Abstract
Methods for determining and describing digesta and faecal particle size were studied. Higher mean particle size values were demonstrated for wet sieving as compared to dry sieving. Equines had larger faecal particle size than ruminants and rabbits. Particle size decreased with body weight in rumen-reticulum and facese for the ruminants. The fibre particle size was the same in rabbit hard and soft faeces and similar to sheep and goat faeces. The excretion pattern of Cr-mordanted fibre in sheep was shown to be influenced by the fraction that was labelled in the rumen. Retention time in the rumen and whole tract increased with increasing particle size. In rabbits, <75 μ or > 300 μ Cr-mordanted fibre particles gave similar marker retention times.
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