Changes in some physical characteristics of the digesta in the reticulo-rumen of cows fed once daily

Abstract

1. Three cows were given 3, 5 or 7 kg hay once daily in a Latin-square design, and samples of digesta from four sites in the rumen and one site in the reticulum were taken at six times within the 24 h period after the feed. Dry-matter content and distribution of particle size and of particle density were measured for each sample. The changes in these measurements with time were studied. The incidence of rumination was also recorded.2. Dry-matter contents of samples ranged from 15 to 3%. Values for samples from the dorsal sacs of the rumen were considerably higher than those for samples from the ventral sites; they also changed more with time after feeding and with level of feeding.3. Particles were fractionated by sieving into six size groups with mean dimensions (mm) of 9·3 × 0·8, 4·4 × 0·6, 2·6 × 0·3, 1·6 × 0·25, 0·5 × 0·1 and smaller than 0·5 × 0·1. Coarse particles occurred at highest concentrations in the dorsal sacs of the rumen and responded to effects of time and level of feeding; smaller particles showed less response.4. Particle densities ranged from 800 g/l to 1500 g/l. The proportions of low-density particles were higher in samples from the dorsal sacs of the rumen than in samples from ventral sites; the latter samples had higher proportions of high-density particles than of low-density particles. The changes which occurred are discussed.5. The density of coarse particles tended to be low and that of fine particles tended to be high.6. Rumination started at the time of maximum concentration of particles of low density and minimum concentration of particles of high density. Conversely, rumination ended when the concentration of the low-density particles was a minimum and that of the dense particles a maximum.7. The results are discussed in relation to the possible movement of particles within the reticulo-rumen and the kinetics of particle breakdown.