350 W.C. Ellis et al.
Fig. 16.7.
Relationships between load of neutral detergent fibre undigested in the rumen, UF (A), mean effective escape rate,
2 UF
- e
(B) and efflux rate (UF) in
lactating (
) and non-lactating (
) ruminants. (A and B) Relationships to daily UF; (C–E) Relationships to dietary concentrations of UF. Consumption of increasin
g UF
up to approximately 6 g UF kg
^1
BW (A) or approximately 0.2 UF OM
^1
(C) resulted in linear increases in load of UF and escape rates of UF from the rumen,
2 UF
- e
.
These responses are proposed to reflect demand for metabolizable nutrients by the ruminant’s tissues. In contrast, consumption o
f levels of dietary UF >6 g UF kg
^1
BW resulted in increases in UF load with a relatively constant
2 UF
- e
of approximately 0.4 day
^1
(D). The positive and linear response in UF loads >6 g UF kg
^1
BW
versus UF efflux (A) provide no indication that a maximum UF load was approached in these trials.