THE LARGE-INTESTINE CAPACITY OF SOW

Colonal events (ileal cannulation KESTING et al. [1986], postmortal instestine studies SCHNABEL [1983]) were determined in a complex program with sows (108-140 kg LW) using seven energy equal rations (1.43 bis 1.55 kEFs/animal per day), differing in the nutrient content. Ileal nutrient flow changed in quality and quantity. It varied between 1674 g and 520 g OM/d, affecting seriously postileal reactions. In our experiments were the maximal capacity 225 ml/kg LW, which was not compensated by faster transit time (54 h). The daily ileal flow into the large bowel determined the transit time (B = 0.97). The ileal flow rates coined the colonal volume primarly (B = 0.90). The fermentability of OM varied between 33 and 77% (average 60%) in dependence of the nutrient content of ileal chyme. The production capacity of VFA/h (in vitro) correlated with the fermentability of OM in vivo (B = 0.76). With help of an anaerobic fermentation equation and through the calculation of VFA-production rate (g OM/h) on the colon transit the values (in-vivo vs. in-vitro) were identical.