Unconventional feeds for sheep: Some aspects of rumen and blood biochemistry

Abstract

The effects of incorporating different combinations of cardboard (CB), dried poultry manure (DPM), and whole dates (WD) in diets on the rumen fermentation and blood biochemistry of sheep were studied. Four rumen cannulated sheep were assigned to a 4 × 4 latin square design and fed four dietary treatment: A as control, B with 10% DPM, C with 10% CB and 30% WD, and D with 10% CB, 40% DPM and 49·% WD. Rumen digesta were analyzed for uric and acid content as the major NPN source in diets and results suggested a direct relationship between dietary uric acid and DPM inclusion level in diets. The rumen fluid of animals fed on diets containing WD (diets C and D) showed significantly lower (P⩽0·05 acetate to propionate ratio than diets without WD (A and B). Butyrate and isobutyrate levels were unaffected by dietary treatments. It appeared that VFA patterns in the rumen and plasma of sheep were not well correlated in this study. The rumen pH of sheep fed diets containing animals. The NH 3 concentration in the rumen of sheep on treatment D control animals. The NH 3 concentration in the rumen of sheep on treatment D was significantly lower than that of animals on other treatments. The glucose and uric acid contents in the plasma of sheep on treatment D were lower than in animals on other treatments. Finally, the correlation matrix for body weight gain, dietary NPN, rumen VFA, and NH 3 was calculated. The results suggest that the limiting parameter affecting sheep performance in this study was rumen NH 3.