Abstract
The rate and extent of degradation of the dry matter of untreated barley straw (US), ammoniatreated barley straw (AS) and hay (H), when incubated in nylon bags in the rumen, was studied in rumen-cannulated adult sheep. Three different rumen conditions were created by feeding US, AS and H to the sheep. The three roughages were adequately supplemented with urea, sodium sulphate, vitamins and minerals. In addition to degradation studies, the rumen NH 3 and rumen pH were measured and microbial colonisation of fibre was studied by electron microscopy. The extent of degradation of US was found to be significantly higher in animals given either AS ( P < 0.001) or H ( P < 0.02) to eat than in those given US. Electron microscopy showed that bacterial colonisation of US fibre differed qualitatively and quantitatively among the animals given the three different roughages. Straw fibre incubated in the rumens of animals given AS had the highest number of bacteria attached to it. The stimulatory effects of the readily digestible cellulose and hemicellulose of AS on the microbial density and colonisation characteristics of fibre-degrading microflora are discussed.
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