Effect of ruminal ammonia-nitrogen concentration on protein degradation in situ.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of ruminal ammonia-nitrogen concentration on rate of ruminal protein degradation. In Experiment 1, four Holstein steers were fed a basal diet of corn grain and corn silage at hourly intervals. Continuous intraruminal infusions of solutions containing sodium bicarbonate and either sodium chloride or ammonium chloride resulted in ruminal ammonia-nitrogen concentrations that averaged 4.8 and 17.3 mg/dl. Ruminal fluid pH, fluid volume, and turnover rate of fluid and molar percentage of acetate, propionate, and butyrate were similar across treatments, reflecting steady state conditions. Rates of nitrogen and dry matter disappearance from polyester bags containing soybean protein supplements with 10.2 or 50.1% soluble nitrogen were not affected by increase of ruminal ammonia-nitrogen concentrations from 4.8 to 17.3 mg/dl. In Experiment 2, Holstein steers were fed twice daily a basal diet of urea-supplemented corn grain and corn silage. Polyester bags containing soybean protein supplements were placed in the rumen at -4, 0, or 4 h with reference to feeding and incubated from 1 to 12 h. Peak ruminal ammonia-nitrogen concentrations occurred during different periods of incubation for each treatment. Ruminal ammonia-nitrogen concentrations ranged from 3 mg/dl at 6 h postfeeding to 46 mg/dl at 1 h postfeeding. Nitrogen and dry matter disappearance rates during 0 to 1 and 1 to 12 h of incubation did not differ among treatments.