Rumen Digestion Studies

E. B. Hale, C. W. Duncan and C. F. Huffman

J ANIM SCI 1939, 1939:389-393.

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 THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION 389

Hughes, E. I-I. Hilgardia, 11: 595", 1938.

Kohler, G. O., C. A. Elvehjem and E. B. Hart. J. Nutrition, 14: 131, 1937, and
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Kohler, G. O., S. B. Randle, C. A. Elvehjem and E. B. Hart. Proc. Soc. Exp.
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40: 423, 1939.

RUMEN DIGESTION STUDIES *

E. B. H A L E , C. W . D U N C A N , and C. F. H U F F M A N
Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station
This investigation was undertaken a, to develop a method of evaluat-
ing quantitative digestion in the rumen; b, to observe the effect of the
plane of nutrition on digestion coefficients and rumen fill, and c, to ob-
tain information on the value of determining lignin, cellulose, crude fiber
by an enzymatic method, and true fat in alfalfa hay.

Methods
One rumen fistula and five normal Holstein cows received alfalfa hay
in amounts of 10, 20 or 30 pounds per day. Rumen contents were re-
moved 14 hours after feeding on six occasions (twice for each level of
feeding) and 24 hours after on one occasion. The ingesta was removed
just before feeding in the morning, weighed, mixed, sampled for chemical
analysis and replaced in the rumen. Eleven digestion trials were also con-
ducted to supplement the results obtained with the rumen fistula cow.
The chemical analyses which were made on the alfalfa hay, rumen con-
tents and feces were moisture, ash, protein, ether extract, crude fiber,
nitrogen-free extract and iron by the A. O. A. C. methods (1). Lignin,
cellulose, and other carbohydrates (by difference) were determined by
the methods employed by Crampton and Maynard (2). Crude fiber (by
an enzymatic method and later referred to as "new crude fiber"), "new
nitrogen-free extract" (by difference) and true fat were determined by
the methods of Horwitt, Cowgill and Mendel (3).
Rumen and total digestion coefficients were calculated by using (a) iron

9 Published with the permission of the Director of the Experiment Station as

Journal Article No. 407 (n.s.).

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390 THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION

ratios and (b) lignin ratios. Bergeim (4) proposed a simplified method for
determining food digestion based on iron ratios. Iron oxide was proposed
as the key substance as it is practically insoluble and unabsorbable and
follows the food in the course of digestion. Lignin was used in this study
because of its highly inert character and the relatively large amount pres-
ent in roughages. The method of calculation is illustrated in the following
formula:
100 - - ( p e r cent nutrient in feces x P e r cent iron in feed "~ 100 ~ digestibility
\ p e r cent iron in feces per cent nutrient in f e e d /
Rumen was substituted for feces to calculate rumen digestion coeffi,
cients and lignin was substitute for iron when the lignin ratio was being
used.
Rumen pH was determined and rumen and rectal temperature read-
ings were also taken. Barrel circumferences and body weights were re-
corded for various animals in the experimental herd receiving various
amounts of alfalfa hay. These data were taken every third day just
before feeding.
Discussion
Calculations of rumen digestion with iron ratios gave highly variable
values which were sometimes unusually low and at other times somewhat
high. These results indicate that in the first instance iron passed from the
rumen ahead of the ingesta and in the second instance, it accumulated
in the rumen. In all instances, the calculated total digestion coefficients
were high. These high coefficients are explained by the negative iron
balances shown in Table 1. The variable passage of iron makes it an
unreliable measure of digestion. Although lignin was digested in variable
amounts up to 23.7 percent the digestion apparently did not occur in
the tureen to any appreciable extent. Any digestion of lignin in the rumen
would give low values for the calculated coefficients of rumen digestion.
The fact that rumen digestion coefficients presented in Table 1 closely
approach the total digestion coefficients indicate that lignin was primarily
digested after passing from the rumen. A comparison of the cellulose and
new crude fiber coefficients in Table 1 further illustrate this point. Di-
gestible cellulose was largely digested in the rumen while only about two-
thirds of the digestible new crude fiber (composed primarily of cellulose
and lignin) was digested there. The portion of the new crude fiber digested
after leaving the rumen must have been lignin since most of the cellulose
was digested previously. In view of these findings the lignin ratio is a
useful tool in ascertaining the digestibility of various nutrients in the
rumen. Data in Table 1 show that lignin was appreciably digested at the
20- and 30-pound levels and calculations of total digestion with lignin

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 THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION 391

ratios at this level resulted in low coefficients. Because of this digestibility

lignin ratios are not reliable as a measure of total digestion.

