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Interpretation of the faecal excretion patterns of solute and particle markers introduced into the rumen of sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

G. J. Faichney
Affiliation:
Division of Animal Production, C.S.I.R.O., Ian Clunies Ross Animal Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 239, Blacktown, NSW, 2148, Australia
R. C. Boston
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia

Summary

A two-pool + time delay model was used to analyse ideal marker concentration patterns generated, using an interactive computer simulation program, from data for the mean retention times of [51Cr]EDTA and [103Ru]phen in the reticulo-rumen, abomasum and caecum-proximal colon and the transit times of these markers through the omasum, small intestine and distal large intestine of sheep. Although providing a reasonably close fit to the generated data, the fitted curves showed small but systematic deviations, indicating that the model does not consistently characterize the kinetics of the markers in the ruminant gastro-intestinal tract.

When the components of the two-pool model were correctly identified, predicted rumen mean retention times (MRT) were within – 1 to + 13% of the observed values. However, identifying the component with the longer MRT as the rumen resulted in up to 2·6-fold overestimation (17·5 v. 6·77 h). The model underestimated the time delay and the overall MRT. It is suggested that the correct identification of the two components can be achieved by the simultaneous use of a solute-and a particulate-phase marker because, in ruminants, they do not behave independently in the caecumproximal colon.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

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