Digesta sampling sites and marker methods for estimation of ruminal outflow in bulls fed different proportions of corn silage or sugarcane

The objective of this experiment was to assess ruminal outflow and apparent total-tract digestibility using digesta samples from 3 sites (reticulum, omasum, and abomasum) and 3 marker methods (single marker: indigestible NDF [iNDF; sample without separation]; double marker: iNDF + Co-EDTA [filtered sample]; and triple marker: iNDF + ytterbium [Yb] acetate + Co-EDTA [filtered and centrifuged]) in bulls fed corn silage and sugarcane-based diets. Eight crossbred (Holstein × Zebu) bulls (353 ± 37 kg of BW; 24 ± 1 mo of age) with ruminal and abomasal cannulas were randomly distributed into two 4 × 4 Latin squares that were balanced for residual effects. The following experimental diets were used: 1) 60% corn silage + 40% concentrate, 2) 40% corn silage + 60% concentrate, 3) 60% fresh sugarcane + 40% concentrate, and 4) 40% fresh sugarcane + 60% concentrate. Reticular, omasal, and abomasal digesta samples were collected at 9-h intervals over 3 d. At the end of the experiment, a composite sample was prepared for each bull, and these samples were subsequently assigned to the 3 marker methods. The concentrations of CP, NDF, and iNDF of reticular digesta differed (P < 0.01) from those of the omasum and abomasum. Use of omasal and abomasal samples led to similar estimates of ruminal outflow and ruminal digestibility for DM (P = 0.65), OM (P = 0.68), CP (P = 0.85), and NDF (P = 0.57). In contrast, the ruminal outflow of digesta based on reticular sampling appeared to be underestimated. We recommend sampling from the omasum because sampling from this region is less invasive than sampling from the abomasum. Although we did not observe differences in ruminal NDF digestibility among the different marker methods, we did observe that ruminal digestibility of CP was greater for the single marker method than for the double and triple marker methods; we therefore recommend the use of the double or triple marker method.