The effects of alfalfa particle size and acid treated protein on ruminal chemical composition, liquid, particulate, escapable and non escapable phases in Zel sheep

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of alfalfa particle size (long vs. fine) and canola meal treated with hydrochloric acid solution (untreated vs treated) on ruminal chemical composition, liquid, particulate, escapable and non escapable phases in Zel sheep. Four ruminally cannulated sheep received a mixed diet (% of dry matter) consisting of 23.73 alfalfa, 8.70 canola meal, 39.56 wheat straw, 13.45 beet pulp and 13.45 barley grain and 1 mineral-vitamin mixture. The experimental design was a 4 × 4 Latin square with 22-days periods. The diet was offered twice daily (09:00 and 21:00 h). The rumens were evacuated manually at 3, 7.5 and 12 h post-feeding and total ruminal contents were separated into mat and liquids. Dry matter weight distribution of total recovered particles was determined by a wetsieving procedure and used to partition ruminal mat and liquids among percentage of large (≥ 6.35 mm), medium (< 6.35 and ≥ 1.18 mm), and small (< 1.18 and ≥ 0.5 mm) particles. Lyophilized ruminal digesta were analyzed for chemical composition especially for CP, NDF and EE. No interactions (P > 0.05) between dietary particle size and acid level were observed for ruminal chemical composition, liquid, particulate, escapable and non escapable phase. Treatment of canola meal and increase of particle size reduced the values of CP. Generally, with increase in time after feeding, the values of each nutrient decreased. Particle size and time post-feeding had a pronounced effect on the distribution of different particle fractions, whereas acid level did not influence it. With increase in time after feeding, percentage of particles ≥ 6.35 mm decreased, whereas the percentage of particles < 6.35 mm increased, illustrating intensive particle breakdown in the reticulo-rumen. Different particle size and time post-feeding had pronounced effect on total mass of ruminal digesta, ruminal mat and liquid part, in which fine particles and 12 h post feeding caused the lowest rumen mat. Time post feeding and acid level did not influence the values of pH significantly, whereas with increase in particle size, the values of pH increased.Key words: Canola meal, particle size, rumen mat, escapable, non escapable phase

Effects of sesame meal on intake, digestibility, rumen characteristics, chewing activity and growth of lambs

Two experiments were carried out to determine ruminal degradability of sesame meal (SSM) and its effects on intake, digestibility, rumen parameters, chewing activity, and lamb performance when it replaced soybean meal (SBM). Degradability of dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) were determined with the nylon bag technique using three fistulated Zel ewes. The quickly and potentially degradable DM of SSM was lower, but their degradation rates of DM were similar. The quickly degradable protein in the SSM was greater, but the slowly degradable protein of SSM was lower. Potential degradable protein of SBM was greater. The degradation rate of protein was greater in the SSM. Thirty Zel lambs were assigned to five treatments, namely 1) control diet that contained SBM, and 2), 3), 4) and 5) diets that contained 25, 50, 75, and 100% DM of SSM partially or entirely replacing SBM and part of barley grain. There was no difference in the intakes of DM, CP, ether extract (EE), and non-fibre carbohydrate (NFC) among treatments, but neutral detergent fibre (NDF) intake increased when the SSM inclusion rate was increased. Digestibility of DM and EE, passage rate, and total mean retention time differed, but the digestibility of NDF, CP, and NFC, rumen liquid pH and NH3-N, passage rate, rumen retention time, eating time, rumination, total chewing activity, DM intake, daily gain, feed conversation ratio, carcass yield and characteristics were not different between treatments. Replacing the SBM with SSM in lamb, improved intake, digestibility, and rumen condition, without reduction in performance and carcass composition.Keywords: Carcass characteristic, feedlotting, lamb, mean retention time, ruminal degradability, soybean mea

Effect of corn silage particle size and level of soybean oil on ruminal mat composition, distribution and consistency in Zel sheep

