EFFECT OF OPTIGEN ON SOME PARAMETERS OF RUMEN FERMENTATION IN YEARLING RAMS

Т. Slavov, V. Radev, I. Varlyakov

Abstract: A physiological experiment was conducted to evaluate the addition of Optigen® to the ration of yearling rams on rumen fermentation. Optigen is a source of specifically protected non- rotein nitrogen with controlled (slow) release in fore stomachs, specially designed for supplementation of ruminants’ diets. Six yearling rams were used - Blackhead Pleven×Suffolk crosses, with initial live body weight of 45 ± 2 kg. The animals were of uniform gender, body weight and origin. They were housed indoor, in individual boxes at the Experimental base of the Physiology Unit to the Faculty of Agriculture, Trakia University – Stara Zagora. The experiment consisted of two periods – control and experimental with a 10-day period between them for adaptation of experimental animals to the new ration. The following parameters were investigated: hydrogen ion concentration (рН), ammonia concentration, total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration, total counts and generic composition of rumen ciliates, and in vivo cellulolytic activity in
the rumen. It was established that the supplementation of yearling rams’ ration with Optigen increased and stabilised rumen pH values, which varied within a narrow range – from 6.61 to 6.78. The differences between control period and post feeding hours 1, 2.5 and 5 were statistically significant (p < 0.001, p < 0.05; p < 0.01). Optigen reduced the total volatile fatty acids and ammonia concentrations in the rumen content after feeding (0.05 < p < 0.001). Optigen exhibited an inhibitory effect on ciliate fauna (p < 0.01) as well as 1.3 times higher cellulolytic activity (9.02% vs 6.98% during the control period).

Keywords: Optigen; rumen fermentation; sheep digestion

Date published: 2017-05-18