Sheep fed with banana leaf hay reduce ruminal protozoa population

• Published in: Tropical animal health and production Vol. 49; no. 4; pp. 807 - 812
• Main Authors: Freitas, Cláudio Eduardo Silva, Duarte, Eduardo Robson, Alves, Dorismar David, Martinele, Isabel, D’Agosto, Marta, Cedrola, Franciane, de Moura Freitas, Angélica Alves, dos Santos Soares, Franklin Delano, Beltran, Makenzi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-04-2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal Feed - analysis; Animals; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Ciliophora - isolation & purification; Energy efficiency; Fermentation; Fruits; Life Sciences; Male; Musa; Plant Leaves; Poaceae; Random Allocation; Regular Articles; Rumen - parasitology; Sheep; Sheep, Domestic - parasitology; Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science; Zoology; Ciliates; Confinement; Ruminal microbiota; sp; Sheep breeding; Musa sp
• ISSN: 0049-4747; 1573-7438
• DOI: 10.1007/s11250-017-1265-0

A ciliate protozoa suppression can reduce methane production increasing the energy efficiency utilization by ruminants. The physicochemical characteristics of rumen fluid and the profile of the rumen protozoa populations were evaluated for sheep fed banana leaf hay in replacement of the
Cynodon dactylon
cv. vaqueiro hay. A total of 30 male sheep were raised in intensive system during 15 days of adaptation and 63 days of experimental period. The animals were distributed in a completely randomized design that included six replicates of five treatments with replacement levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) of the grass vaquero for the banana leaf hay. Samples of fluid were collected directly from the rumen with sterile catheters. Color, odor, viscosity, and the methylene blue reduction potential (MBRP) were evaluated and pH estimated using a digital potentiometer. After decimal dilutions, counts of genus protozoa were performed in Sedgewick Rafter chambers. The averages of pH, MBRP, color, odor, and viscosity were not influenced by the inclusion of the banana leaf hay. However, the total number of protozoa and
Entodinium
spp. population significantly decreased at 75 and 100% inclusions of banana leaf hay as roughage.