In situ incubation sequence and its effect on degradation of food components when measured in the caecum of ponies

Abstract

Abstract Three experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of bag incubation sequence on the degradation of food components in situ in the caecum of mature, caecally fistulated Welsh-cross pony geldings (mean live weight 278 kg) offered hay ad libitum. In experiment 1 a fibre-based commercial horse concentrate was incubated in situ using a forward (3, 5, 16, 8, 24, 48 h) or reverse (48, 24, 8, 16, 5, 3 h) incubation sequence. Dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) and acid-detergent fibre (ADF) degradation coefficients and calculated effective degradability (ED) values were determined. In experiment 2 unmolassed sugar-beet pulp (USBP), hay cubes (HC), soya hulls (SH) and a 2: 1 mixture of oat hulls: naked oats (OHNO) were incubated in situ as for experiment 1. In experiment 3 unprocessed barley (UB), micronized barley (MB), extruded barley (EB) and dehydrated grass (DHG) were incubated in situ according to slightly different forward or reverse incubation sequences of (2, 4, 6, 12, 8, 24, 48 h) and (48, 24, 8, 4, 12, 6, 2 h) respectively. In experiments 2 and 3 only DM degradation parameters were studied. Of the three starch-based foods studied in experiment 3 (UB, MB and EB), incubation sequence did not significantly P > 0·05) affect any of the degradation parameters examined. Conversely however, of the six fibre-based foods which were examined across the three experiments, incubation sequence did significantly P < 0·05) affect in situ degradation parameters in the commercial horse concentrate in experiment 1, the SH food in experiment 2 and the DHG food in experiment 3. Depending on the food or food constituent studied (i.e. DM, CP, NDF or ADF) degradation coefficients a, b, c and a + b along with ED values calculated at fractional outflow rates of 0·05 and 0·025 could all be statistically different CP < 0·05) according to whether a forward or reverse incubation sequence was used. It is postulated that this effect is related to the basic digestive physiology of the equine caecum which is small, digesta passage rate through it is fast and digesta volumes can vary considerably. These factors may interact to create a considerable degree of non-uniformity within the caecal digesta pool in which in situ bags are incubated. Consequently, it is recommended that in future in situ experiments in the equine hindgut, animals are offered ad libitum diets in an attempt to minimize variation within the caecum. It is also recommended that in situ experimental protocols incorporate more than one incubation sequence when the degradation parameters of fibrous foods are studied in equids.