The effect of replacing dietary barley with dry corn gluten feed on the dynamics of ruminal pH

ABSTRACT The effect of replacing the barley with dry corn gluten feed (DCGF) on ruminal pH was studied on three fistulated dry cows, arranged in a 3x3 Latin square experimental design. The diets, fed once a day, consisted in alfalfa hay, ryegrass hay and barley-based compound feed. In the experimental groups, barley was partially (50%) or totally replaced by DCGF. Rumen pH was measured in rumen fluid sampled at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 hours after the morning meal. Following pH parameters were calculated: mean pH, minimum pH, maximum pH, duration of pH decrease below 6.2, intensity of pH decrease below 6.2, area under pH curve and time when pH reached its minimum. Both partial and total replacement of barley with DCGF induced a significant increase of mean ruminal pH from 6.31 to 6.47 and 6.63, respectively. The differences are more marked when only biologically relevant decrease of pH, below 6.2, was considered. Thus, duration of pH decrease below 6.2 diminished from 6.25 hours in control group to 4.85 and 2.30 hours, respectively. Intensity of pH decrease below 6.2 also diminished, from 2.93 hours x pH units in control group, to 1.53 and 0.58 hours x pH units in experimental groups. It was concluded that replacement of barley with DCGF clearly increased the level of the ruminal pH, thus being as a possible solution in preventing the excessive post-prandial decrease of pH and its negative effects on ruminal activity

Săpăturile de salvare de la Iernut (jud. Mureş) / Les fouilles de sauvegarde de Iernut

Vlassa Nicolae. Săpăturile de salvare de la Iernut (jud. Mureş) / Les fouilles de sauvegarde de Iernut. In: Materiale şi cercetări arheologice, N°9 1970. pp. 167-176