Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 March 2009
The rate of production of bacteria in the rumen of buffalo calves kept on two rations was measured using 14C labelled Streptococcus bovis and 35S whole ruminal bacterial cells. The animals received daily either 15–20 kg green maize or 25–30 kg green cow pea in 12 equal amounts at 2-h intervals. The bacterial cells from the rumen of animals maintained on the same diet were tagged with 35S by in vitro incubation in the presence of 35S-sodium sulphate. Similarly Streptococcus bovis of rumen origin was grown in the presence of U-14C dl-leucine. The cells were injected into the rumen in a single dose. The dilution of the specific radioactivity of bacterial cells in the rumen with time was taken for calculation of the turnover time and rate of production of bacteria.
The average production rates of bacteria were 88·3 ± 3·88 and 92·3 ± 1·82 g/kg digestible organic matter and 101·8 ± 1·55 and 103·3 ± 1·49 g/kg digestible organic matter in animals fed green maize and cow pea, when estimated by using mixed rumen whole bacterial cells and Streptococcus bovis respectively. There was no significant difference in the rate of bacteria production when estimated by either method.