Maintaining Deer Rumen Fluid for in Vitro Digestion Studies

Effects of time between collection of inoculum and initiation of in vitro digestion and effects of method of storage and temperature of the inoculum upon in vitro digestion of a ground alfalfa substrate were examined. There was a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in digestion of dry matter after storage of rumen inoculum from mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) for more than 2 hours. In vitro digestion of dry matter was greater when inocula were stored at 38.5 C than at 7 C. Inocula strained through cheesecloth and stored without buffer produced higher dry matter digestion than was produced by either inocula strained and stored with buffer or with unstrained unbuffered inocula.