Table 5 Ruminal protozoa population of heifers fed a barley straw diet before and after rumen content transfers from the bison.

From: Repeated inoculation of cattle rumen with bison rumen contents alters the rumen microbiome and improves nitrogen digestibility in cattle

Item  

Rumen transfers

SEM

P-value

Before

After

Time

Transfer

Time × Transfer

Total Protozoa, ×104

 Before feeding

7.5

10.0

0.55

0.02

<0.01

0.67

 6 h after feeding

6.4

8.5

    

Entodinium, %1

 Before feeding

73.1

57.2

2.77

0.35

<0.01

0.23

 6 h after feeding

67.8

57.9

    

Ostracodinium, %1

 Before feeding

7.2

21.2

1.88

0.35

<0.01

0.41

 6 h after feeding Item

7.0

18.2

    

Eudiplodinium, %1

 Before feeding

5.5

5.6

1.04

0.02

0.69

0.32

 6 h after feeding

7.2

7.9

    

Metadinium, %1

 Before feeding

6.7

5.8

1.00

0.24

0.07

0.51

 6 h after feeding

8.2

5.6

    

Diplodinium, %1

 Before feeding

4.9

4.6

1.16

0.71

0.27

0.32

 6 h after feeding

4.8

4.9

    

Prevalence2

 Polyplastron

      

  Before feeding

6.3

28.1

0.12

0.57

0.12

  6 h after feeding

6.3

3.1

    

Isotricha

 Before feeding

34.4

43.8

0.84

0.84

0.21

 6 h after feeding

43.8

31.3

    

Dasytricha

 Before feeding

21.9

53.1

0.88

0.13

0.06

 6 h after feeding

34.4

31.3

    

Epidinium

 Before feeding

6.3

25.0

0.77

<0.01

0.42

 6 h after feeding

3.1

34.4

    
  1. 1% of total protozoa count.
  2. 2% of the heifers that had at least one of the following protozoa genus. Data were analyzed as binomial distribution (yes or no) by the GLIMMIX procedure (SAS Inst. Inc.).