TABLE 1--RUMEN AND TOTAL DIGESTION COEFFICIENTS AND

THE EFFECT OF THE LEVEL OF FEEDING

Total apparent Percentage of total

Rumen-ligninratio digestion t occurring in rumen
Level of feeding 30db. 20-lb. 10,lb. 30-lb. 20-lb. 10-lb. 30-lb. 20-lb. 10-lb.
Protein 55..5 5 7 . 8 63.8 68.9 68.4 64.7 80.6 84.5 98.6
Ether extract 40.0 35..1 2 4 . 5 1 7 . 2 13.4--18.6 232.3 262.5.
True fat --13.8 3 3 . 2 3 4 . 8 6 5 . 3 7 2 . 5 48.0--17.5 45.8 72.5
Crude fiber 28.2 2 5 . 1 2 3 . 7 45.6 4 4 . 9 3 6 . 2 6 2 . 0 55.8 65.7
N,free extract 64.9 6 5 . 5 64.5 6 0 . 1 66.6 5 6 . 9 108.0 98.4 113.3
Lignin 0.0" 0.6* 0.0" 17.0" 17.4 --0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0
Cellulose 47.4 3 8 . 3 3 8 . 1 5 0 . 9 5 1 . 4 4 4 . 1 9 3 . 3 74.4 86.2
Other carbohydra's 78.0 85".4 84.9 85.0 84.7 80.2 91.8 100.9 105.8
New crude fiber 2 7 . 1 2 2 . 8 1 8 . 7 3 9 . 5 3 7 . 1 3 2 . 9 68.7 61.6 56.9
New N-free extra't 98.0 9 3 . 3 100.0 86.6 90.0 7 2 . 8 113.2 103.7 137.4
Iron 27.5 --22.8 --2.6 --21.6 --68.6 --72.5
J" Determined by digestion trials.
* Lignin was assumed to be indigestible.

The application of lignin ratios to studies of rumen digestion reveal

that the more simple carbohydrate materials included in the nitrogen-
free extract and other carbohydrate fractions passed rapidly from the
rumen. It is probable that a portion of these fractions were fermented
9by rumen bacteria before sufficient time had elapsed for their passage
from the rumen. A n average of 85.0 percent of the digestible cellulose
was digested in the rumen. Lignin was apparently digested after passage
from the rumen whereas about two-thirds of the crude fiber fraction had
disappeared by the time of sampling. Digestion coefficients for ether ex-
tract indicate an accumulation of ether extractive material after the
passage of the ingesta from the rumen. The high coefficients of digestion
for true fat suggest that this material was non-fat in character.
Rumen digestion coefficients for true fat indicate the probable prod-
ucts of rumen digestion. A t the 30-pound level, at which bacterial activ-
ity would be greatest, an average increase of 13.8 percent true fat in the
rumen was observed. One of the individual values included in this aver-
age was as high as 26.4 percent. Only two of seven rumen digestion co-
efficients for true fat exceeded 20 percent while total digestion of true
fat averaged 66.1 percent. Failure to find an increase in fat at the two
lower levels may have been due to the continual passage of the products

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392 THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION

