With the aim to study physiological value of the rumen
infusoria to their host ruminants, the following items were investigated with 8 Saanen Goats:(1) the species of
infusoria present in rumen of each goat, (2) the time to appear in kid's rumen after birth, (3) the distribution of
Infusoria in a goat stomach, (4) the numerical changes of
infusoria per cc of rumen contents under the various feeding and hunger conditions and during conception.
(1) The species of
infusoria found in those goats' rumen are as follows:
(2) While two kids were fed on milk alone, any
Infusoria could not be found in their rumen contents. However some species of
Entodinium appeared even in a small number on the third day since they began to receive some hay, and Diplo. maggi did after 8 days.
(3) From our observation of a slaughtered goat's stomach, the
infusoria were distributed equally in both the rumen and the reticulum with a great majority (80-90%), but in the omasum only a few were found in dead forms and nane in the abomasum.
From this fact it is considered that the
infusoria multiply in the rumen and reticulum, and synthesize protein to construct their own bodies obtaining the raw material from the ingested food, and when they are sent to the abomasum with the ruminated ingesta,
infusoria protein may be digested.
(4) The numbers of rumen
infusoria varied by changing the ration of their hosts as follows:
From the above data it may be said that the numbers of
infusoria increase when the hosts inges a good deal of plant protein, but
Diplodinium can not multiply actively in such rumen condition below pH 6.8 as appeared during the oat alone feeding period.
(5) Under the hunger condition the numbern of
infusoria decreased promptly, and the rumes content was almost free from
infusoria on the 72nd hunger hour.
(6) The remarkable tendency to increase in the number of rumen
infusoria as pregnancy advances which had been pointed out by FERBER was not observed.
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