Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T19:46:42.609Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Influence of rumen ciliate protozoa on conversion of food and growth rate in early-weaned zebu calves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

H. El-Sayed Osman ,
A. R.Abou Akkada  and
K. A. Agabawi
H. El-Sayed Osman
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, Sudan
A. R.Abou Akkada
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, Sudan
K. A. Agabawi
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, Sudan
Get access

Summary

The ruminal activity, daily live-weight gain and feed conversion efficiency of zebu calves inoculated with whole rumen contents from a mature cow were compared with those of calves maintained under the same conditions except that they were ciliate-free and isolated from other ruminants.

A thriving mixed population of ciliate protozoa became established in the rumen of calves two weeks after inoculation. Entodinium was the first genus to appear and was followed by Isotricha, Polyplastron, Ophryoscolex, Diplodinium and Dasytricha.

The ruminal volatile fatty acid and ammonia concentrations in the inoculated calves showed a pronounced rise above the values found in the uninoculated controls.

The inoculated calves grew faster and had a higher feed conversion efficiency than the uninoculated controls.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 12 , Issue 2 , May 1970 , pp. 267 - 271
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1970

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Abou Akkada, A. R., Bartley, E. E., Fina, L. R., Henricks, D. and Julius, F. 1969. Ciliate protozoa in the rumen of lactating cow. J. Dairy Sci. 52: 1088–1091.Google Scholar
Abou Akkada, A. R. and El-Shazly, K. 1964. Effect of absence of ciliate protozoa from the rumen microbial activity and growth of lambs. Appl. Microbiol. 12: 384–390.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abou Akkada, A. R. and El-Shazlv, K. 1965. Effect of presence or absence of rumen ciliate protozoa on some blood components, nitrogen retention and digestibility of food constituents in lambs. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 64: 251–255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abou Akkada, A. R. and Osman, H. E. 1967. The use of ruminal ammonia and blood urea as an index of the nutritive value of protein in some food-stuffs. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 69: 25–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Agabawi, K. A., Osman, H. E. and Abou Akkada, A. R. 1968. Feed efficiency, ruminal activity and blood constituents of early weaned calves. J. Dairy Sci. 51: 744–747.Google Scholar
Association Of Official Agricultural Chemists. 1960. Official Methods of Analysis. Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Borhami, B. E., El-Shazly, K., Abou Akkada, A. R. and Ahmed, I. A. 1967. Effect of early establishment of ciliate protozoa in the rumen on microbial activity and growth of early weaned buffalo calves. J. Dairy Sci. 50: 1654–1660.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Christiansen, W. M. C., Kawashima, R. and Burroughs, W. 1965. Influence of protozoa upon rumen acid production and live weight gains in lambs. J. Anim. Sci. 24: 730–734.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eadie, J. M. 1966. Rumen ciliate studies 1961–1966. Rep. Rowett Res. Inst. 22: 85–96.Google Scholar
Eadie, J. M. 1967. Rep. Rowett Res. Inst. 23: 34–35.Google Scholar
Klopfenstein, T. J., Purser, D. B. and Tyznik, W. J. 1966. Effects of defaunation on feed digestibility, rumen metabolism and blood metabolites. J. Anim. Sci. 25: 765–773.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Naga, M. A., Abou Akkada, A. R. and El-Shazly, K. 1969. The establishment of rumen ciliate protozoa in cow and water buffalo (Bos bubalus L.) calves under late and early weaning systems. J. Dairy Sci. 52: 110–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warner, A. C. I. 1965. Factors influencing numbers and kinds of micro-organisms. In Physiology of Digestion in the Ruminant. (ed. Dougherty, R. W.), pp. 346–359. Butter-worths, Washington.Google Scholar
Yoder, R. D., Luther, R., Trenkle, A. and Burroughs, W. 1964. Interrelationships between protozoa and bacteria in rumen fermentation. J. Anim. Sci. 23: 1222 (Abstr.).Google Scholar