Ruminal Volatile Fatty Acid Concentrations and Weight Gains of Calves Reared with and Without Ruminal Ciliated Protozoa
- 1 March 1973
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Journal of Animal Science
- Vol. 36 (3) , 588-591
- https://doi.org/10.2527/jas1973.363588x
Abstract
GUERNSEY and Holstein calves were reared in isolation stalls with and without ruminal ciliated protozoal (RCP) populations. Ruminal contents from these calves were collected weekly and analyzed for volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations by gas-liquid chromatography. Ruminal contents from 1- and 2-week-old RCP-free calves were significantly lower in total VFA (TVFA) concentrations than ruminal contents from older RCP-free calves. Ruminal samples from calves established with Entodinium sp. or Isotricha sp. showed a significantly (P<.05) higher propionic acid concentration than samples from calves established with a mixture of Entodinium sp. and Isotricha sp., or samples from RCP-free calves. Samples from calves established with a mixture of Entodinium sp. and Isotricha sp. showed a significant (P<.01) increase in nbutyric acid over ruminal samples from calves faunated with either Entodinium sp. or Isotricha sp., or RCP-free calves. Differences between ruminal TVFA concentrations from RCP-inoculated and RCP-free calves were nonsignificant. Average daily gains of calves with and without RCP-species were comparable. Copyright © 1973. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1973 by American Society of Animal Science.Keywords
This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: