• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1610-1616
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• 2006

Influence of different levels of corn steep liquor (CSL) on chemical composition of urea treated wheat straw (UTWS), ruminal characteristics, digestion kinetics, nitrogen (N) utilization, and nutrient digestibility by ruminally-cannulated buffalo bulls was studied in a $4{\times}4$ Latin Square Design. The CSL was used to ensile 5% UTWS at the rate of 0, 3, 6, and 9% on a dry matter (DM) basis. Total N and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) were increased with increasing level of CSL. Increased NDF content was attributable to increased neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen. Four diets were formulated to contain 20% concentrate and 80% UTWS ensiled with 0, (control), 3 (CSL3), 6 (CSL6), and 9% CSL (CSL9). All diets were mixed daily and fed at 1.5% of body weight twice daily. Ruminal NH3 concentration decreased with level of CSL used to ensile UTWS at 3 and 6 h post prandial, however, at 9 h post parandial it was similar across all diets and at 12 h post prandial was higher with diets containing UTWS ensiled with CSL. Concentrations of total ruminal volatile fatty acid and acetate were increased with the CSL level used to ensile UTWS. Increased rate of disappearance and reduction in lag time of DM and NDF was recorded with diets containing UTWS ensiled with CSL. Dry matter and NDF digestibilities were higher with CSL diets than on the control diet. Buffalo bulls retained more N with diets containing UTWS ensiled with CSL. The present results indicated that UTWS could be ensiled with CSL to improve its nutritive value and N utilization by ruminants.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.1384-1392
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• 2023

Objective: Replacing soybean meal (SBM) with cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) meal pellets (CMP) in concentrate diets was investigated for feed efficiency, ruminal fermentation and microbial protein synthesis in Thai native beef cattle. Methods: Four male beef cattle were randomly assigned to treatments using a 4×4 Latin square design with four levels of SBM replaced by CMP at 0%, 33%, 67%, and 100% in concentrate diets. Results: Results revealed that replacement of SBM with CMP did not affect dry matter (DM) consumption, while digestibilities of crude protein, acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber were significantly enhanced (p<0.05) but did not alter digestibility of DM and organic matter. Increasing levels of CMP up to 100% in concentrate diets increased ruminal ammoniacal nitrogen (NH₃-N) concentrations, blood urea nitrogen, total volatile fatty acids and propionate concentration (p<0.05), whereas production of methane and protozoal populations decreased (p<0.05). Efficiency of microbial nitrogen protein synthesis increased when SBM was replaced with CMP. Conclusion: Substitution of SBM with CMP in the feed concentrate mixture at up to 100% resulted in enhanced nutrient digestibility and rumen fermentation efficiency, with increased volatile fatty acids production, especially propionate and microbial protein synthesis, while decreasing protozoal populations and mitigating rumen methane production in Thai native beef cattle fed a rice straw-based diet.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1364-1373
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• 2012

