Table 7.

Effects of zinc and herbs on the number of ruminal ciliated protozoa in the lambs (N = 7).

Genus/treatment	Control	Zn	Herbs	Zn+Herbs	SD	P-value
Dasytricha sp. (c/g wRC)a	4,754	5, 28	6,717	8,619	5,004	0.433
Isotricha spp. (c/g wRC)	2,280	3,132	2,656	2,043	1,581	0.417
Polyplastron spp. (c/g wRC)	2,571	2,723	2,311	663	1,445	0.064
Epidinium spp. (c/g wRC)	15,905	160	3,055	13,612	9,558	0.662
Entodinium spp. (c/g wRC)	465,316	485,455	412,898	457,362	93,530	0.392
Total protozoa (c/g wRC)	489,413	500,892	427,987	483,593	95,191	0.454
Dasytricha sp. (c/g DM)b	492	609	701	904	503	0.529
Isotricha spp. (c/g DM)	301	401	327	241	228	0.275
Polyplastron spp. (c/g DM)	234	333	291	75	216	0.133
Epidinium spp. (c/g DM)	2,258	18	274	1,566	1,123	0.044
Entodinium spp. (c/g DM)	63,146	59,933	49,355	52,791	17,298	0.490
Total protozoa (c/g DM)	66,430	61,914	50,987	55,729	17,936	0.400

^aExpressed as count (c) per gram of wet ruminal content (wRC);

^bExpressed as count per gram of dry matter (DM) of ruminal content.