The effect of the diet fed to donor sheep on in vitro methane production and ruminal fermentation of diets of variable composition

10 páginas, 1 figura, 6 tablas.
Six rumen-fistulated sheep were fed 4 diets in a partially replicated 4 x 4 Latin square design to study the effects of two forage:concentrate (F:C) ratios and two types of forage (FOR) in the diet on in vitro methane production and microbial fermentation of the same 4 diets. The diets consisted on either 70:30 (HF) or 30:70 (HC) F:C, and two FOR (alfalfa hay and grass hay), and were designated as HFA, HFG, HCA and HCG. In each period, ruminal fluid from each sheep was used to inoculate batch cultures containing 400 mg DM of each diet. Cultures were incubated at 39 degrees C for 24 h and the main ruminal fermentation parameters were determined. There were no F:C x FOR interactions (P>0.05) for any measured variable. Methane production after 8 h was not affected by F:C ratio in the diet of donors, but after 24 h of incubation the amount of methane was 1.2 times greater (P
Funding was provided by the Spanish C.I.C.Y.T. (AGL2008-04707-C02-02) and the Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León (Ref. GR158). M.E. Martinez and C. Saro gratefully acknowledge the receipt of scholarships from the M.E.C. of Spain (AP2005-1797 and AP 2006-03049).