What is it about?
The addition of buffers to ruminant diets helps to maintain ruminal pH and a normal fibrolitic activity, and is a common practice in confinement systems. In pasture-based production systems, the restriction in the time of access to the pasture often leads to rumen pH fluctuations and a lack of digestion. We studied if the addition of a buffer (a mixture composed by NaHCO3 and MgO) in sheep fed only pasture for a restricted time in a day, can improve rumen environment and nutrient utilization.
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Perspectives
Although restriction in daily time of access to high quality pastures is a common practice in grazing systems, the use of tools like the addition of buffers is not. Our study demonstrated that buffer supplementation can help in situations when there are acidosis risk, as leads to higher rumen pH controlling fermentation by an increase in water ingestion. However, the additon of NaHCO3 to diets also increse urinary Na excretion, which represents a risk for environment.
Professor María Cecilia Cajarville
UdelaR
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This page is a summary of: Use of NaHCO3and MgO as additives for sheep fed only pasture for a restricted period of time per day: effects on intake, digestion and the rumen environment, Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, February 2014, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/jpn.12173.
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