• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.433-442
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• 2003

The objective of these studies were to examine the effects of processing methods of corn grains on in vitro dry matter digestability and in sacco degradability in the rumen by three ruminally cannulated dry Holstein cows. The corns for these experiments were untreated; whole corn L(density; 660 g/$\ell$), whole corn H(density; 740 g/$\ell$), and treated by four different types: Ground corn, 3.8 mm, 2.8 mm, and 1.5 mm flaked corns. The results obtained were summarized as follows: The DM degradabilities, after 48 hr incubation by in sacco method, were the highest(94.4, 88.0 and 87.0%, respectively) in 1.5 mm flaked corn, ground corn, and 2.8 mm flaked corn. The 3.8 mm flaked corn was degraded significantly lower than these. Until 12 hr incubation, whole corn L tended to be degraded little more than whole corn H, was not significantly different. However, after 24 hr incubation, the significant differences between whole corn L and whole corn H were shown(P<0.05). The DM digestabilities by in vitro digestion were the highest for 1.5 mm flaked corn and ground corn(92.3 and 91.2%, respectively)(P<0.05), followed by 2.8 mm and 3.8 mm flaked corn(83.9 and 83.4%, respectively), tended to be similar to those by in sacco method. Whole corn L was digested twice more rapidly than whole corn H. Summarizing the experimental data, compared with unprocessed corns, the flaked corns were significantly increased in the degradabilities of dry matter in the rumen. In addition, as increasing the flaking degree of corn, the degradabilities of dry matter were significantly improved. Referring to these kinds of physical characteristics of grain sources in the ruminal degradabilities, it is believed to be possible to optimize the environment of the fermentation in the rumen.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.699-708
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• 2006

Ground rice, barley and corn were fed separately to the ruminally cannulated Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) for comparing their in situ and in vitro degradabilities, microbial growth, pH and gas production. It has been found that nearly all the dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) in barley and rice disappeared during 24 hr suspension in the rumen, but those in corn were only reduced by around 67%. Water soluble DM and OM fractions(‘a’), ranked from highest to lowest was corn, then rice and finally barley, but the order was reversed for content ‘b’, degradable fraction during time ‘t’. Judging by the degradation parameter of ‘b’ fraction, degradation rates per hour of DM and OM for barley were 38.3% and 37.2% respectively, significantly higher than those for rice (7.7% and 5.6%) and corn (4.1% and 1.3%). In general, results obtained from in vitro degradability of DM and OM were lower than those from in situ trials, but the ranking order of degradability was in agreement between both trials. In particular, ground rice has relatively lower in vitro microbial growth than corn or barley, but exhibited higher gas production. In addition, in vitro microbial growth of ground rice increased with up to 12 hr of incubation period, thereafter experienced a decrease with extended incubation time. pH of in vitro solution of rice decreased following 9 hr of incubation but gas production increased rapidly during the same period. From the results of DM and OM degradabilities and pH changes of in vitro solution with incubation time, it is concluded that rice represents a good source of energy for stability of rumen fermentation.