Use of ostrich faeces as alternative inoculum to caecal content to study the in vitro digestibility of alfalfa (green, dehydrated and hay)

• Main Authors: C. Di Meo, R. Lucà, S. Nizza, G. Piccolo, F. Bovera
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2010-04-01
• Series: Italian Journal of Animal Science
• Subjects: Ostrich, Caecal content, Faeces, In vitro gas production technique.
• Online Access: http://www.aspajournal.it/index.php/ijas/article/view/1470
• ISSN: 1594-4077; 1828-051X

In order to find an alternative source of inoculum to caecal content for studying the in vitro feed digestibility in domesticated ostriches, caecal content and faeces of 4 male birds were used as inocula for an in vitro gas production trial. Three alfalfa (hay, AH; green , GA; dehydrated, DA) were used as substrates. Caecal content and faeces, diluted respectively 1:2 (CI) and 1:4 (FI) with an anaerobic medium and were used as inocula. Gas production was recorded 22 times up to 120 h of incubation and fermentation characteristics (e.g. degraded organic matter, OMd; potential gas production, A; maximum fermentation rate, Rmax; volatile fatty acid, VFA) were studied by inoculum and substrate. CI showed a higher OMd (67.90 vs 64.60 %, respectively for CI and FI, P < 0.01) but lower A (200.6 vs 212.6 ml/g, respectively for CI and FI, P < 0.01) and Rmax (5.94 vs 6.56 ml/h, respectively for CI and FI, P < 0.05) than FI. No differences were found in tVFA production. The significant higher value of branched chain proportion [(isovaleric + isobutyrate)/tVFA] for CI (0.039 vs 0.032 respectively for CI and FI, P < 0.05) indicate a higher degradation protein for this inoculum.