Investigaciones sobre la microfauna ruminal de la oveja en León, y los factores que influyen en su composición cualitativa

Abstract

By using Lubinsky ancl Dippell's techniques to stain ciliated, with satisfactory results to diagnose their species and to take photomicrogra­phies, we have carried out a work in order to determine the species which are present in the rumen of sheep in the Province of León, the qualita­tive composition of this microfauna and the influence of the quality of the ration, the sex and the age of animals on said microfauna. We have also studied the adaptation of the population in the rumen of ciliated to the various changes of the diet, the diurnal qualitative variations and the relations between the various groups of ciliated. The first part of our work has heen carried out with material proceeding from the municipal abattoir of León, whereas other aspects have been studied with a lot of sheep which were kept under a severer and more exact conditions.
We have identified 30 species which belong to 12 different gene­ra. The presence of Epidinium  ecaudatum f. bicaudatum and Epidinium ecaudatum f. tricaudatum in sheep has been shown for the first time.
The species of Entodinium and particularly Entodinium dubardi have been found in all animals which were examined; the least frequent were of Metadinium tauricum and Diplodinium anisacanthum. It has also been shown that the oscillations in the qualitative composition of the microfauna of the rumen of sheep have an intimate relation with the quality of feed ingested: there is a statistically signi­ficative increase in the entodiniomorphic group due to rations rich in raw fiber whereas if there is plenty of nitrogen-free matters the holotri­chous group increases though this modification is not always statistically significative.
The Entodinium spp. have been the most constant in whatever type of ration. Consequently the variations or changes observed during different periods of time have been interpreted as changes due to the modifications in the quality of the rations.
The variations existing in the formulae of percentage of ciliated in males and females with a statistical meaning, show a possible hormonal influence.
Regarding the moment of the ingestion of feed, the Entodinium spp. and the holotrichous group predominate in the preceding hours to the ingestion whereas the entodiniomorphic group is more numerous in the hours following the ingestion. We have shown that there exists a certain antagonism between Polyplastron multivesiculatum and the group formed by Eudiplodinium magii and Epidinium spp. and we have observed that the association between Polyplastron multivesiculatum and Diploplastron affine as well as between Eudiplodinium spp. and Epidinium spp. is not so constant as other authors have stated