Table 1 Alpha-diversity metrics of the rumen bacterial community for each week throughout the 70d trial.

165.42 ± 4.24^b

166.88 ± 4.18^b

0.70 ± 0.02^a

0.11 ± 0.01^abc

0.92 ± 0.04

110.33 ± 4.34^d

111.14 ± 4.28^d

0.59 ± 0.02^bc

0.08 ± 0.01 ^cd

0.94 ± 0.04

136.36 ± 4.24^c

138.19 ± 4.18^c

0.53 ± 0.02^c

0.05 ± 0.01^de

0.94 ± 0.04

89.25 ± 4.06^ef

89.34 ± 4.00^ef

0.61 ± 0.02^b

0.09 ± 0.01^bc

0.99 ± 0.00

307.61 ± 4.10^a

322.38 ± 4.04^a

0.53 ± 0.02^c

0.03 ± 0.01^e

0.98 ± 0.02

45.60 ± 4.06 ^h

45.63 ± 4.00 ^h

0.59 ± 0.02^bc

0.14 ± 0.01^a

0.99 ± 0.00

74.29 ± 4.06^fg

74.38 ± 4.00^fg

0.60 ± 0.02^b

0.11 ± 0.01^abc

0.99 ± 0.00

94.92 ± 4.06^de

95.48 ± 4.00^de

0.61 ± 0.02^b

0.10 ± 0.01^bc

0.99 ± 0.00

87.71 ± 4.15^ef

87.88 ± 4.08^ef

0.62 ± 0.02^b

0.11 ± 0.01^abc

0.96 ± 0.03

60.48 ± 4.06^gh

60.66 ± 4.00^gh

0.61 ± 0.02^b

0.13 ± 0.01^ab

0.99 ± 0.00