Effect of Roughage Source on Ruminal Kinetics and Passage of Individual Feed Components in Finishing Diets for Steers

Abstract Barcena-Gama, R., Swingle, R.S., Moore, J.A. and Poore, M.H. 2002. Effect of roughage source on ruminal kinetics and passage of individual feed components in finishing diets for steers. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 21: 109–121. Two 4 x 4 Latin square experiments were conducted to determine the effect of substituting chopped alfalfa hay (AH) in a diet containing 10% AH (DM basis) for chopped wheat straw (WS), chopped bermudagrass straw (BS) or cottonseed hulls (CSH), on diet utilization and kinetics of ruminal digestion and passage of roughage and grain. In experiment 1, total tract digestion coefficients for dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and starch were determined. Particulate passage rates for grain and roughages in each diet (rare earth metals) and liquid dilution rate (Co-EDTA) were also measured. In experiment 2, four mature ruminally cannulated steers were used to determine kinetics of in situ ruminal digestion of DM, NDF and starch for milo and roughage components of the diets. Rep...