The benefits of pasture-based systems on the fatty acid composition of sheep meat appear to be achievable despite variability in the quality of the pastures. Lambs fed high levels of temperate pastures have an excess of N-ammonia derived from protein degradation. Furthermore, animal performance is highly variable depending on the quality of the pasture at the time of grazing, and high animal performance in these systems appears to be linked to the use of high-quality pastures with high availability, and is possibly added to by the inclusion of concentrates that allow increasing energy intake and a better use of the N in the pasture. The combination of high-quality pastures and total mixed ration offers a good alternative to the inclusion of concentrates in the diet, improving the use of N, and avoiding acidosis problems. However, information to determine the effect of a number of nutritional strategies on meat quality, and the minimum level of pasture intake necessary to achieve the benefits of pastoral systems is still lacking.

The effect of supplementing high-quality fresh forage, mainly based on alfalfa, to growing lambs fed with decreasing levels of total mixed ration (TMR) was studied on intake, digestion and ruminal environment. In total, 24 catheterized lambs (25.2±3.67 kg) housed in individual metabolism cages were assigned to one of four treatment diets: 'TMR100': TMR offered ad libitum; 'TMR75' and 'TMR50': TMR at a level of 0.75 and 0.50 of potential intake, respectively, complemented with fresh forage without restriction; 'TMR0': only fresh forage ad libitum. The feeding behavior, nutrient intake and digestibility, kinetics of passage and rumen environment were evaluated. As the level of TMR in the diet decreased, lambs increased the forage intake and spent more time eating and ruminating, less time resting and demonstrated a higher rate of intake. Those changes resulted in a higher nutrient intake of dry matter, organic matter, nitrogen, NDF and ADF, but a slightly lower organic matter digestibility, while no differences were detected in the output rate of particles. As a consequence, with the decrease of TMR and increase of forage intake, the ingested energy increased. Higher ruminal pH and NH3-N concentrations were observed for lower levels of TMR in the diet. The total volatile fatty acids, acetate and propionate concentrations presented a quadratic response. Total volatile fatty acids and acetate concentrations were higher and propionate concentration was lower in lambs consuming mixed diets (TMR50 and TMR75). We concluded that the inclusion of high-quality fresh forage in a combined diet with TMR in lambs had positive effects on nutrient intake without negative consequences on digestion and rumen environment.

The effect of yeast addition on intake and digestive utilization of pasture was studied in ovines under restricted time of access to forage. Eighteen wethers housed in metabolic cages and fed fresh forage (predominantly Lotus corniculatus) were randomly assigned to three treatments: forage available all day (AD); forage available only 6 h/day (R) and forage available only 6 h/day plus live Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast (RY). Feed intake and digestibility, feeding behaviour, kinetics of passage, ruminal pH and ammonia concentration, nitrogen balance and microbial nitrogen synthesis (MNS) were determined in vivo, and ruminal liquor activity of animals was evaluated in vitro. Restricted animals consumed less than those fed all day but achieved more than 75% of the intake and spent less time ruminating (p = 0.014). Although animals without restriction consumed more feed, they had a lower rate of passage (p = 0.030). The addition of yeast did affect neither intake nor feeding behaviour, but increased digestibility. Organic matter digestibility tended to increase 11% by yeast addition (p = 0.051), mainly by a rise in NDF (27%, p = 0.032) and ADF digestibility (37%, p = 0.051). Ingested and retained N was lower in restricted animals, as MNS (p ≤ 0.045). The use of yeasts did not significantly change the N balance or MNS, but retained N tended to be higher in supplemented animals (p = 0.090). Neither ruminal pH nor ammonia concentrations were affected by the restriction, but restricted animals had a lower ruminal activity evidenced by a lower volume of gas (p = 0.020). The addition of yeast overcame this limitation, noted by a higher volume of gas of inocula from supplemented animals (p = 0.015). Yeast addition emerged as a useful tool to improve digestibility of forage cell walls in ovines under restricted time of access to forage.

No abstract

Different strategies have been used to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from domesticated ruminants, including the removal of protozoa (defaunation). The objective of the present work was to analyze the potential of different N-oxide-containing aromatic heterocycles with known antiprotozoal activity as rumen-gas-abating agents. Nineteen pure compounds, belonging to seven different N-oxide chemotypes from our chemo-library were studied together with monensin in an in vitro rumen simulation assay. Fermentation profiles, i.e., gas production, pH, and short carboxylic acid concentrations, were compared to an untreated control at 96 h post inoculation. In our study, we investigated whole-ruminal fluid, with and without compound treatments, by NMR spectroscopy focusing on concentrations of the metabolites acetate, propionate, butyrate, and lactate. From data analysis, three of the compounds from different N-oxide chemotypes, including quinoxaline dioxide, benzofuroxan, and methylfuroxan, were able to diminish the production of gases such as monensin with similar gas production lag times for each of them. Additionally, unlike monensin, one methylfuroxan did not decrease the rumen pH during the analyzed incubation time, shifting rumen fermentation to increase the molar concentrations of propionate and butyrate. These facts suggest interesting alternatives as feed supplements to control gas emissions from dairy ruminants.

