An-Najah Staff

Two studies using three ruminally cannulated beef steers in the first one fed a roughage diet (98% chopped alfalfa at maintenance) and 12 beef steers in the second fed limited ration (85% adlib intake ) composed of 90% concentrate diet ( 80% cracked corn , 10% soybean meal), and 10% chopp-ed alfalfa were allotted to treatment groups receiving a supplement of either monensin / tylan (m27.5 ppm / 11 ppm), lasalocid (33 ppm) or a daily rotation of the two ionophores to examine the effect of the ionophores on rumen population of anaerobic fungi over time and the relationship between fungal numbers and methane production. In the first study , nylon bags containing leaf blades of 5mm length were incubated for 24 hrs. in the rumen.