The Digestion of Cellulose by Sheep

Abstract

1. Lignin, as determined in these experiments, has been shown to be undigested by sheep. 2. Examination of cellulose-lignin ratios in the fodder, and in material taken from successive levels of the alimentary tracts of sheep indicated that 70% of the digestible cellulose of the fodder was broken down in the rumen, 17% in the caecum, and 13% in the colon. No digestion of cellulose occurred in the abomasum, or in the small intestine.