The effects upon digestion in sheep of the dietary inclusion of additional salivary salts

Four mature Suffolk × half bred wether sheep, fitted with rumen fistula and re‐entrant cannulae at the proximal duodenum and terminal ileum were given in sequence, a control diet (diet 1) and that diet supplemented with either 20 or 40 g saliva salt kg−1 (diets 2 and 3 respectively). The addition of 20 g salt kg−1 failed to alter significantly the rumen fermentation pattern and dilution rate. In contrast, the feeding of diet 3 resulted in a significant increase in the molar proportions of ruminal acetate, a non‐significant decrease in propionate and a significantly higher rumen dilution rate (D), which was positively correlated with the molar proportions of acetate. Ruminal NH3‐N concentration tended to increase with salt supplementation, with the greatest concentration being observed at the highest level of salt inclusion. The presence of the salts significantly reduced the degradability of the feed protein within the reticulorumen. The dietary inclusion of the salts resulted in a non‐significant increase in total amino acid N (TAA‐N) and a significant increase in the organic matter entering the small intestine.