Buffers in Ruminant Diets

There are two sets of dietary conditions under which the beef feeder may give consideration to the feeding of buffering materials. One is when the diet consists primarily of silages that by necessity contain performed organic acids in quantities that may contribute an extra burden to the normal buffering capacity of the ruminant digestive tract. The other is under conditions of high-concentrate feeding when the rapid fermentation of readily fermentable carbohydrates by rumen microbes produces high concentrations of organic acids. These acids may overtax the normal buffering systems inherently present in the ruminant digestive tract and blood system resulting in the condition commonly referred to as rumen acidosis