A test of usefulness of a commercially available mill "waste product" (AB-84) as feed for starving reindeer
Authors: Mathiesen Svein D. , Rognmo Arne , Blix Arnoldus Schytte 
Published: February 2013

<p>Three Norwegian reindeer were first fed lichen ad libitum for 40 days, then they were starved for 3 days, and thereafter offered a commercially available mill &laquo;waste product&raquo; (AB-84) ad libitum. One animal refused to eat AB-84 and was excluded. When eating lichen average daily dry matter intake was 1.1 &plusmn; 0.4 kg, while when eating AB-84 after the starvation period it averaged 1.1 kg at day 1, increasing to 2.5 kg at day 7. After 12 days daily dry matter intake varied between 2 and 4 kg. The rumen dry matter percentage was 16 when eating lichen, 6 after 2 days of starvation, and 17 after eating AB-84 for 5 days. Ruminal pH was 6.4 &plusmn; 0.3 when eating lichen, increasing to 7.4 after 3 days of starvation and dropping to an all time low of 6.1, 12 hours after refeeding. The viable bacterial count was 4.7 x 1010 &plusmn; 2.7, 5.5 x 108 &plusmn; 2.0 and 3.1 x 1010 &plusmn; 1.7/ml rumen fluid when the animals were eating lichen, had starved for 3 days and had been eating AB-84 for 5 days, respectively. The rumen ciliate protozoa numbered 17.1 x 105 &plusmn; 2.7/ml rumen fluid, when eating lichen, dropping to 4.3 x 105 &plusmn; 0.6./ml after 3 days of starvation. A further drop to 1.8 x 10s &plusmn; 0.5/ml was observed 1 day after refeeding, but the rumen ciliate number was normalized at 15 x 105 &plusmn; 1/ml already 8 days after refeeding. These results indicate that the mill &laquo;waste product&raquo; (AB-84) is very well tolerated even by reindeer suffering from starvation. Since it is moreover commercially available at a favourable price it could be of interest to reindeer herders. In any case, it deserves to be tested under controlled conditions on a larger number of animals.</p><p>En test p&aring; anvendeligheten av kornavrens (AB-84) som for til utsultet rein.</p><p>Abstract in Norwegian / Sammendrag: Tre norske rein ble gitt lav ad libitum i 40 dager, sultet i 3 dager og deretter gitt kornavrens (AB-84) ad libitum. Ett av dyrene nektet &aring; spise AB-84 og ble satt ut av fors&oslash;ket. Daglig foropptak i kg t&oslash;rrstoff var gjennomsnittlig 1.1 &plusmn; 0.4 kg under lavforing, mens opptaket av AB-84 var gjennomsnittlig 1.1 kg/dag den f&oslash;rste dagen etter sulteperioden. Den syvende dagen var opptaket 2.5 kg/dag, og varierte mellom 2 og 4 kg/dag etter 12 dager. Prosent t&oslash;rrstoff i vominnholdet var 16 under lavforing, 6 etter 2 dagers sult og 17 etter 5 dagers foring med AB-84. pH i vominnholdet ble m&aring;lt til gjennomsnittlig 6.4 &plusmn; 0.3 under lavforing, 7.4 etter 3 dagers sult og falt bare til 6.1, som lavest m&aring;lte verdi, etter 12 timers ad lib. tilgang p&aring; AB-84. Antall levende bakterier pr. ml vomsaft var henholdsvis 4.7 x 1010 &plusmn; 2.7, 5.5 x 10" &plusmn; 2.0 og 3.1 x 1010 &plusmn; 1.7 n&aring;r dyrene spiste lav, hadde sultet i tre dager og hadde spist AB-84 ad lib. i fem dager. Antall eiliater var 17.1 x 105 &plusmn; 2.7 