A Study on Rumen Cilliate Protozoa Population, pH and some Meabolities in West African Dwardf (WAD) Sheep Fed Forage and Concentrate Diets

Abstract

An investigation on rumen ciliate protozoa population, pH and some metabolites (total volatile fatty acids, rumen ammonia Nitrogen) was conducted on two fistulated WAD rams fed forage and concentrate diets. The 12-week study focused on the sequence of production of these parameters under each dietary regime.

The diets fed were a grass sword consisting mainly of Panicnm maximum and containing 6.50% crude protein (CP) and a concentrate ration formulated from maize, groundnut cake, fish dust meal, brewers dried grain, bone ash and common salt and containing 12.08% crude protein (CP). The diet were fed consecutively for 6 weeks and rumen sampling was carried out in the last 4 weeks of each feeding regimen. Rumen liquor samples were drawn hourly in batches during morning (9am-12noon) and afternoon (lpm-4pm) periods on each sampling day. Rumen pH was recorded for each hourly collected sample before pooling by batch. Each pooled batch of samples was estimated for ciliate protozoa population(CPP) and subsequently analysed for total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) and rumen ammonia nitrogen (RAN).

The results showed that nutritional regime significantly (P<0.05) influenced rumen pH and concentrations of TVFA, RAN and CPP. These parameters were also affected (P<0.05) by periods of sapling. Significant positive correlation existed between rumen pH and RAN (P<0.01, r=0.74) rumen pH and CPP (P<0.01,r=0.87) and RAN and CPP (P<0.01, r=0.77), while the relationship between rumen pH and TVFA (P<0.01, r=0.84); RAN and TVFA (P<0.05_r r=-0.39 and CPP and TVFA .-<0.01, r=-0.84); were negative and significant, These results confirm that TVFA, RAN and CPP are true parameters for predicting the nutritional status of ruminant animals at any given time.

Kiev-words: Rumen pH, cilitate protozoa population, rumen ammonia nitrogen, total volatile fatty acids fistulation, dietary regime.