A comparison between equine faeces and caecal digesta as sources of inoculum for in vitro fermentation studies using the pressure transducer technique

Abstract

Several studies have shown high correlations between in vtvo and in vitro degradation of fibrous feeds when preparations from either rumen fluid or ruminant faeces have been used as the inocula for the in vitro studies (El Shaer et al., 1987; Akhter et al., 1994 & 1995; Harris et al., 1995). Use of an inoculum prepared from faecal material is attractive, for unlike that obtained from rumen fluid, it precludes the need to prepare and maintain fistulated donor animals. This study investigated the use of pony faeces, as an alternative to pony caecal digesta, as a source of micro-organisms for in vitro feed degradability studies.