To determine the effects of two corn silage particle size (coarse particle with geometric mean of 5.83 ± 2.47 mm and fine particle with geometric mean of 4.74 ± 2.74 mm) and two levels of soybean oil (0 and 4% of DM) on ruminal mat composition, distribution and consistency, four two years fistulated ruminant Zel ewes (BW = 34 ± 1.4 kg), fed with 50:50 roughage-concentrate diet, were allocated to a 4 × 4 change over design. The experiment was carried out in 4 periods of 28-days trial (adaptation, 14 days; collection period , 5 days; chewing activity measurement, 1 day; rumen evacuation, 8 days). Experimental diets were: 1) basal diet + coarse corn silage and 0% oil; 2) basal diet + coarse corn silage and 4% oil; 3) basal diet + fine corn silage and 0% oil and; 4) basal diet + fine corn silage and 4% oil. Based on calendar time, rumens were evacuated manually at 3, 7.5 and 12 h post-feeding of each period and total ruminal contents were separated into mat and liquids phase. Dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) intake were less in treatment 4 and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intake in treatment 2 was higher than in the other diets. Physically, effective NDF intakes were higher in treatments 1 and 2 than in treatments 3 and 4, but DM and OM digestibility was higher in treatments 1 than in the other diets. The NDF digestibility was higher in coarse silage diets, but the NFC digestibilities were higher in fine corn silage diets. Rumen mat was greater in coarse silage diets than in fine silage diets (1.83 and 1.32 versus 1.06 and 0.76 kg) at 3 h after feeding. Non-escapable pool sizes in rumen content were higher in diets that contained coarse silage. At all time in post feeding, ruminal pH was less in fine silage particle size with oil supplement. Rumen particulate passage rates were higher in fine corn silage diets. However, passage rates from the lower gastrointestinal tract were similar. In addition, ruminal mean retention times were significantly greater in diets that contained coarse silage. Rumination time was shorter in fine corn silage with oil supplement diet but rumination time per kg of NDF and peNDF was longer in fine corn silage diets. In addition, although reduction of particle size decreased size of rumen mat and non-escapable fraction, oil supplementation reduced ruminal digestion and mean retention of ruminal particulate. However, it seems that oil supplementation can be helpful in fine corn silage diets for maintaining ruminal mat.Key words: Particle size, soybean oil, ruminal mat, Zel sheep

The Effect of Cinnamon Extract on Spermatogenesis and

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the relationships between nutrients degradability, kinetics of hydration, functional specific gravity (FSG) of the three types of beet pulp (BP) including fine (FBP), normal (NBP) and pelleted (PBP) BP. In experiment 1, about 3 g of samples was weighed in sealed nylon bags (6 cm×7.5 cm, 40±5 µm pore size), incubated in rumen of two cannulated Holstein steers at 0, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48 h. The dry matter (DM) degradation was different among the treatments for soluble, slowly and potentially degradable fractions, rate of degradation, and effective degradability. In experiment 2, after ruminal incubation of two bags at 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48 h, the bags were removed without and with washing, the kinetic of hydration, functional specific gravity (FSG) measured with pycnometer. Hydration rate and water holding capacity (WHC) were different. Grinding and pelleting decreased hydration rate and WHC of BP, but increased initial and final FSG over incubation time. Soluble, slowly degradable, and indigestible fraction of DM explained 82.4, 94.8, 2.7, 54.2, 87.3 and 79.7%; 34.1, 50.0, 2.2, 31.4, 62.2 and 63.4%; and 89.1, 12.2, 68.0, 84.7 and 92.9% of the total variation of the fractional rate of degradation, effective degradability, hydration rate, WHC, initial and final FSG, respectively. In addition, the correlations between digestion and hydration parameters were high. As BP has lower than critical size, can easily pass from the reticulorumen orifice, therefore, its FSG is more important to control ruminal retention time and degradation. KEY WORDS beet pulp, physical property, physically effective fiber, ruminant feed

Effects of Alfalfa Particle Size and Soybean Oil on Digestibility, Chewing Activity, ‎Milk Yield and Compositions of Early Lactating Holstein Cows

. Eight Holstein cows in early lactating stage were used in a 4×4 change-over design within 4 periods of 21-d to determine the effects of alfalfa hay particle size and soybean oil supplementation on intake, digestibility, ruminal and blood metabolites, chewing activity, milk yield and compositions. Four total mixed rations containing 20, 20 and 60% corn silage, alfalfa hay and concentrate respectively were fed to cows twice daily at 0800 and 2000 h. The rations were prepared based on differences in percentage of soybean oil in the concentrate and particle size of alfalfa hay: 1) 0% soybean oil, long-cut alfalfa; 2) 4% soybean oil, long-cut alfalfa; 3) 4% soybean oil, alfalfa powder; 3) 4) 4% soybean, alfalfa powder. Soybean oil had no effect on DMI, but digestibility of NDF, ADF, EE and ash decreased and crude protein digestibility was increased. Reduction of hay particle size, increased DM, and OM intake but decreased the digestibility of DM, OM, NDF, ADF, EE and ash. Milk yield was increased, but milk fat and protein percentage decreased with addition of soybean oil. Reduction of particle size and addition of soybean oil, decreased time spent ruminating and total chewing activity. The addition of soybean oil to fine alfalfa had a synergism effect on decrease of intake time, rumination time and total chewing activity. Decreased particle size and addition of soybean oil declined rumen NH3-N concentration. Reduction of particle size significantly increased ruminal particulate passage rate, and decreased ruminal mean retention time, however, oil supplementation had no significant effect on passage rate, and ruminal mean retention time. Oil supplementation significantly increased milk yield, but decreased its fat and protein content. When particle size of hay decreased, with no effect on milk fat and protein content, milk yield significantly increased in treatments those contained oil supplementation. The oil supplementation in rations not only did not increase fat of milk, but also significantly decreased NDF digestion and consequently milk fat content

