results, it can be suggested that daily dry matter intake by sheep could be presumed by measuring daily time spent ruminating when they were fed only roughage feed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.409-410
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• 1989