Effect of Alkaline Drinking Water on the pH and Microbial Activity of the Rumen

Abstract
The ingestion of highly alkaline drinking water by cattle over a period of 16 weeks failed to increase the Ph of rumen contents above that of control animals receiving water of much lower Ph and total alkalinity. Inocula from animals receiving alkaline water gave in vitro cellulose digestion values which were not significantly different from those of animals receiving control water, and which were similar to values from numerous other in vitro experiments performed in this laboratory. Copyright © . .