Effect of sodium bicarbonate and sodium bentonite on digestion, solid and liquid flow, and ruminal fermentation characteristics of forage sorghum silage-based diets fed to steers

Six ruminally cannulated steers, five Holsteins and one Hereford (250 to 295 kg), were fed 84% forage sorghum silage plus 16% supplement or 50% forage sorghum silage plus concentrate and supplement diets containing either no addition (controls), 1% sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) or 2% sodium bentonite in a 2 X 3 factorial arrangement of treatments in a 6 X 6 Latin-square experiment with 3-wk periods. Sodium bicarbonate increased dry matter (DM) intake when concentrate was included, but neither compound affected intake of the 84% silage diet. Bentonite lowered DM, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) digestibilities, but NDF disappearance from nylon bags was unchanged. Ruminal pH, osmolality and L(+) and D(-) lactate were not affected by treatment. Both NaHCO3 and bentonite tended to lower ruminal NH3-N concentrations. Bentonite lowered the molar proportion of isobutyrate in ruminal fluid relative to controls, but proportions of other volatile fatty acids (VFA) and total VFA concentrations were unchanged. Neither NaHCO3 nor bentonite affected ruminal liquid or solid volumes, dilution rate constants or ruminal outflow rates. Markers overestimated volumes, but correction with measured volumes did not change interpretation of treatment effects. It was concluded that control diets had sufficiently high baseline values of pH, dilution rate and acetate proportion to preclude changes induced by either compound, especially at 1 or 2% of DM intake. An effect on palatibility through neutralization of silage acids may have been responsible for the intake response to NaHCO3.     

Blood selenium concentrations of sheep and goats from selected areas of Kenya

A systematic mapping technique based on blood, forage and soil selenium levels was employed to locate areas of selenium deficiency, adequacy or excess in areas of Kenya where grazing of small ruminants predominates. A total of 1,478 blood samples from both sheep and goats, 180 forage samples and 90 soil samples were analysed for selenium levels. During the wet seasons 28% of the sheep and 15% of the goats had marginal to deficient blood selenium concentrations while during the dry season 20% of the sheep and 12% of the goats had marginal to deficient blood selenium concentrations. Forage samples had a range of 0.03 to 0.66 ppm selenium while soil samples had a range of 0.06 to 0.98 ppm selenium. Although many animals had blood selenium levels of less than 0.05 ppm, below which selenium deficiency signs might occur, none of the animals manifested these signs.     

Evaluation of commercial oral replacement formulas in healthy neonatal calves

Effects of 5 commercial oral replacement formulas on hematologic and plasma biochemical values, body weight, and prevalence of diarrhea were studied in healthy neonatal calves. Products were fed according to manufacturers' recommendations beginning at 3 to 7 days of age for 3 days. Whole milk, diluted 1:1 with commercial formulas, was fed for 3 days thereafter. There were no consistently significant (P greater than 0.05) effects of commercial product feeding with time or by treatment, as compared with those in whole milk-fed controls, on the hematologic or biochemical values of PCV, leukocyte count, platelet count, or plasma K, Cl, glucose, and lactic acid concentrations. Plasma Na concentrations decreased significantly (P less than 0.05) with age in all groups. After 2 weeks, milk-fed calves had gained 2.09 +/- 0.96 kg, and calves fed all but 2 hypertonic energy-dense products 1 and 5 had significant (P less than 0.05) weight losses (up to 2.95 +/- 1.34 kg). Transition to a diet of whole milk and commercial product at one half each of their standard doses resulted in a significant (P less than 0.05) occurrence of diarrhea. Seemingly, such formulas should not be fed to healthy calves on a long term basis. The product with the lowest osmolal and caloric content was associated with the greatest weight loss.     

Utilization of N15-labelled urea in the laying hen. 5. N15-labelling of the content and tissue of separate parts of the gastrointestinal tract

In the series of experiments with labelled urea three colostomized laying hybrids were butchered after a six-day application of 1% urea with 96.06 atom-% 15N excess (15N') in the ration and another 2 days with a supplement of 1% unlabelled urea. Out of the individual samples from crop, gizzard, small intestine, caecum and rectum, the content of the small intestine and the caecum showed the highest labelling with greater than 1 atom-% 15N'. The TCA soluble fraction of the content of the gizzard was more highly and that of the intestines less labelled than the total nitrogen. The tissue of the gizzard is distinctly less labelled than the "omasum system" and the small intestine. The atom-% 15N' of the oesophagus with crop and glandular stomach largely showed agreement in the individual hens with that of intestinal tissue and ranged between 0.71 and 0.89 atom-%. 2% of the 15N' supplemented with the urea could be recovered in the content and the tissue of the gastro-intestinal tract.     

Crystalluria. Observations, interpretations, and misinterpretations

Crystalluria results from oversaturation of urine with crystallogenic substance. However, oversaturation may occur as a result of in vitro as well as in vivo events. The microscopic appearance of crystals only represents a tentative identification of their composition because variable conditions associated with their formation, growth, and dissolution may alter their appearance. Definitive identification is dependent on physical methods such as optical crystallography, x-ray diffraction, and electron microscopic analysis.     

Instrumental neutron-activation analysis of canine urinary calculi for some selected elements

Thirty canine urinary calculi, most of which had been qualitatively classified as struvite calculi, were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis at the University of Missouri Research Reactor. Measurements of sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, phosphorus, chloride, potassium, and calcium were possible, using a dual irradiation procedure. Magnesium was used to calculate the percentage of struvite mineral, Mg(NH4) (PO4) X 6H2O, in the calculi by making use of the stoichiometric relationship of the element magnesium to the mineral. For those calculi containing greater than 80% struvite, the mean elemental concentrations were found to be 0.12% Na, 9.35% Mg, 0.0033% Al, 12.1% P, 0.02% Cl, 0.85% K, and 2.05% Ca. A new method for determination of silicon in urinary calculi also was discussed. Two calculi were found to contain 45.0% and 37.3% silicon, and 1 mixed calculus was composed of 1.4% silicon.     

Evaluation by scoring and computerized morphometry of lesions of early Mycoplasma pulmonis infection and ammonia exposure in F344/N rats

To evaluate lesions of ammonia exposure and Mycoplasma pulmonis infection in gnotobiotic F344/N rats, groups of rats were inoculated with M. pulmonis, exposed to 76 micrograms/liter (100 parts per million) ammonia, or both, or served as controls. Six rats from each group were killed 3, 5, 7, and 9 days after inoculation and their respiratory organs prepared for histologic examination. Lesions were assessed by subjective scoring and computerized morphometry, and results obtained by the two methods were compared to assess agreement of results. Lesions were limited to the nasal passages. Ammonia exposure resulted in hyperplastic and degenerative changes in the anterior nasal epithelium. Lesions of mycoplasmosis were more severe in ammonia-exposed than unexposed rats, but qualitative differences in lesions were not apparent. Results of the two methods agreed in assessment of submucosal inflammatory cell accumulation. Epithelial lesions were difficult to evaluate by both methods in infected, ammonia-exposed rats. In evaluation of lesions of ammonia exposure alone, agreement was adequate. Both methods indicated that exudates were significantly greater in ammonia-exposed infected rats than in non-exposed infected rats. Thus, scoring and morphometry provided similar assessments of differences in lesion severity among the treatment groups.