Rumen contents

Description: 

When ruminant animals are slaughtered the contents of their rumen can become a viable feed resource. It should be dried immediately. It can also be ensiled, but it needs to be mixed with a readily fermentable source of carbohydrates in ordered to be ensiled properly. The rumen contents from different types of animals (goats, cattle, sheep, etc.) will vary dramatically in their composition. Rumen contents can serve as a good source of Water Soluble Vitamins, CP and dietary energy for herbivores. 

Source:

Contents of rumens from ruminant animals (cattle, sheep, goats, etc.) that are being slaughtered.

Feeding Experiments: 

Composition of rumen contents was found to be quite variable depending upon what species (goats, cattle, buffaloes) that is was collected (14)(CAB 951402913)(Ghosh, 1993), rumen contents from goats tended to have the highest DM and CP content. Rumen contents were found to be a good source of Water Soluble Vitamins and protein (7)(CAB 941405448)(Ristic, 1993). Performance of broilers was not found to be depressed when 10 to 15 % dried rumen contents were fed (13)(CAB N415446)(Roa, 1990). Dried rumen contents replaced 25, 50, 75, and 100 % of the wheat bran in broiler diets and no depression in performance was observed (8)(CAB 941412207)(Sadhukhan, 1993). Including dried rumen contents up to 9 % in the diets of layers had no effect on yolk color (1)(AGRIS 94-079818)(Riswantiyah, 1988). Increased digestible DM, digestible CP, digestible CF and egg yield was observed when layers were fed the dried rumen contents from goats (6)(CAB N268494)(Singh, 1988). Performance of quail fed dried rumen contents was depressed as the level increased in the diet (9)(CAB 981407944)(Das, 1997). Feeding 4 % of dietary dry matter as dried rumen contents was not found to depress performance in swine (3)(CAB N182999)(Chrappa, 1988). Dry matter intake, final carcass weight, carcass dressing % where no decreased when up to 50 % of dietary dry matter was fed to lambs as dried rumen contents, but gain was lower (4)(CAB 19991414725)(Abouheif, 1999). When dried rumen contents replaced 25 % of the hay in a rabbit diet growth was increased (5)(CAB N279321)(Abd-El-Rahman, 1989).

Feeding and Handling Characteristics: 

Rumen contents by itself was not found to ensile well, so additional fermentable carbohydrates need to be added (11)(CAB 962215169)(McCaskey, 1996).

Nutrient Characteristics: