Table 2.
Effects of dietary different levels of COS on the rumen protozoa count of beef cattle.
| Items | Dietary COS Level, Feeding Basis | SEM | p-Value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CON | 0.02% COS |
0.04% COS |
0.08% COS |
|||
| Number of Rumen Protozoa on Days 1–8 (105/mL) | ||||||
| Day 1 A | 7.86 | 7.86 | 7.86 | 7.86 | 0 | / |
| Day 2 | 2.82 | 2.84 | 2.85 | 2.73 | 0.072 | 0.374 |
| Day 3 | 1.13 | 1.22 | 1.21 | 1.15 | 0.057 | 0.357 |
| Day 4 | 0.74 | 0.73 | 0.74 | 0.72 | 0.023 | 0.783 |
| Day 5 | 0.67 | 0.68 | 0.68 | 0.64 | 0.029 | 0.441 |
| Day 6 | 0.57 a | 0.58 a | 0.54 ab | 0.50 b | 0.024 | 0.015 |
| Day 7 | 0.49 ab | 0.51 a | 0.46 ab | 0.44 b | 0.028 | 0.065 |
| Day 8 | 0.47 a | 0.46 ab | 0.44 ab | 0.42 b | 0.020 | 0.144 |
In the table, the superscript “a–b” represents the differences in data between the treatment groups. Different letters indicate differences between the groups (p < 0.05), while the same or no letters indicate no significant differences (p > 0.05); SEM, standard error of the mean. A On the first day, all fermentation tanks were filled with a solution of fermentation broth and RUSITEC system buffer for rumen protozoa counting. This solution was evenly distributed throughout the tanks, ensuring that the protozoa count on the first day was consistent.