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¹⁴⁴Ce-¹⁴⁴Pr as a Particulate Digesta Flow Marker in Ruminants¹

Animal Science Department, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas

The validity of radioactive cerium as a particulate digesta flow marker was tested in sheep by comparing its rate of fecal excretion with residues derived from different feedstuff particles upon which the radioactive cerium had been absorbed and with water-soluble and water-insoluble markers in 3 experiments. The mean retention time for radioactive cerium was related to that for residues derived from feedstuff particles upon which the radioactive cerium had been adsorbed and unrelated to that for residues derived from other concurrently fed feedstuff particles. The mean retention time for radioactive cerium was not significantly correlated with that for a watersoluble and finely divided water-insoluble marker. The mean retention time for radioactive cerium was not markedly different when adsorbed either onto hay particles or readily fermentable starch in a fourth experiment. These results suggested that radioactive cerium remained in close physical association with indigestible residues during their transit of the ruminants' gastrointestinal tract by continued adsorption onto indigestible particles or by readsorption onto other particles. Thus radioactive cerium or other rare earth elements at radiocolloidal concentrations were considered as valid flow markers of digesta particulate matter.

Manuscript received 20 October 1967.