Working group physiology of digestion in ruminants

Research into the metabolism in the forestomachs is essential for the species-appropriate and requirements-based nutrition of ruminants. Particularly against the background of increasing performances of the animals, financial constraints, an increasing awareness of ecology and animal welfare as well as high requirements concerning safety and quality of the food of animal origin. Due to the multitude of possible influencing factors and interactions on the metabolism in the rumen, there is still a substantial gap in knowledge. Some problems under examination at the moment, continually or recently are:

• Effects of vitamin B supplements on the degradation and synthesis of the B vitamins as well as on the efficiency of use of nitrogen in the rumen
• Effects of ruminally protected conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on the metabolism in the rumen
• Effects of fumaric acid on the metabolism of nutrients in the rumen
• Investigations on the feeding value of silage from maize grown under increased CO2 concentrations
• Identification and quantification of the effects of species, amount and treatment of partly so far less common respectively “new” (e. g. by-products from bio-energy production, genetic engineering etc.) feedstuffs as well as
• of feed additives or undesirable substances (e. g. mycotoxins) on rumen metabolism, animal health, quality of milk and meat plus environmental burdens
• Effects of the rumen metabolism on the energy- and protein-supply of the animals