Grain grinding size of cereals in complete pelleted diets for growing lambs: Effects on ruminal microbiota and fermentation

• Published in: Small ruminant research 2018-02, Vol.159, p.38-44
• Main Authors: Andrés, Sonia, Jaramillo, Esaúl, Bodas, Raúl, Blanco, Carolina, Benavides, Julio, Fernández, Patricia, González, Estefanía P., Frutos, Javier, Belenguer, Álvaro, López, Secundino, Giráldez, F. Javier
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cereal processing; Digestion; Lamb; Rumen health; Ruminal fatty acids; Ruminal microbiota
• ISSN: 0921-4488; 1879-0941
• DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2017.12.009

•Effects of cereal grinding size on rumen function were evaluated in fattening lambs.•Finely ground cereals increase abundance of ruminal bacteria related to acidosis.•Coarser cereal particle size is related to enhanced status of rumen mucosa.•Cereal particle size affects the fatty acid profile of ruminal digesta.•Increasing cereal grinding size may reduce ruminal acidosis in fattening lambs. Lambs from intensive dairy sheep production systems are sold out either after weaning as milk-fed lambs or after a fattening characterized by high intakes of concentrate feeds (mainly cereals) which can lead to ruminal disorders. Therefore, it is essential to explore different feeding alternatives in order to reach a balance between economic or productive benefits and animal welfare. Twenty weaned male lambs (6–8 weeks age, 14.8 ± 0.16 kg body weight) were allocated randomly to one of two different groups (n = 10 per group) to study the effect of feeding a complete pelleted diet (CPD) in which cereal grains were ground at two different sieve sizes (either 2-mm with 13.5% dry matter (DM) of the particles >1.7 mm or 6-mm with 47.1% DM of particles >1.7 mm) on DM intake, nutrient digestibility, ruminal microbiota and fermentation. Lambs were fed the corresponding CPD ad libitum and slaughtered when they reached 27 kg. DM intake was greater in the lambs fed 2-mm grains than in those fed 6-mm grains (P