[Rate of passage of a non-traditional diet through the digestive tract in sheep].

The rate of passage of experimental diets based on non-conventional feeds through the alimentary tract of rams was studied. The composition of diets was as follows: barley straw (D-2, D-1), conditioned beech sawdust (D-2, D-1), waste cellulose fibre (D-2, D-1), lactosylureide (D-2), peanut waste (D-2), urea (D-1), wood molasses (D-2, D-1) and mineral supplement (D-2, W-1). The control feed (K) contained straw, barley, beet molasses and mineral supplement. As a marker was used a single application (50 g) of polyethylene (PE), particle size 0.4 mm and specific weight 0.924, which formed 3.9, 3.5 and 4% of the diet dry matter. After 10 days the recovery of polyethylene amounting to 81.23% (D-2), 84.78% (D-1) and 86.6% (K) was established. The polyethylene losses occurred most probably at its administration in feed (10-12%), elapsing of polyethylene excreted after 10 days following the administration (0.5-1.5%) and by potential retention in rumen and large intestine. Maximal excretion of feces was observed during the second day after administration of the markered feed; after three days the excretion was as follows: group D-2-62%, group D-1-57% and control group 75.6%. A longer retention time in rumen at feeding D-2 and D-1 diets can be contributed to a high content of fibre in these diets. The digestibility of dry matter in diet D-2 amounted to 61.2%, i n diet D-1 to 62.3% and in control diet to 68.7%. Higher digestibility of feed is in accordance with its higher excreting. As shown by the results, the diets based on non-conventional feeds (secondary wood sources) lead to the prolongation of feed retention time in rumen and slow down the rate of passage through the alimentary tract.