Microbial N produced in the rumen and flowing to the duodenum (Ni) is related to the total amount of OM fermented or apparently digested in the rumen (OMf). This relationship, best expressed as microbial N yield (gNi/kgOMf), is affected mainly by the physical and chemical properties of feed carbohydrates and the amounts ingested. These factors influence yields at three levels of increasing complexity: Bacterial fermentation within one compartment following the continuous culture model. Fermentation pattern as such does not seem to affect yields. High fermentation rates are associated with lactate production, low methane production and transient polysaccharide synthesis. These effects induce acidification and lower yields, partly compensated by faster growth. Protozoal action, determined by the presence of sequestration spaces provided mainly by roughage diets. The presence of protozoa depresses microbial N yield but allows more complete fibre digestion. Compartmentation and differential passage. With roughage diets, optimal microbial N yield seems to require well developed microbial compartmentation, involving a large proportion of microbes in a large-particle pool with a slow turnover, balanced by a small proportion in liquid, small-particle pools with a fast turnover. Such a situation is associated with long roughage feeding. It is hypothesized that microbial N yields in the rumen may vary between two extremes which are associated with the feeding of long roughage on the one hand or with concentrate (starch) feeding on the other.