Digestibility and fermentation of wheat straw and soybean meal by isolated rumen bacteria from sheep fed diets containing olive pulp

The present experiment was conducted to determine the effect of different amounts of olive pulp replaced with barley grain in the diet of sheep, on whole microorganisms or bacteria activity isolated from their rumen, in digestion of wheat straw (fiber feed source) or soybean meal (protein feed source). The experiment was conducted with 12 Arabi male sheep (weight 33 kg) in a completely randomized design. The experimental treatments were the liquor taken from rumen of sheep fed three diets containing: 1- Control (without olive pulp), 2- 7.8 and 3- 15.6% of the olive pulp. Potential of gas production of wheat straw that was incubated by isolated bacteria from rumen fluid of sheep fed with diet contain 15.6% olive pulp, decreased significantly in compared to control (76.92 vs. 47.48 ml). Organic matter digestibility of wheat straw by whole microorganisms of sheep fed with diet containing 7.8% olive pulp was increased in compared to the control diet (21.12 vs. 30.90%). Gas production rate of wheat straw and soybean meal fermented with rumen fluid of the sheep fed diet containing 7.8% olive pulp was maximum amount among all diets (0.017 and 0.05 ml/h, respectively). Partitioning factor (PF), the efficiency of microbial biomass, and cell wall degradability of wheat straw incubated by isolated bacteria from the rumen fluid of sheep receiving diet contain 15.6% olive pulp were lower than other diets.