Bison and Cattle Digestion of Forages from the Slave River Lowlands, Northwest Territories, Canada

Abstract

Dry matter disappearance (DMD) of native forages collected from the Slave River Lowlands (SRL), Northwest Territories, was consistently greater in bison (Bison bison) than in Hereford cattle (Bos taurus) when measured with a nylon bag technique. Overall average DMD values were 52% and 39% for bison and cattle, respectively. Mean percent DMD values for each plant species were: willow (Salk spp.), 56; slough sedge (Carex atherodes), 50; baltic rush (Juncus balticus), 47; aleppo avens (Geum aleppicum), 44; and northern reedgrass (Calamagrostis inexpansa), 39. Dry matter disappearance was inversely correlated (P < 0.05) with crude fiber content of the sample. Dependence of DMD on crude fiber content was less (P < 0.001) in cattle than in bison. Based on relative digestibilities and data on forage intake, we concluded that slough sedge was the most important bison forage in the study area. Average DMD was 44% greater (P< 0.01) in a Hereford fed hay than in a Hereford fed hay plus a concentrate supplement. There was no difference (DO.05) hi DMD between two bison fed the hay ration and two fed hay plus the supplement. and was chosen to make these comparisons. Materials and Methods Samples of native forages were collected in the SRL in February and June, 1975. Summer samples of willow consisted of approximately equal dry weights of leaves and twigs from the terminal 12 cm of the twigs. Winter willow samples were comprised of twigs only. Herbaceous plant samples included the entire aerial portion of the plant cut at approximately 2 cm above ground. All samples were air-dried and ground through a l-mm mesh screen. Nylon bag digestibility experiments were conducted using two ruminally fistulated adult Hereford cattle and four ruminally fistulated adult bison at the Pawnee Site, International Biological Program, Nunn, Colorado, during Jaquary 1976. One Hereford and two bison were fed crested wheatgrass hay containing 6% crude protein (CP) (Table 1). One Hereford and two bison were fed

Synergism of Cattle and Bison Inoculum on Ruminal Fermentation and Select Bacterial Communities in an Artificial Rumen (Rusitec) Fed a Barley Straw Based Diet

“…Some studies have suggested that bison have a superior ability to digest low-quality forages as compared to cattle (Peden et al, 1974; Richmond et al, 1977; Hawley et al, 1981a), but no studies have compared possible synergy between the two sources of inoculum. Hawley et al (1981b) observed that the in vivo digestion coefficients of DM, CP, aNDF and ADF from sedge hay were greater in bison than in Hereford steers.…”

“…Some studies have suggested that bison are more efficient than cattle at digesting poor-quality forages (Richmond et al, 1977; Hawley et al, 1981a,b). Proposed mechanisms for this heightened efficiency include a reduction in the rumen particulate passage rate, an increase in nitrogen (N) recycling, as well as differences in ruminal microbial populations (Hawley et al, 1981b).…”

Intake, digestibility, methane and heat production in bison, wapiti and white-tailed deer

“…Hironaka et al (1996) observed that pelleting reduced DM digestibility by 11% when chopped first-cut alfalfa was pelleted and the intake was 1.6 times maintenance. Hawley et al (1981) has suggested that the relatively high apparent digestibilities obtained with bison in some trials may be because they have an enhanced capacity to recycle nitrogen to their rumen. However, since the alfalfa contained 13.9% crude protein in this experiment, ruminal availability of N should not have been limiting.…”

ABS Working Paper 4 - Bison as keystone herbivores on the Great Plains: Can cattle serve as proxy for evolutionary grazing patterns?

“…Direct comparisons of digestibility found differences (Peden et al 1974;Hawley et al 1981;Schwartz and Ellis 1981) as well as no differences (Schaefer et al 1978;Plumb and Dodd 1993) between bison and cattle (including Hereford and Scottish Highland breeds). Digestion retention time was also greater in bison than cattle (Schaefer et al 1978).…”

“…Similarities between bison and cattle and the adaptation of bison to rangelands of North America have led to many attempts to cross the two species and/or domesticate bison. Recent literature reviews have suggested that bison may be a more efficient range animal in North America because of their ability to digest low quality forage (Hawley et al 1981;Plumb and Dodd 1993), defend against predators (Carbyn et al 1993), survive harsh winter conditions, and have minimal calving difficulties (Haigh et al 2001). Sections below will indicate that many of these claims have not been supported by experimental comparisons between bison and cattle, and while testable, would be very difficult to evaluate under all potential situations.…”