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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #90117
Title: DIET FIBROSITY AND DYNAMIC OF LIQUIDS IN THE RUMEN OF CATTLE

Author
item SAUVANT, DANIEL - INRA PARIS-GRIGNON FRANCE
item Mertens, David

Submitted to: Journal Dairy Science Supplement
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/31/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: To elucidate the relationship between dietary fiber and liquid flow from the rumen, a database was compiled from 79 publications (126 trials) with growing and lactating cattle. This database contains information about dry matter intake (n=336, DMI = 14.8 +/ 6.3 kg/d), diet proportion of concentrate (n=336, PCO = 34.0 +/ 24.5 %), NDF content (n=318, 42.8 +/ 13.6 6%DM), mean particle size (n=48, MPS = 2.65 +/ 1.55 mm). In addition, total chewing time (n=143, CT= 669 +/ 225 min/d), index of mastication (n=143, IM = 47.4 +/ 31.1 CT/kg DMI), eating (n=143, ET= 279 +/ 114 min/d) and ruminating (n=143, RT = 390 +/ 141 min/d) times were summarized. Data on liquid were rumen volume (n=235, RV = 70.7 +/ 20.9 l), liquid outflow rate (n=227, LOR = 171.9 +/ 68.8 l/d) and fractional LOR (n=286, kl = 10.7 +/ 3.4 %/h). Statistical analyses were performed globally and within trials. Level of NDF intake (NDFI, n=318, 5.51 +/ 1.88 kg/d) was the variable mostly globally correlated with RV (R = 0.61) and the within trial equatio was: RV = 5.0 NDFI + 42.9 (R = 0.96, rsd = 7.11). Within trials, LOR was linearly dependent on RV (LOR = 3.23 RV - 52.1, R=0.97, rsd = 22.7 l/d). NDFI was also the best dietary predictor of LOR (LOR = 23.2 NDFI + 43.2, rsd = 25.6 l/d). The within trial relationship between LOR and DMI was significantly quadratic (LOR = -0.46 DMI2 + 24.2 DMI - 64.0, R = 0.93, rsd = 24.0 l/d) and exhibited a maximum of 264.4 l/d for DMI = 26.2 kg/d. Ruminating time (RT) was also a good predictor of LOR within trials (LOR = 129.5 + 0.185 RT, R = 0.94, rsd = 25.4 l/d). The corresponding equations for eating and chewing times were less accurate. Throughout the various relationships NDF diet content or intake appeared to be the best variables to predict liquid dynamics in the rumen of cattle.