pr. ml vomsaft n&aring;r dyrene spiste lav og 4.3 x IO5 &plusmn; 0.6 etter tre dagers sult. Etter en dags ad lib. tilgang p&aring; AB-84 var antallet 1.8 x 105 &plusmn; 0.5 pr. ml og etter fem dager 7.7 x 105 &plusmn; 1.8/ml. Disse resultatene indikerer at selv sultet rein tolererer kornavrens (AB-84) meget godt, og da foret er kommersielt tilgjengelig til en rimelig pris, kan det v&aelig;re av interesse for reindriftsut&oslash;vere. I alle tilfeller fortjener foret &aring; bli utpr&oslash;vet p&aring; et st&oslash;rre antall dyr under kontrollerte betingelser.</p><p>Koe viljaperkeen (AB-84) k&auml;ytt&ouml;kelpoisuudesta rehuna n&auml;lkiintyneelle porolle.</p><p>Abstract in Finnish / Yhteenveto: Kolmea norjalaista poroa ruokittiin j&auml;k&auml;l&auml;ll&auml; ad libitum 40 p&auml;iv&auml;&auml;, annettiin n&auml;hd&auml; n&auml;lk&auml;&auml; 3 p&auml;iv&auml;&auml; ja sen j&auml;lkeen ruokittiin taas viljaperkeell&auml; (AB-84) ad libitum. Yksi el&auml;imist&auml; kielt&auml;ytyi sy&ouml;m&auml;st&auml; AB-84 ja n&auml;in ollen jouduttiin poistamaan kokeilusta. P&auml;ivitt&auml;inen rehuntarve kuiva-ainekilossa oli keskim&auml;&auml;rin 1.1 &plusmn; 0,4 kg j&auml;k&auml;l&auml;ruokinnassa, kun taas AB-84 ruokinta oli keskim&auml;&auml;rin 1.1 kg/p&auml;iv&auml;ss&auml; ensimm&auml;isen&auml; p&auml;iv&auml;n&auml; n&auml;lk&auml;kauden j&auml;lkeen. Seitsem&auml;nten&auml; rehunkulunki oli 2.5 kg p&auml;iv&auml;ss&auml;, vaihdellen 2-4 kg p&auml;iv&auml;ss&auml; 12 p&auml;iv&auml;n j&auml;lkeen. Kuiva-ainesprosentti p&ouml;tsinsis&auml;ll&ouml;ss&auml; oli 16 j&auml;k&auml;l&auml;ruokinnassa, 6 kahden p&auml;iv&auml;n n&auml;l&auml;n j&auml;lkeen ja 17 viisip&auml;iv&auml;isen AB-84 ruokinnan j&auml;lkeen. P&ouml;tsinsis&auml;ll&ouml;n happamuus, pH mitattiin keskim&auml;&auml;rin 6.4 &plusmn; 0.3 j&auml;k&auml;l&auml;ruokinnassa, 7.4 kolmip&auml;iv&auml;isen n&auml;l&auml;n j&auml;lkeen ja v&auml;heni vain 6.1:een, joka on alhaisin mitattu arvo, 12 tunnin AB-84 ruokinnan ad lib. j&auml;lkeen. El&auml;vien bakteerien lukum&auml;&auml;r&auml; p&ouml;tsinestemillilitraa kohti oli kyseelliset 4.7 x 1010 &plusmn; 2.7, 5.5 x 10" &plusmn; 2.0, ja 3.1 x 1010 &plusmn; 1.7 kun el&auml;imet s&ouml;iv&auml;t j&auml;k&auml;l&auml;&auml;, olivat n&auml;lkiintyneet 3 p&auml;iv&auml;&auml; ja sy&ouml;neet AB-84 ad &uuml;b. viisi p&auml;iv&auml;&auml;. Ciliatm&auml;&auml;r&auml; oli 17.1 x 105 &plusmn; 2.7 p&ouml;tsinestemillilitraa kohti el&auml;inten sy&ouml;ty&auml; j&auml;k&auml;l&auml;&auml; ja 4.3 x 105 &plusmn; 0.6 kolmip&auml;iv&auml;isen n&auml;lkiintymisen j&auml;lkeen. Yhden p&auml;iv&auml;n AB-84 ruokinnan ad lib. j&auml;lkeen m&auml;&auml;r&auml; oli 1.8 x 105 &plusmn; 0.5 millilitralta ja viiden p&auml;iv&auml;n j&auml;lkeen 7.7 x 105 &plusmn; 1.8 millilitralta. N&auml;m&auml; tulokset osoittavat, ett&auml; jopa n&auml;lkiintynyt poro siet&auml;&auml; viljaperkett&auml; (AB-84) eritt&auml;in hyvin, ja koska rehua on saatavana kohtuulliseen hintaan se voinee kiinnostaa poromiehi&auml;. Joka tapauksessa rehua kannattaa kokeilla tarkkailtuin edellytyksin suuremmalle el&auml;inryhm&auml;lle.</p>