Four crossbred (75% Holstein Friesian) lactating dairy cows, with an average live weight of $418{\pm}5$ kg and $36{\pm}10$ d in milk were randomly assigned according to a $2{\times}2$ factorial arrangement in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design to evaluate the effects of cassava hay (CH) and rice bran oil (RBO) on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation, milk yield, and milk composition. Factor A was non-supplementation or supplementation with CH in the concentrate. Factor B was supplementation with RBO at 0% or 4% in the concentrate mixture. The four dietary treatments were (T1) control (Concentrate with non-CH plus 0% RBO; C), (T2) Concentrate with CH plus 0% RBO (CH), (T3) Concentrate with non-CH plus 4% RBO (RBO), and (T4) Concentrate with CH plus 4% RBO (CHRBO). The cows were offered concentrate, at a ratio of concentrate to milk production of 1:2, and urea-lime treated rice straw was fed ad libitum. Urea-lime treated rice straw involved 2.5 g urea and 2.5 g $Ca(OH)_2$ (purchased as hydrated lime) in 100 ml water, the relevant volume of solution was sprayed onto a 100 g air-dry (91% DM) straw, and then covering the stack with a plastic sheet for a minimum of 10 d before feeding directly to animals. The CH based concentrate resulted in significantly higher roughage intake and total DM intake expressed as a percentage of BW (p<0.05). Ruminal pH, $NH_3$-N, BUN and total VFA did not differ among treatments, while RBO supplementation increased propionate, but decreased acetate concentration (p<0.05). Furthermore, the population of total ruminal bacteria was significantly lower on the RBO diet (p<0.05). In contrast, the total ruminal bacteria and cellulolytic bacteria on the CH diet were higher than on the other treatments. Supplementation with CH increased (p<0.05) F. succinogens and R. flavefaciens populations, whereas the populations of B. fibrisolvens and M. elsdenii were increased on the RBO diet. In addition, supplementation with CH and RBO had no effect on milk production and composition in dairy cows, while fatty acid composition of milk was influenced by RBO supplementation, and resulted in significantly lower (p<0.05) concentrations of both short-chain and medium-chain FA, and increased (p<0.05) the proportion of long-chain FA in milk fat, as well as significantly increased cis-9, trans-11 CLA and total CLA. In conclusion, RBO or CH exhibited specific effects on DMI, rumen fermentation, microbial population, milk yield and composition in lactating dairy cows, which were not interactions between CH and RBO in the diets. Feeding lactating dairy cows with RBO could improve fatty acid in milk fat by increasing cis-9, trans-11 CLA.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.629-646
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• 2013

This study was conducted to investigate effects of terpenoids-rich plant extracts (TRPE) on the in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics and methane production. The ruminal fluid was collected from a cannulated Hanwoo cow fed concentrate and timothy in the ratio of 6 to 4. The TRPE as Mint (Mentha arvensis var. piperascens), Pine (Pinus densiflora), Japan cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum piperitum), Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtuse) and Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii) were used in this study. The 15 mL of mixture, contains McDougall buffer and rumen fluid in the ratio of 2 to 1. The mixture was dispensed anaerobically 50 mL serum bottles and it is contained 0.3 g timothy substrate and 5% TRPE. The bottles were incubated at $39^{\circ}C$ for 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours. The pH value decrease by increased incubation times and the pH values at all times were significantly (p<0.05) higher in treatments than in control. The digestibility of dry matter at 3 hours was significantly (p<0.05) higher in mint treatment than in control. Productions of total gas and carbon dioxide at before 12 hours was significantly lower (p<0.05) in treatments than in control. The methane production at 24 hours was significantly (p<0.05) lower in treatments than in control. The concentrations of acetic acid and propionic acid at 24 hours were significantly higher (p<0.05) in mint and pine treatments than in control. In conclusion, the terpenoid-rich plant extracts were shown to decreased methane emission and without adversely affected ruminal fermentation. Therefore, the terpenoid-rich plant extracts as mint and pine were shown to decreased methane production and it has potential possibility for ruminal fermentations.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.1643-1653
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• 2018

Objective: This study investigated the effect of dietary crude protein (CP) supplementation on nutrient intake, nitrogen (N) utilisation, blood metabolites, ruminal fermentation and growth performance of young Holstein bulls. Methods: Twenty-one young bulls weighing $277{\pm}11.2kg$ were equally divided into three groups and were offered diets formulated with low CP (LCP; 10.21% CP and 4.22% rumen degradable protein [RDP]), medium CP (MCP; 12.35% CP and 5.17% RDP) and high CP (HCP; 14.24% CP and 6.03% RDP). Yellow corn silage was used as a unique forage source and was mixed with concentrate. This mixed feed was given ad libitum to the young bulls included in the study. Results: Results showed that CP intake, blood urea nitrogen, N intake, total N excretion and N balance increased linearly with an increase in dietary CP level (p<0.05). However, no significant difference was observed in nutrient digestibility among the bulls receiving the different diets. Ruminal pH (p<0.05) and ammonia nitrogen ($NH_3-N$) concentration (p<0.01) were significantly higher in the bulls receiving the MCP and HCP diets than in those receiving the LCP diet. The bulls receiving the HCP diet showed significantly higher ruminal bacterial protein level, propionate, acetate and total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) concentrations than bulls receiving the LCP diet (p<0.05). Moreover, dietary CP level exerted a significant positive effect on the final body weight, average daily gain and gain-to-feed ratio of the bulls (p<0.05). Conclusion: High dietary CP level is optimal for achieving maximum growth and high profitability without exerting a negative effect on the physiology of growing Holstein bulls.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.101-106
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• 2006

