1997/01/01 by D L Harmon, D. L. Harmon, C J Richards +1 · 8 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology #Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock #Animal Nutrition and Physiology
paper · doi:10.2527/1997.7582248x
The complexity of ruminant digestion necessitates a greater variety and complexity of experimental methods than with any other species. The fact that dietary ingredients are first subjected to microbial fermentation requires elaborate measures to ascertain nutrients presented for absorption. Numerous approaches have been attempted to obtain representative samples of digesta at sites throughout the gastrointestinal tract. The choices of a researcher before an experiment include animal(s), site(s) for cannula placement, style of cannula, cannula material, and numerous other more subtle factors that may contribute to the success of an experiment. This review compares the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches, cannula types, and cannula materials that should be considered before experiments are conducted.