Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-5wvtr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-20T19:19:16.389Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The prediction of rumen fermentation characteristics in sheep given grass silage diets

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

N. W. Offer  and
D. S. Percival
N. W. Offer
Affiliation:
Grassland and Ruminant Science Department, Scottish Agricultural College, Auchincruive, Ayr KA6 5HW
D. S. Percival
Affiliation:
Grassland and Ruminant Science Department, Scottish Agricultural College, Auchincruive, Ayr KA6 5HW
Get access

Abstract

Eight change-over design experiments (each a duplicated 3 × 3 Latin square design using six rumen-fistulated wether sheep, live weight 50 to 60 kg) measured rumen fermentation patterns for 24 perennial ryegrass silages. Sheep were offered 800 g dry matter (DM) per day of each silage in two equal meals at 09.00 and 17.00 h. Samples of rumen liquor were taken on days 19 and 21 of each 21-day period, at 08.50 h and at 1·5-h intervals until 16.30 h. Rumen samples were analysed by gas chromatography; silages by high-performance liquid chromatography and by near infra-red reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) using samples scanned after drying at 100°C (NIRSdry) or in the fresh state (NIRSwet).

Mean intake of DM was 737 g/day. The range of silage composition was as follows (mean, range, s.d., g/kg DM unless specified): metabolizable energy (ME MJ/kg DM) 11·1, 8·8 to 12·6, 0·81; pH 4·0, 3·6 to 5·0, 0·34; lactic acid 86, 4 to 139, 42·6; butyric acid 4·7, 0·1 to 46·7,10·2. Rumen measurements varied substantially both diurnally and between silages. Mean diurnal rumen values for the 24 silages (mean, range, s.d.) were: pH 6·76, 6·55 to 7·09, 0·155; ammonia (mg/l) 132, 70 to 247, 47·7; total volatile fatty acids (TVFA mmol/l) 58·2, 45·8 to 72·0, 8·97; (acetate+butyrate)/propionate (ABP) 3·2, 2·2 to 4·8, 0·56.

Partial least-square models were developed to predict rumen fermentation (means for six sampling times) using either the silage chemical composition (CHEM g/kg DM unless specified: DM, ME (MJ/kg DM), crude protein (CP), ammonia (NH3, g N per kg total N), neutralizingvalue (meq per kg DM), sugar, lactic, formic, acetic, propionic and butyric acids and ethanol) or silage NIRSdry or NIRSwet. Prediction performance was assessed comparing values for R2, standard error of cross validation (SECV) and SD/SECV (s.d. of reference population! SECV) obtained by the ‘leave one out’ cross validation method. NIRSwet gave slightly better prediction accuracy overall than NIRSdry but both were superior to prediction from chemical composition. Values for R2, SECV and SD/SECV for pH were 0·23, 0·14, 1·09; 0·76, 0·08, 2·01 and 0·72, 0·08, 1·89 for CHEM, NIRSdry and NIRSwet respectively. Corresponding values for rumen ammonia (mg/l) were 0·48, 35·2, 1·35; 0·69, 27·1, 1·76 and 0·70, 26·3, 1·81; for TVFA 0·52, 6·73, 1·33; 0·80, 4·06, 2·21 and 0·93, 2·47, 3·63; for rumen ABP ratio 0·69, 0·32, 1·78; 0·76, 0·30,1·88; 0·72, 0·30,1·85. The silage predictors with greatest influence in the CHEM model for rumen ABP ratio were sugar, CP and lactic acid (negative) and butyrate and ethanol (positive). NIRS shows considerable promise as a means of predicting rumen fermentation of animals given grass silage diets.