Effects of NaHCO3 and MgO buffer addition on intake and digestive utilization of a pasture were studied in wethers allowed a restricted time of access to forage. Twelve wethers housed in metabolic cages and fed fresh forage (predominantly Lotus corniculatus) ad libitum for 6 h/d were randomly assigned to one of the following treatments: a control forage without buffer (C) or a forage plus buffer composed of a mixture of 750 g/kg NaHCO3 and 250 g/kg MgO at 20 g/kg dry matter intake (B). Feeding behaviour, feed and water intake and digestibility, urine output, Na urine elimination, kinetics of passage, ruminal pH and ammonia concentration, N balance and ruminal microbial N synthesis were determined in vivo, and the ruminal liquor activity was evaluated in vitro by fermentation of wheat straw. Addition of buffer increased total water intake (p = 0.05), Na urinary output (p = 0.01), purine derivative excretion in urine (p = 0.05) and tended to decrease mean total retention time in the digestive tract (p = 0.09). However, buffer addition increased ruminal pH (p < 0.001) and tended to decrease the ammonia concentration (p = 0.05). That use of buffer decreased ruminal activity was evidenced by a lower volume of gas produced in vitro (p = 0.01) possibly due to a lower microbial concentration in rumen liquor. The higher rumen dilution rate, likely due to a higher water intake, seems to have been the key driver of the actions of buffer supplementation on the rumen environment. Moreover, addition of NaHCO3 led to an increased urinary Na excretion, which should be considered due to its likely negative environmental impacts.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of sorghum grain supplementation on ruminal pH and NH 3 -N concentration of wethers consuming a fresh temperate pasture (Lotus corniculatus) in metabolism cages. Sixteen Corriedale x Milchschaf wethers were fed temperate pastures ad libitum and were nonsupplemented or supplemented with ground sorghum grain at 5, 10 or 15 g/kg of their body weight (BW). Rumen fluid samples were collected at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 h after supplementation through permanent tubes inserted in the rumen. Ruminal pH was measured immediately and NH 3 -N concentration was determined by direct distillation. Mean daily pH values for non-supplemented wethers and supplemented with 5, 10 and 15 g/kg of their BW were 6.45, 6.14, 6.09 and 5.43, respectively. Significant differences in pH were found between the 15 g/kg supplemented group and non-supplemented, 5 and 10 g/kg supplemented groups, while a trend was found between non-supplemented and 10 g/kg supplemented group. After 0 h, all mean pH values for the non-supplemented group were above 6.15, while values for the 10 and 15 g/kg supplemented groups were below 6.2 and 6.0, respectively. No differences in NH 3 -N concentration among groups (mean = 37.15 mg/100 mL), between time or interaction between time and treatment were found. There was a correlation between pH and NH 3 -N when all measurements were considered. Ground sorghum grain supplementation significantly reduced rumen pH when 15 g/kg of BW was provided to wethers fed temperate pastures, but it did not affect NH 3 -N concentration. _______________________________________________________________________________________

The effect of the feeding schedule and the use of additives on the intake and its rate were studied on animals consuming a temperate pasture. Twenty four wethers (47.8 ± 6.4 kg BW), housed in metabolism cages, were fed a fresh pasture (80% Lotus corniculatus) and assigned to four groups. Group AD had forage available all day; group 1D was fed for 6 h/day; group 1D&B was fed 6 h/day plus 2% DM intake level of buffer (75% NaHCO 3 -25% MgO) and group 1D&S was fed 6 h/day plus 6.2 x 10 9 CFU/animal/day of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Daily intake and its rate were measured weighing the amount offered and refused every one hour for six hours. Orthogonal contrasts were performed on data to study the effect of feeding schedule, the use of additives and the type of additive used. There were no differences in g of DM ingested/kg BW 0.75 /day (mean value: 52.8). Groups fed 6 h/day showed a higher rate of intake for every hour studied (i.e. hour 2: AD: 5.9 vs. 6 h/day: 7.2). Within groups fed 6 h/day plus the buffer supplemented one presented the highest cumulative intake, at 20.9 g DMi/kg BW. ________________________________________________________________________________