Abstract

Six Friesian heifers (c. 300 kg) fitted with cannulas were given diets of wheat straw sprayed with NaOH (4.4 % wlw) and essential minerals either with or without urea (3% w/w). The total protozoal numbers in the rumen fluid were not significantly different between dietary trcatments (mean 6.2 X 104/ml). However, there were more holotrichs and medium-size entodiniomorph protozoa in the rumen fluid of the cattle given the HU and LU diets than the Hand L diets. Protozoal counts in the omasal fluid were 44% of those in rumen fluid. The apparent digestibilities of OM and neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) in the stomach and in the total tract were lower with high than low feed intakes. The urea supplement enhanced the digestibilities of OM and NDF in the stomach and in the total tract. The total nitrogen (N) and non-ammonia N (NAN) flowing to the omasum and to the duodenum per unit of N intake were significantly greater with the low than the high feed intakes and with urea supplementation of the diets than without urea supplementation. The proportions of total microbial N and bacterial N in omasal NAN were higher with the supplement of urea than the unsupplemented straw. The bacterial N in the NAN flowing to the omasum was lower for the high than the low intakes. Concentrations of ammonia-N and total volatile fatty acids in rumen fluid were higher for the ureasupplemented straw than the unsupplemented straw. The high level of feed intake was associated with higher water volume and solid contents in the rumen.