Keywords

grass silagenear infra-red reflectance spectroscopyrumen fermentationsheep
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 66 , Issue 1 , February 1998 , pp. 163 - 173
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agricultural and Food Research Council. 1993. Energy and protein requirements of ruminants. An advisory manual prepared by the AFRC Technical Committee on Responses to Nutrients. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.Google Scholar
Baker, C. W., Givens, D. I. and Deaville, E. R. 1994. Prediction of organic matter digestibility in vivo of grass silage by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy: effect of calibration method, residual moisture and particle size. Animal Feed Science and Technology 50: 17–26.Google Scholar
Barnes, R. J., Dhanoa, M. S. and Lister, S. J. 1989. Standard normal variate transformation and de-trending of near infra-red diffuse reflectance spectra. Applied Spectroscopy 43: 771–777.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chamberlain, D. G. and Choung, J. 1993. The nutritional value of grass silage. Proceedings of the 10th international conference on silage research, Dublin City University, pp. 131–135.Google Scholar
Chamberlain, D. G., Martin, P. A. and Robertson, S. 1989. Optimising compound feed use in dairy cow diets with high intakes of silage. In Recent advances in animal nutrition (ed. Haresign, W. and Cole, D. J. A.), pp. 175–193. Butterworths, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chamberlain, D. G., Martin, P. A. and Robertson, S. 1990. The effect of the extent of fermentation in the silo on the nutritional value of grass silage for milk production. Proceedings of the ninth international conference on research, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, pp. 122–123.Google Scholar
Choung, J. and Chamberlain, D. G. 1995. Effects of intraruminal infusion of propionate on the concentrations of ammonia and insulin in peripheral blood of cows receiving intraruminal infusion of urea Journal of Dairy Research 62: 549–557.Google Scholar
Cushnahan, A., Mayne, C. S. and Unsworth, E. F. 1995. Effects of ensilage of grass on performance and nutrient utilization by dairy cattle. 2. Nutrient metabolism and rumen fermentation. Animal Science 60: 347–359.Google Scholar
Deaville, E. R., Givens, D. I. and Baker, C. W. 1992. Use of normalised NIR difference spectra to identify regions related to digestion of cell walls in straws. In Near infrared spectroscopy (ed. Hildrum, K. L., Isaksson, T., Naes, T. and Tandberg, A.), pp. 219–222. Ellis Horwood Ltd, Chichester, UK.Google Scholar
Garnsworthy, P. C. 1989. The interaction between dietary fibre level and protein degradability in dairy cows Animal Production 48: 271–281.Google Scholar
Garnsworthy, P. C. and Jones, G. P. 1993. The effects of dietary fibre and starch concentrations on the response by dairy cows to body condition at calving Animal Production 57: 15–21.Google Scholar
Givens, D. I., Baker, C. W. and Zamine, B. 1992. Regions of normalised near infrared reflectance difference spectra related to the rumen digestion of straws Animal Peed Science and Technology 36: 1–12.Google Scholar
Gordon, F. J. 1989. An evaluation through lactating cattle of a bacterial inoculant as an additive for grass silage Grass and Forage Science 44: 169–179.Google Scholar
Guddo, R. F. and Delker, D. A. 1960. Spectra-structure correlation for the near infrared region Analytical Chemistry 32: 140–141.Google Scholar
Heikkila, T., Toivonen, V. and Huhtanen, P. 1996. Effects of inoculant and formic acid-treated silages and protein supplementation on milk production. Proceedings of the international silage conference, University of Wales, Aberystxvyth, pp. 208–209.Google Scholar
Jaakkola, S., Rinne, M., Heikkila, T., Toivonen, V. and Huhtanen, P. 1996 Effects of restriction of silage fermentation with formic acid on milk production. In Proceedings of the 11th international silage conference, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, pp. 76–77.Google Scholar
Lawes Agricultural Trust. 1987. Genstat 5 reference manual Clarendon Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
Martin, P. A., Chamberlain, D. G., Robertson, S. and Hirst, D. 1994. Rumen fermentation patterns in sheep receiving silages of different chemical composition supplemented with concentrates rich in starch or digestible fibre. Journal ofAgricultural Science, Cambridge 122: 145.Google Scholar
Mayne, C. S. 1990. An evaluation of an inoculant of Lactobacillus plantarum as an additive for grass silage dairy cattle Animal Production 51: 1–13.Google Scholar
Mayne, C. S. and Gordon, F. J. 1984. The effect of type of concentrate and level of concentrate feeding on milk production Animal Production 39: 65–76.Google Scholar
Newbold, J. R. 1994. Practical application of the Metabolizable Protein System. In Recent advances in animal nutrition — 1994 (ed. Gamsworthy, P. C. and Cole, D. J. A.), pp. 231–264. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham.Google Scholar
Norris, K. H., Barnes, R. F., Moore, J. E. and Shenk, J. S. 1976. Predicting forage quality by infrared reflectance spectroscopy Journal ofAnimal Science 43: 889–897.Google Scholar
Offer, N. W., Cottrill, B. R. and Thomas, C. 1996. The relationship between silage evaluation and animal response. In Proceedings of the 11th international conference, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, pp. 26–38.Google Scholar
Offer, N. W., Rooke, J. A., Dewhurst, R. J. and Thomas, C. 1993. Rapid assessment of silage fermentation characteristics by electrometric titration. Animal Production 56: 423 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Ørskov, E. R. and Ryle, M. 1990. Manipulation of rumen fermentation and associative effects. In Energy nutrition in ruminants, pp. 28–51. Elsevier, London.Google Scholar
Osbourne, B. G. and Fearn, T. 1986. Near infrared spectroscopy in food analysis. Longman Group, Harlow, UK.Google Scholar
Rooke, J. A., Borman, A. J. and Armstrong, D. G. 1990. The effect of inoculation with Lactobacillus plantarutn on fermentation in laboratory silos of herbage low in water soluble carbohydrate Grass and Forage Science 45: 143–152.Google Scholar
Sabri, M. S., Offer, N. W. and Roberts, D. J. 1988. Effects of fodder beet on rumen metabolism Animal Production 47: 429–434.Google Scholar
Sinnaeve, G., Dardenne, P., Agnessens, R. and Biston, R. 1994. The use of near infrared spectroscopy for the analysis of fresh grass silage. Journal of Near Infrared Spectroscopy 2: 79–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sutton, J. D., Bines, J. A., Morant, S. V., Napper, D. J. and Givens, D. I. 1987. A comparison of starchy and fibrous concentrates for milk production, energy utilisation and hay intake by Friesian cows Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 109: 375–386.Google Scholar
Thomas, P. C. and Chamberlain, D. G. 1984. Manipulation of milk composition to meet market needs. In Recent advances in animal nutrition — 1984 (ed. Haresign, W. and Cole, D. J. A.), pp. 219–243. Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
Yan, T., Gordon, F. J., Patterson, D. C. and Porter, M. G. 1996a. The metabolisable energy requirement for maintenance and the efficiency of utilisation of metabolisable energy for lactation by dairy cows offered grass silage based diets. Proceedings of the 11th international silage conference, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, pp. 198–199.Google Scholar
Yan, T., Offer, N. W. and Roberts, D. J. 1996b. The effects of dietary nitrogen sources and levels on rumen fermentation, nutrient degradation and digestion and rumen microbial activity by wether sheep given a high level of molasses. Animal Science 63: 123–131.Google Scholar