Publication Date
1989
Description
The saturated odd-chain hydrocarbons (alkanes) of plant cuticular waxes, with chain lengths in the range C25-C35, can be used as internal markers for estimating herbage digestibility (Mayes and Lamb, 1984). In similar fashion, orally-administered even-chain alkanes (e.g. C23, C32 or C36) can be used to estimate faecal output (Mayes et al., 1986). These calculations, if done separately, require assumptions or information about the faecal recovery of alkanes. An alternative approach is to use one natural and one synthetic alkane, adjacent in chain length, to directly estimate herbage intake since, in this case, the incomplete recoveries have been shown to cancel out (Mayes et al., 1986). However, even this approach assumes that the alkane pattern of intermittent faeces samples ( e.g., twice daily) will be the same as the total faecal output. Our studies sought to obtain information about faecal recoveries of alkanes and about the efficacy of faecal sampling in penned and in grazing sheep.
Citation
Dove, H; Mayes, R W.; Freer, M; Coombe, J B.; and Foot, J Z., "Faeceal Recoveries of the Alkanes of Plant Cuticular Waxes in Penned and In Grazing Sheep" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 41.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session9/41
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Faeceal Recoveries of the Alkanes of Plant Cuticular Waxes in Penned and In Grazing Sheep
The saturated odd-chain hydrocarbons (alkanes) of plant cuticular waxes, with chain lengths in the range C25-C35, can be used as internal markers for estimating herbage digestibility (Mayes and Lamb, 1984). In similar fashion, orally-administered even-chain alkanes (e.g. C23, C32 or C36) can be used to estimate faecal output (Mayes et al., 1986). These calculations, if done separately, require assumptions or information about the faecal recovery of alkanes. An alternative approach is to use one natural and one synthetic alkane, adjacent in chain length, to directly estimate herbage intake since, in this case, the incomplete recoveries have been shown to cancel out (Mayes et al., 1986). However, even this approach assumes that the alkane pattern of intermittent faeces samples ( e.g., twice daily) will be the same as the total faecal output. Our studies sought to obtain information about faecal recoveries of alkanes and about the efficacy of faecal sampling in penned and in grazing sheep.
