Morphophysiological variations of the digestive system (digestive capacity, digesta flows, fermentation rates) of different species of ruminants, and between breeds within each species, are related to their feeding behaviour and digestive physiology (Hofmann, 1989, Oecologia, 78, 443-457), with possible differences between ruminant species and between breeds in the efficiency of digestive utilization of the feeds. The present work was conducted to study the differences between two breeds of sheep (Churra vs Merino) in their rumen volumes and in the water kinetics in the forestomachs.
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