Digesta kinetics in sheep and cattle fed diets with different forage to concentrate ratios at high and low intakes

Effect of maintenance and ad libitum intakes on digesta kinetics was studied with six ruminally fistulated cows and six ruminally fistulated wethers to validate the use of sheep as a model of cattle. Complete diets were made up of ratios of alfalfa:cracked corn and soybean meal of 80:20, 55:45, and 30:70. The rate of passage of Cr-mordanted alfalfa and soybean meal in the reticulorumen was negatively related to percentage of concentrate in the diet in both species at low intakes. Passage values of particulate and liquid markers were faster at high than at low intakes in both species for all diets. Rumen liquid volume increased with intake only in the cows on the low and intermediate concentrate diets. No substantial differences were found in particulate passage values between sheep and cattle. However, liquid passage rates from the rumen and the differentials between liquid and particulate dilution rates were higher in cows than in sheep for all diets at both intakes. These results together with those for digestibility data reported in a previous communication suggest that caution should be exercised when extrapolating results from one species to the other.