## 3 Results
### Digestibility and Fermentation Characteristics of Sprouted Barley in the Rumen  
Rumen pH decreased linearly (\(p\) < 0.001) in all cultivation stages of SBs over hour of incubation (Figure 2). On 0 h of rumen incubation, the cultivated SBs at 4 and 8 days had lower (\(p\) < 0.01) rumen pH than that of 0 day, while the cultivated SB at 4 days had lower (\(p\) < 0.01) rumen pH on 1 to 2 h than that at 0 and 8 days. From 4 to 24 h of rumen incubation, the cultivated SB at 4 days presented the lowest (\(p\) < 0.01) pH, while the cultivated SB at 8 days was the highest (\(p\) < 0.01). The ammonia-N concentration increased linearly (\(p\) < 0.001) in all cultivation stages of SBs over hour of rumen incubation (Figure 2). From 0 to 2 h of rumen incubation, the cultivated SB at 0 day had lower (\(p\) < 0.05) ammonia-N concentration than that at 4 and 8 days, whereas on 8 h of rumen incubation, the cultivated SB at 0 day had higher (\(p\) < 0.05) ammonia-N concentration than that at 4 and 8 days. Similar with ammonia-N pattern, total VFA concentration also increased linearly (\(p\) < 0.001) in all cultivation stages of SBs over hour of incubation (Figure 2). The cultivated SB at 0 day had lower total VFA concentration than that at 4 and 8 days on 0 (\(p<0.01\)), 1 (\(p<0.05\)), 2 (\(p<0.01\)), and 24 (\(p<0.01\)) h of rumen incubation. On 8 h of rumen incubation, the cultivated SB at 0 day had higher (\(p<0.001\)) total VFA than that at 8 days, while the cultivated SB at 4 days had no different compared to other cultivation stages of SBs. The concentration of acetate in the rumen decreased linearly (\(p<0.001\)) in all cultivation stages of SBs over hour of incubation (Figure 3). However, the cultivation stage of SB did not affect the acetate concentration in all hours of incubation. On the other side, propionate showed the cubic pattern (\(p<0.001\)) in all cultivation stages of SBs during in vitro rumen incubation, which increased during 8 h of incubation and then decreased after that (Figure 3). The cultivated SB at 0 day had lower (\(p<0.01\)) propionate concentration than that at 4 and 8 days on 0 and 4 h of rumen incubation, but had higher (\(p<0.01\)) on 2 h. On 24 h of rumen incubation, the cultivated SB at 8 days had highest (\(p<0.05\)) propionate concentration than that at 0 and 4 days. The concentration of butyrate increased linearly (\(p<0.001\)) in all cultivation stages of SBs over hour of incubation (Figure 3). On 2 h of rumen incubation, the cultivated SBs at 0 and 4 days presented lower (\(p<0.01\)) butyrate concentration than that at 8 days. However, the cultivated SB at 0 day had higher (\(p<0.01\)) butyrate concentration than that at 4 and 8 days on 4 and 24 h of rumen incubation. The IVDMD (\(p<0.001\)) and IVNDFD (\(p=0.005\)) increased quadratically by increasing cultivation stage of SB (Table 2). The highest IVDMD of SB was presented by 4 days of cultivation, followed by 8 days of cultivation, and then by 0 day of cultivation (\(p<0.05\); 65.0 vs. 56.2 vs. 34.9%). The cultivated SB at 4 days had higher IVNDFD than that at 0 day (\(p<0.05\); 77.0 vs. 70.1%), while the cultivated SB at 8 days was not differ compared to other cultivated days. In the rumen fermentation characteristics, the pH increased linearly (\(p<0.001\)) by increasing cultivation stage of SB. Otherwise, rumen concentrations of VFA (\(p=0.003\)) and iso-valerate (\(p=0.036\)) decreased linearly by cultivation stage of SB. The concentration of iso-butyrate increased quadratically (\(p=0.003\)) by increasing cultivation stage of SB. The highest iso-butyrate was presented by cultivated SB at 8 days, then followed by cultivated SBs at 0 and 4 days (\(p<0.05\); 1.58 vs. 13.4 and 1.22%). Contrast with iso-butyrate, concentration of butyrate decreased linearly (\(p=0.020\)) by increasing cultivation stage of SB. The cultivated SB at 0 day had higher butyrate concentration than cultivated SBs at 4 and 8 days (\(p<0.05\); 19.7 vs. 15.5 and 15.5%). The other individual VFAs were not affected by cultivation stage of SB.