Table 3.

Effects of starter NDF levels on pH and VFA concentrations in rumen fluid of lambs

	Treatments					P-value2
Items1	NDF14	NDF18	NDF22	NDF26	SEM	Trt	L	Q
pH	6.25b	6.10b	6.64a	6.62a	0.08	0.003	0.003	0.394
TVFA, mmol/L	43.69	45.54	25.39	33.65	2.49	0.109	0.013	0.118
Acetate, mol/mol	48.66c	48.22bc	55.19ab	57.99a	1.36	0.012	0.002	0.474
Propionate, mol/mol	46.54a	46.6a	37.87b	36.59b	1.47	0.007	0.001	0.762
Butyrate, mol/mol	4.80	5.09	6.94	5.42	0.37	0.155	0.239	0.206
A:P	1.09b	1.06b	1.48a	1.62a	0.08	0.015	0.003	0.529

¹A:P, the acetate-to-propionate ratio.

²L, linear effect; Q, quadratic effect; Trt, treatment effect.

^a–cDifferences between treatments (P < 0.05).