Effect of roughage species consumed on fecal alkane recovery in sheep, and effect of sample drying treatment on alkane concentrations

摘要: The effect of roughage species on fecal alkane recoveries (the proportion ingested recovered in feces) and the sample drying treatment concentrations samples dietary components feces were studied 2 experiments conducted with sheep. In experiment 1, 6 single-species diets (2 different batches lucerne (Medicago sativa) hay, Phalaris aquatica oaten straw, wheaten Trifolium subterraneum hay) fed to animals each a crossover design. A further 3 mixed diet beeswax-labelled cottonseed meal. 2, from sheep 4 mixtures pelleted ground wheat grain (lucerne : wheat 360 : 270 g/day; 360 : 450 g/day; 600 : 270 g/day; 600 : 450 g/day; per diet), fixed amount (270 g/day) which was labelled beeswax, dried 1 ways: freeze drying, oven at 65°C for 48 h or 105°C 24 h. Differences between various not statistically significant, due part high between-animal variation recovery. recovery odd-chain alkanes increased curvilinear manner carbon-chain length. even-chain highly variable, their low concentrations, also differed those expected given adjacent alkanes. results indicate that could replace but significantly reduced concentrations. Further studies are necessary investigate concentration fresh roughages.