In this study, changes of ammonia, alcohol and volatile fatty acid(VFA) concentrations or pH in in vitro ruminal fluid were studied to determine the effects of alcoholic feeds on in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics. To formulate the alcoholic feeds, alcohol was added to commercial formulated feed at the levels of 1, 3, and 5 %. Experiments were done with four treatment groups, control(commercial feed), AF-1(commercial feed+1% alcohol), AF-3(commercial feed+3% alcohol), and AF-5(commercial feed+5% alcohol). Ammonia concentrations of AF-1 and AF-5 were significantly lower than that of control for the 12h incubation(p<0.05). Ruminal alcohol concentration was increased with the addition level of alcohol increased(p<0.05). TVFA concentrations of AF-1, AF-3 and AF-5 were significantly higher than those of control at 12h(p<0.05). Significant decrease of molar percentage of acetate was observed in control from 8 to 12h incubation, but molar percentage of acetate for AF-1, AF-3 and AF-5 was constant. Molar percentage of propionate was increased in control compared with AF-1, AF-3 and AF-5 from 8 to 12h incubation(p<0.05). Molar percentages of butyrate and valerate were higher in AF-1, AF-3 and AF-5 than in control(p<0.05). Molar percentage of caproate for AF-1, AF-3 and AF-5 was 0.05, 0.58 and 0.47M% at 8h, respectively, but that was not detected for control. Present results may indicate that the alcoholic feeds show positive effects on in vitro ruminal ammonia, alcohol and VFA concentrations or pH. Furthermore, the results of this study implies that the addition level of 5% could be more effective to ruminal fermentation than other addition levels.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.198-203
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• 2003

Acetone, which is produced from butyric acid when it passes through the rumen wall, was infused into the rumen and jugular veins of three female goats to investigate the role of acetone in ruminating and masticating behavior. The ruminating behavior, as measured by the number of boli and the ruminating time, decreased (p<0.05) with intraruminal acetone infusion. However, the ruminating behavior did not change significantly in response to intravenous acetone infusion. Feed intake significantly decreased with intraruminal acetone infusion, but not with intravenous acetone infusion. The concentrations of acetone in the plasma increased significantly (p<0.05) with both acetone infusion regions. Ruminal fluid acetone, and isopropyl alcohol (IPA), which is one of the ketone bodies, produced from acetone by bacterial action in rumen, concentrations were significantly increased (p<0.05) with both acetone infusion regions. These results suggest that the chemoreceptors sensitive to acetone are more likely to be in the rumen epithelium, portal system, or liver, where they can respond to acetone levels.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.530-538
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• 2016

Two experiments were conducted to determine the nutrient composition, in vitro ruminal ammonia concentrations and pH of wet distillers grains (WDG, produced from tapioca 70% and rice 30%) and to evaluate dietary effects of fermented total mixed ration (TMR) using WDG on the performance, blood metabolites and carcass characteristics of Hanwoo steers from mid fattening to slaughter. In Exp. I, average dry matter (DM), crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, ash, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and nitrogen free extract of seven WDG samples from an ethanol plant with different sampling dates were 19.9%, 24.8%, 3.8%, 21.8%, 8.87%, 60.3%, 34.5%, and 40.7% (DM basis), respectively. For in vitro ammonia concentrations and pH, each sample was assigned to 7 incubation times (0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h). Linear increase was observed between 12 and 48 h for ammonia concentrations, but final ammonia concentrations (72 h) were not significantly different among WDG samples and fermentation patterns of WDG samples showed similar tendency. In vitro pH varied among treatments from 0 to 24 h, but were not different statistically after 48 h. In Exp. II, 45 Hanwoo steers of 23 months ($641{\pm}123kg$) from mid fattening period to slaughter (248 days) were randomly divided into three groups of 15 pens each (five repetitions/each treatment) and assigned to one of three dietary treatments; i) Control (TMR), ii) WDG 15 (TMR containing 15% of WDG, as fed basis) and iii) WDG 28 (TMR containing 28% of WDG, as fed basis). The body weight (BW), ADG, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of control and WDG 15 and 28 during 248 days were 760.8, 740.1, and 765.5 kg, and 0.50, 0.50, and 0.52 kg/d, and 18.6, 17.6, and 17.1, respectively. The dry matter intake (DMI) (kg/d) of control (9.11) was higher (p<0.05) than WDG treatments (WDG 15%, 8.57; 28%, 8.70). Nevertheless, DMI did not affect BW, ADG, and FCR of Hanwoo finishing steers. Blood metabolites were in normal ranges and were not different among treatments except the albumin concentration. In carcass characteristics, WDG 15 (30%) showed higher frequency of A-carcass yield grade than WDG 28 (15%) and control (7%), and WDG 28 (61%) showed higher frequency of $1^{{+}{+}}$ and $1^+$-carcass quality grade than WDG 15 (40%) and control (60%). In conclusion, using WDG up to 28% in TMR did not show any negative effect on the performance and blood metabolites, and improved carcass quality of Hanwoo steers. Therefore, WDG can be a useful feed ingredient for Hanwoo steers in mid-fattening period to slaughter.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1990

