The role of protozoa in ruminant digestion in sheep with special reference to the effect of some digestive troubles on such organisms

The present study was planned to clarify the role of protozoa in the rumen digestion in sheep and the effect of some digestive troubles on such organisms. Five adult Rahmany and Merino sheep were used to studythe effect of presence or absence of rumen protozoa on rumendigestion. The animals were fed good quality clover hay. The studied parameters were nutrients digestibilities inclu- ding lignin, cellulose and pentosan and the feeding value as SV, TDN, and DCP. Rumen samples were taken before feedingand .at 1,2,4,6 and 8 hours post feeding. The rmninal juicepicture including ruminal p~ value, ruminal ammonia nitrogen ruminal total and individual VFA as well, as the ruminal enzy- matic activities for carbohydrates, proteins and lipids wereexamined. These parameters were studied firstly with clini- caly normal sheep, then the animals were fasted for five days after which it was dosed with copper sulphate 2% to get ridof its ruminal protozoa and the same above mentioned parame- ters were investigated again. Fourty diseased out-patients animals presented to theclinic’ of Department of Veterinary Medecine, Cairo Univer- sity with history of indigestion were. used to study the ef- fect of digestive troubles on the ruminal protozoa, the rumen liquor of these animals were examined biophysically