ABOMASAL DISPLACEMENT IN CATTLE - INFLUENCE OF CONCENTRATES IN RATION ON FATTY-ACID CONCENTRATIONS IN RUMINAL, ABOMASAL, AND DUODENAL CONTENTS

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 37  (10) , 1181-1184
Abstract
The primary causative factor in abomasal displacement appears to be atony or hypotony of the abomasum. Seemingly, high-concentrate feeding inhibits abomasal motility by increasing the amount of fatty acids which enter the abomasum. Cows with ruminal, abomasal and duodenal fistulas were fed a hay ad lib ration or a hay and concentrate ration and were compared. A considerable increase in ruminal volatile free fatty acid (VFFA) concentrations was not followed by a subsequent increase in abomasal VFFA concentrations. Differences in abomasal VFFA levels between the 2 rations could not be found. There was a slight, but insignificant, increase in duodenal VFFA concentrations after cows were fed the hay ration. One cow given the hay and concentrate diet had a small, but significant, increase in duodenal VFFA concentrations during the first 2 h after feeding. The VFFA concentrations in duodenal fluid were too low to support the hypothesis that changes in duodenal VFFA concentrations could be responsible for abomasal hypotony.