The objective of this experiment was to compare the effect of pH-regulated alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) treatment of rice straw with those of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and anhydrous ammonia ($NH_3$) treatments on in sacco digestivility. Three non-lactating ruminally cannulated Holstein cows were fed a diet containing 90% forage and 10% concentrate on a dry matter (DM) basis. The AHP treatment significantly (p<0.05) reduced acid detergent lignin content of the straw, resulting in significant (p<0.05) increase of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and cellulose concentrations. Disappearance rates of DM and NDF of the straw significantly (p<0.05) increased at the incubation time of 24 h. On the other hand, those of ADF and cellulose were significantly (p<0.05) higher at the incubation time of 12 h than those of the others. The effective degradability of DM(EDDM), NDF(EDNDF), ADF(EDADF) and cellulose (EDCE) were determined using in sacco nylon bag technique on the basis of 0.05/h solid outflow rate. The greater differences (p<0.05) of EDDM, EDNDF, EDADF and EDCE were found between AHP treated straw and the others. In general, AHP treatment of the straw recorded higher digestion coefficients than untreated straw as well as NaOH and $NH_3$ treated straws. The results of this study demonstrate that AHP treatment can be used as a effective method for improving the nutritive value of rice straw for ruminants.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2009

This experiment was conducted to observe the effects of anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria culture (Ruminococcus flavefaciens H-20 and Fibrobactor succinogenes H-23) on in vivo ruminal fermentation characteristics in Hanwoo heifers. Four ruminally cannulated Hanwoo heifers ($221\pm7.5kg$) receiving a basal diet containing 3 kg of mixture hay (tall fescue and ochardgrass) and 2 kg of concentrate per day were in a $4\times4$ Latin square with 21-day periods. Treatments were the basal diet without the culture additive (control), the basal diet plus 50 ml/day of bacteria culture of H-20 and H-23 (1%), 150 ml/day of H-20 and H-23 (3%), and 250 ml/day of H-20 and H-23 (5%). In the whole experimental periods, ruminal pH did not differ between treatments. However, the concentration of ruminal ammonia-N was increased in the 3% treatment relative to control and the 1% treatment at 1 hr post-feeding (p<0.05). Avicelase and CMCase (carboxymethyl cellulase) activities in rumen fluid showed no significant difference among treatments. However, xylanase activity was higher in the 5% (119.49, xylose ${\mu}mol$/ml/min) than the 3% treatment (71.02, xylose ${\mu}mol$/ml/min) at 0 hr post-feeding (p<0.05). Concentrations of ruminal total VFA, acetate, propionate and valerate were unaffected by treatments, while butyrate was higher in the 3% treatment (24.48 mM) than control (15.71 mM) at 1 hr post-feeding (p<0.05). Results indicate that minimum 3% inclusion of cellulolytic bacteria cultures improved ruminal fermentation, especially ammonia-N concentration and butyric acid production.