Effects of Replacing Alfalfa Hay with Oat Hay in Fermented Total Mixed Ration on Growth Performance and Rumen Microbiota in Lambs

Abstract

The use of the fermented total mixed ration (FTMR) is a promising approach for the preservation of feedstuff, but the effect of FTMR on the between growth performance and ruminal microflora of lambs are still limited. This study aimed to assess the effects of different roughage types in the FTMR on growth performance and rumen microbiota of lambs. Forty-five six-month-old Small tail Han sheep × Ujumqin male lambs were randomly allocated into three groups (three pens per treatment and five lambs per pen) with the initial body weight (BW) of 28.50 ± 1.50 kg. The three treatments were as follows: the low oat percentages group (LO) contained 200 g/kg oat hay + 400 g/kg alfalfa hay, the medium oat percentages group (MO) contained 300 g/kg oat hay + 300 g/kg alfalfa hay, and the high oat percentages group (HO) contained 400 g/kg oat hay + 200 g/kg alfalfa hay. The result revealed that the dry matter intake and average daily gain were markedly (p < 0.05) higher in the MO treatment than in the LO and HO treatments, whereas no significant difference (p > 0.05) was found in the final body weight. There were no significant (p > 0.05) differences on the Shannon and Simpson index among the three treatments. The PCoA score plot illustrated the individual separation in the LO, MO, and HO treatments. At the phylum level, the presence of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes belonging to the dominant phyla is widely described in rumen communities among the three treatments. The relative abundances of Prevotella, Fibrobacter, and Succinivibrio in the level of the genes were remarkably higher (p < 0.05) in MO treatment than that in LO and HO treatments, while the relative abundance of Sediminispirochaeta was remarkably higher (p < 0.05) in LO treatment than that in MO and HO treatments. These results indicated that the MO treatments could more effectively improve growth performance than the LO and HO treatments, and also revealed that the different forage types in diets reshaped the compositions and function of the rumen microbiota. Consequently, the findings presented in this study provide a reference for the application of FTMR in animal production and the understanding of the interaction between diet, animal performance, and ruminal microbiota.

WITHDRAWN: Effects of enzyme preparation and straw expansion treatment on sorghum micro-storage performance and microbial community

“…This nding is consistent with the research results of Li et al [4]. Liu et al [9] reported that the addition of cellulase enzymes and xylanase enzymes in the early stage of ensiling can reduce the content of cellulose and hemicellulose in oat silage, increase the fermentable sugar content for microbial fermentation, and improve the fermentation quality of the silage. It is worth noting that at 60 days of ensiling, the pH values of all treatment groups increased.…”

“…Generally, high-moisture silage has a higher concentration of soluble NH 3 -N compared to dry silage, as high-moisture silage undergoes more vigorous fermentation. The results of Liu et al [9] demonstrated that both cellulase and xylanase treatments signi cantly increased the NH 3 -N content in oat silage feedstuffs during the same ensiling period. In this study, there were no signi cant changes in the NH 3 -N content after expansion treatment.…”

“…To date, the impact of adding cellulase and xylanase on ensiling fermentation characteristics and microbial community structure has been extensively studied [9]. However, the synergistic effect of enzyme preparations and expansion treatment on the quality of sorghum silage is not yet clear.…”

Effects of Alfalfa Hay to Oat Hay Ratios on Chemical Composition, Fermentation Characteristics, and Fungal Communities during Aerobic Exposure of Fermented Total Mixed Ration

“…Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) hay is generally considered the main feed source for domestic ruminants, which is vital and guaranteed to supply high-quality ruminant products due to its high protein concentration and digestible fiber [1]. However, the sustainable availability of alfalfa hay is a challenging task because of the high cost of alfalfa hay production [2]. Therefore, suitable alternative forages need to be urgently identified to meet the needs of the herbivorous animal industry.…”