Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-s6l46 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-31T17:36:58.987Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Bacteria of the ovine rumen I. The composition of the population on a diet of poor teff hay

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

F. M. C. Gilchrist  and
A. Kistner
F. M. C. Gilchrist
Affiliation:
Veterinary Research Laboratory, Onderstepoort
A. Kistner
Affiliation:
National Chemical Research Laboratory, South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

1. The composition of the bacterial population in the rumen of adult merino wethers conditioned to a diet of poor teff hay was studied during three consecutive periods of 60, 109 and 42 days when the ration was 1200,600 and 300 g. per day, respectively.

2. In all three periods there was no significant difference between the three sheep with regard to either the viable counts of the functional groups of bacteria fermenting cellulose, starch, glucose, xylose and lactate or the percentage proportions of the different morphological types occurring in each group.

3. The reduction of food intake had little or no influence on either the numbers or the morphological types of bacteria in each functional group.

4. The animals lost weight at approximately the same rate throughout the three periods of the experiment which was ended when they were in a state of prostration.

5. These results suggest that, providing the diet is changed only in respect of quantity, important functional groups of rumen bacteria can survive at levels of food intake which are insufficient for the survival of the animal.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 59 , Issue 1 , August 1962 , pp. 77 - 83
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1962

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

REFERENCES

Annison, E. F. & Lewis, D. (1959). Metabolism in the Rumen, p. 165. London: Methuen and Co. Ltd.Google Scholar
Bailey, C. B. (1961). Brit. J. Nutr. 15, 443.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blaxter, K. L., Graham, N. McC. & Wainman, F. W. (1956). Brit. J. Nutr. 10, 69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bryant, M. P. (1959). Bact. Rev. 23, 125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bryant, M. P. & Burkey, L. A. (1953). J. Dairy Sci. 36, 218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davey, L. A. & Briggs, C. A. E. (1961). Digestive Physiology and Nutrition of the Ruminant, p. 91. Ed. by Lewis, D.London: Butterworths.Google Scholar
du Toit, P. J., Louw, J. G. & Malan, A. I. (1940). Onderstepoort J. Vet. Sci. 14, 123.Google Scholar
Elsden, S. R. & Phillipson, A. T. (1948). Annu. Rev. Biochem. 17, 705.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilchrist, F. M. C. & Clark, R. (1957). J. S. Afr. Vet. Med. Ass. 28, 295.Google Scholar
Gilchrist, F. M. C., Visagie, P. J. & Foxcroft, L. (1962). (In preparation.)Google Scholar
Groenewald, J. W. (1959). A Guide to Animal Nutrition, p. 133. Durban: Drakensbergpers.Google Scholar
Gutierrez, J. (1953). J. Bact. 66, 123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kistner, A. (1960). J. Gen. Microbiol. 23, 565.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marston, H. R. (1952). Physiol. Rev. 32, 66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phillipson, A. T. & McAnally, R. A. (1942). J. Exp. Biol. 19, 199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Siegel, S. (1956). Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc.Google Scholar
van Wyk, H. P. D., Oosthuizen, S. A. & Meyer, E. E. (1955). The Nutritive Value of South African Feeds, p. 66. Sci. Bull. no. 354. Dpt. Agric. Union of S. Afr. Gov. Printers.Google Scholar