from the" rumen and also to the fact that samples were taken after the
height of digestion was passed. These findings indicate the synthesis of
fat in the rumen.
Data are also presented in Table i which show the effect of the level
of feeding alfalfa hay on digestion coefficients. As the plane of nutrition
increased the rumen digestion of protein and true fat decreased while
that of ether extract, crude fiber and new crude fiber increased. Total
digestion coefficients for nitrogen-free extract, new nitrogen-free extract
and true fat decreased as the level of feeding increased from 20 to 30
pounds. The other nutrients were not affected or else increased slightly in
digestibility. From these data it is seen that the marked decrease in di-
gestion coefficients which is often associated with a high plane of nutri-
tion did not follow for a ration of alfalfa hay alone. The low digestibility
of all nutrients at the 10-pound'level was attributed to the sub,mainten,
ance level of nutrition. An increase in the level of feeding alfalfa hay re-
sulted in a distinct increase in both barrel circumference and live weight.
The weight and also the character of the rumen contents, however, re-
mained fairly constant regardless of the amount of hay ingested.
Rumen pH on a ration of alfalfa hay alone was neutral or slightly acid
(average pH 6.82). There was a steady decline in rumen pH during the
first six hours after feeding. After that time the pH rose until a maximum
was reached just before feeding in the afternoon. This suggests a de-
crease in fermentation activity about 6 hours after feeding. The level
of feeding alfalfa hay did not influence rumen pH values but on a mixed
ration of soybean oil meal, alfalfa hay and silage the pH values were
distinctly lower than on the alfalfa ration. Rumen temperature was not
definitely affected by the time after feeding or level of feeding but the
highest values were obtained on the 30-pound level (average of 39.1 ~
All values averaged 38.8~ which was 0.5~ higher than the rectal
temperature.
Partitioning the carbyhydrate fraction of alfalfa hay into lignin, cellu-
lose and other carbohydrates was of much greater value in estimating the
biological value of hay than the usual division into crude fiber and nitro-
gen-free extract. Other carbohydrates averaged 21 percent more digestible
than nitrogen-free extract, cellulose was 50.0 percent digested and lignin
varied in digestibility from - - L 1 to 23.7 percent. Alfalfa hay contained
16.4 percent lignin and 33.2 percent cellulose. The values obtained by
the enzymatic method for crude fiber gave a much sharper distinction
between the highly digestible and poorly digestible fractions of carbo-
hydrate than the common crude fiber method. By the common method the
difference in the digestibility of crude fiber and nitrogen-free extract

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 THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION 393

was only 19.5 percent compared with almost 49 percent by the enzymatic
method. Approximately 65 percent of the nitrogen-free extract disa p•
peared from the rumen while practically 100 percent of the new nitrogen-
free extract and 83 percent of other carbohydrates disappeared. The
values for crude fiber obtained by the enzymatic method were slightly
larger than the combined lignin and cellulose values. That true fat
values have a greater biological significance than the ether extract values
is shown in Table 1. The true fat values for total digestion averaged 66.1
percent while only 8.6 percent of the ether extract was digestible. Values
for true fat in alfalfa hay were somewhat low and varied independently
of ether extract. In view of the low true fat values obtained in this study
it is suggested that additional methods should be investigated for the
complete extraction and determination of fat in feeding stuffs.

Literature Cited
1. Official and Tentative Methods of Analysis. (4th ed., Association of Official
Agricultural Chemists. Washington, D. C., 193~).
2. Crampton, E. W., and Maynard, L. A. The relation of cellulose and lignin
content to the nutritive value of animal feeds. J. Nutrition I~: 383-39L I938.
3. Horwitt, M. K., Cowgill, G. R., and Mendel, L. B. The availability of the
carbohydrates and fats of the green leaf together with some observations on
crude fiber. J. Nutrition 12: 2~,273. 1936.
4. Bergeim, O. Intestinal Chemistry-IV. A method for the study of food utiliza-
tion or digestibility. J. Biol. Chem. 70: 29,33. 1926.

R E L A T I O N OF D I E T T O A T Y P E OF LEG W E A K N E S S
I N S W I N E I N D U C E D BY N E R V E D E G E N E R A T I O N
N. R. ELLIS and L. L. M A D S E N
United States Department of Agriculture
Abstract
In continuation of work described at the 29th meeting of the Society,
further studies have been completed on the relation of diet to lameness
and locomotor incoordination in pigs. The disease is of frequent occur-
rence among pigs confined in small pens with concrete or board floors, and
fed on diets, such as used in record-of, performance tests, heretofore con-
sidered adequate for normal nutrition. Modifications of the R. O. P.
diet, namely yellow corn, trinity protein mixture, and mineral mixture
with the three parts self-fed, have resulted in a wide range in incidence
and seventy of the lameness and incoordination. While complete protec-

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