Dietary Effects of Micronized Soybean Meal and in Compare with Protected Methionine on Growing Performance of Zel crossbred Lambs

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of microwave irradiated (800 W) soybean meal (irradiated over 5 min) and ruminal protected methionine (Mepron; 3 g/day) on crossbreds Zel weight gain using 15 lambs with an average weight of 31.52±2.32 kg and similar condition score in a completely randomized design with 3 treatments in 5 replicates over 80 days. Three experimental treatements contain untreated soybean meal (T1), microwave irradiated soybean meal (T2) and supplemented with Mepron as treatment 3 (T3). Weight in 15 days and daily feed consumption was determined and dry matter and nutrients digestibility among treatments were compared. Nine of the lamb were killed and their carcasses were evaluated. Daily Dry matter intake (2218.64, 2699.03 and 2775.47 g in T1, T2 and T3 respectively), final body weight (40.08, 50.48 and 52.51 kg respectively in T1, T2 and T3), daily weight gain (135.75, 234.51 and 248 g/day respectively in T1, T2 and T3) and carcasses characteristics between the control treatment and treatments 2 and 3 was significantly different, however there were similar among T2 and T3. The results of current experiment showed that microwave irradiated soybean meal and ruminal protected methionine (Mepron) can significantly improve lamb performance and their carcasses characteristics with increase weight of expensive muscle group (standard muscle groups 1 and 3) and rib eye area

Effects of Canola Bioactive Peptides on Performance, Digestive Enzyme Activities, Nutrient Digestibility, Intestinal Morphology and Gut Microflora in Broiler Chickens

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of canola bioactive peptides (CBP) produced by enzymatic hydrolysis of canola meal on performance, digestive enzyme activity, nutrient digestibility, gut microflora and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. A total of 250 one-day-old Ross 308 male broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 5 dietary treatments with 5 replicates of 10 birds per each. Birds were fed with a basal diet (Control) or a basal diet supplemented with CBP at 100, 150, 200 and 250 mg/kg over 42 days. Results indicated that addition of 200 and 250 mg CBP/kg diet increased (P < 0.05) body weight gain and decreased feed conversion ratio (1-28 d and 29-42 d) (P < 0.05). Adding 200 and 250 mg CBP/kg diet improved amylase, lipase and protease activities in the small intestine (P < 0.05). Also, adding CBP to diet increased dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and ether extract digestibility (P < 0.05). The villus height, the ratio of villus height to crypt depth of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum in chicks fed by different amounts of CBP increased while crypt depth significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Adding CBP decreased gram negative bacteria counts in ileum and caecum compared to the control group. Results of the present study suggest that adding CBP to broiler diet may increase nutrient digestibility and act as an antimicrobial agent

The Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Prebiotic and Probiotic on Performance, Humoral Immunity Responses and Egg Hatchability in Broiler Breeders

In this experiment, the influence of prebiotic and probiotic supplementation in the broiler breeder diets on body weight, mortality, feed intake, egg production, hatchability and humoral immunity response was investigated. A total number of 13140 female and 1260 male breeders (Cobb 500) with 26 wks of age were allocated to three treatments with six replicates (800 birds each replicate). Breeders were fed control basal diet, basal diet supplemented with prebiotic (mannan oligosaccharide) or probiotic (Protexin®) for 17 weeks. Body weight, feed intake and egg production were measured weekly during 26-40 wks of age. The hatchability of eggs was recorded on weeks 38, 39, and 40. Antibody production was recorded after 8 wks of prebiotic and probiotic supplementation. Prebiotic supplementation did not affect feed intake, the percentages of egg production and settable eggs percents. Prebiotic increased egg hatchability and reduced the percentages of infertile eggs, as well as dead embryo-in-shells. Antibody titers against influenza and reovirus were higher in prebiotic fed group, but there were no significant differences among the other blood antibody titers. Probiotic had no significant effect on the considered parameters. In conclusion, findings of present study showed that prebiotic improved egg hatchability and humoral immunity of broiler breeders