Feed Intake and Salivary Secretion by Steers

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Abstract
Four 350-kg. beef steers with esophageal and ruminal fistulas were used in a 4 × 4 Latin-square experiment to study the effects of feed intake at the rate of 0.8, 1.4, 2.0 and 2.6% of body weight upon total daily mixed salivary secretion. Total daily salivary secretion increased linearly with increasing feed intake. At feed intakes of 0.8, 1.4, 2.0 and 2.6% of body weight, salivary secretion was 33.5, 45.2, 52.0 and 54.1 liters per day, respectively. Rate of salivary secretion was higher when the steers were eating. Less saliva was secreted during the first hour postfeeding than during the second hour postfeeding or the hour immediately prior to feeding. Hourly differences in salivary secretion when the steers were not eating suggest that short-term saliva collections should not be used to estimate 24-hour values. However, relative differences may be accurately measured during 1- to 2-hr, salivary collection periods.

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