Studies of cattle and sheep eating leaf and stem fractions of grasses. III.* The retention time in the rumen of large feed particles

Pangola grass (Digitavia decumbens) and Rhodes grass (Chlovis gayana) cut as 6 and 12 week regrowths were separated into leaf and stem fractions and fed ad libitum to four cattle and eight sheep fitted with ruminal fistulae to determine the importance of particle size in controlling the retention time of feed in the rumeno-reticulum (rumen). Particle size was determined by using a wet sieving technique, and based on the cumulative dry matter distribution on the sieves of faeces from cattle and sheep; all particles >1.18 mm were described as large particles. The proportion of large particles was measured in the chopped diet offered, the masticated diet, the ruminal contents and the faeces. Chopped leaf and stem fractions contained 0.85 and 0.86 g/g large particles respectively. Mastication by cattle reduced the proportion of large particles in leaf and stem to 0.58 and 0.76 (P 0.05) and in cattle 0.272 and 0.345 (P 0.05). Cattle retained large particles in all diets for a longer time (P 0.05). Differences in retention time of large particles in the rumen did not appear to be the only factor controlling the retention of dry matter in the rumen and voluntary intake. A model was developed to describe the flow of large and small particles through the rumen. Intake simulation studies indicated that the most important factor influencing dry matter retention time in the rumen was the retention time of small particles (> 1.18 mm). Changes in the rate of breakdown of large particles had a small effect on dry matter retention time