EFFECT OF TIME AFTER FEEDING ON DISTRIBUTION OF FEED PARTICLES IN THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT OF SHEEP GIVEN ORCHADGRASS HAY ONCE A DAY

To determine the effect of time after feeding on distribution of particle size of digesta in the gastrointestinal tract, 16 sheep given orchardgrass first cut hay were slaughtered at 2, 8, 16 and 24 hours after feeding and digesta in diverse sites of the tract were sieved into four fractions of particle size larger than $1180{\mu}m$, 300-1180, 45-300 and less than 45. Following results were obtained: 1) In the reticulo-rumen, the proportion of particles larger than $1180{\mu}m$ decreased with the time after feeding, while the other particle size fractions did not change with time after feeding. 2) In the post-ruminal alimentary tract, the proportion of particles larger than $1180{\mu}m$ was significantly smaller than that in the reticulo-rumen and distribution of fractions of every particle size stayed consistently at about the same level irrespective of the time after feeding. 3) In the cecum, the fraction of particle size less than $45{\mu}m$ appeared to be selectively retained when the passage rate was considered.