Comparison of spot and continuous sampling for estimating duodenal digesta flow in sheep

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Abstract
The flow of duodenal digesta in sheep fed a diet of chopped dried grass was measured either by continuous 24-hour or spot sampling. Continuous samples were taken from sheep with re-entrant cannulae given chromic oxide paper (Cr2O3) as a flow-correction marker. Spot samples were taken from sheep with re-entrant or T-shaped (simple) cannulae given 103Ru-phenanthroline and 51Cr-EDTA as particulate and liquid phase markers respectively. No significant differences were obtained between the mean 24-hour flows of dry matter or liquid digesta measured by the two techniques, but spot sampling gave more variable results. Diurnal variations of duodenal digesta flow and marker concentrations in the continuously fed sheep showed that 103Ru-phenanthroline, 51Cr-EDTA, and PEG were more closely associated with their respective digesta phases than was Cr2O3.