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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2021
Although camelids are not taxonomically classified as ruminants, they are functional ruminants. Their digestive system includes a compartmentalised forestomach with a microbial population, and they have apparently evolved the same general characteristics of regurgitation and remastication of food. In vitro digestibility results for camelid diets produced using feeds and rumen liquor from conventional ruminants have been reported. However, the assumption that donor liquor from a true ruminant species is a valid substitute for that from a camelid species has not been verified. The aim of this experiment was to compare these different sources of digesta as inocula for in vitro dry matter disappearance (DMD) determinations.