Table 1.
Ratios of concentrate ration to roughage in feeds and pH values and microbial abundances of rumen fluid samples from four different ruminants
| Parameter | Rumen fluid sample (replicates 1, 2, 3)a |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HGS | HFS | HDC | KNG | |
| Diet ratiob | Cow concentrate ration: timothy hay = 4:6 | Cow concentrate ration: rice straw = 9:1 | Cow concentrate ration: timothy hay = 7:3 | Goat concentrate ration: Bermuda grass = 9:1 |
| pH | 6.78, 6.88, 6.92 | 6.53, 6.96, 6.55 | 7.86, 7.81, 7.57 | 5.09, 5.27, 4.97 |
| Mean ± SD | 6.86 ± 0.07 | 6.68 ± 0.24 | 7.75 ± 0.16 | 5.11 ± 0.15 |
| Abundance of small subunit rRNA genes (copies/ml) | ||||
| Bacteria (109) | 9.65 ± 0.67, 9.91 ± 0.03, 8.626 ± 0.9 | 3.38 ± 1.20, 3.89 ± 0.28, 2.30 ± 0.56 | 1.74 ± 0.50, 2.36 ± 0.38, 1.42 ± 0.29 | 6.78 ± 1.40, 6.93 ± 0.12, 6.77 ± 0.93 |
| Mean ± SD | 9.39 ± 0.68 | 3.19 ± 0.82 | 1.84 ± 0.48 | 6.73 ± 0.09 |
| Archaea (106) | 10.1 ± 2.59, 13.1 ± 3.89, 14.9 ± 2.26 | 7.69 ± 0.29, 8.15 ± 0.48, 5.48 ± 0.58 | 9.63 ± 0.12, 9.89 ± 0.26, 6.70 ± 0.39 | 8.87 ± 1.63, 8.63 ± 1.63, 8.01 ± 1.21 |
| Mean ± SD | 13.0 ± 1.9 | 7.11 ± 1.4 | 8.74 ± 1.8 | 8.56 ± 0.45 |
| Protozoa (105) | 1.27 ± 0.26, 1.61 ± 0.35, 1.83 ± 0.26 | 1.80 ± 0.06, 2.24 ± 0.02, 2.26 ± 0.25 | 2.01 ± 0.23, 1.46 ± 0.27, 1.69 ± 0.11 | 0.05 ± 0.01, 0.15 ± 0.02, 0.12 ± 0.05 |
| Mean ± SD | 1.57 ± 0.28 | 2.10 ± 0.26 | 1.72 ± 0.28 | 0.11 ± 0.05 |
HGS, Hanwoo in the growing stage; HFS, Hanwoo in the late fattening stage; HDC, Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle; KNG, Korean native goats. The data shown are for three replicate animals ± standard deviations where applicable. Mean pH values and mean ss-rRNA gene copies for the rumen samples were derived from the same three ruminant species.
The cow concentrate ration consisted of 48.0% corn, 41.0% wheat bran, 5.0% soybean meal, 2.0% rapeseed meal, 2.0% molasses, 1.5% limestone, 0.4% salt, and 0.1% lasalocid. The goat concentrate ration contained 25.0% corn, 20.0% wheat bran, 15.0% wheat, 15.0% corn gluten meal, 6.0% rapeseed meal, 6.0% copra meal, 4.0% molasses, 2.0% soybean meal, and 7.0% vitamin-mineral mixture.