Sampling the Contents of the Rumen of the Dairy Cow

Abstract

Dairy cows fed pasture were used to compare the concentrations of the volatile fatty acids and the proportions of the individual acids in rumen liquor, obtained by two methods of sampling. Samples of rumen liquor were taken from the middle of the rumen and from the contents, after their removal from the rumen and thorough mixing. Ten samples were taken prior to feeding, and a further 10 were taken 2.5 to three hours after the commencement of feeding. Differences in the concentrations of the volatile fatty acids and the proportions of the individual acids were small between the two methods of sampling. It was concluded that, for pasture-fed dairy cows, a sample taken from the middle of the rumen was reasonably representative of the contents as a whole. © 1965 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.