The effect of dietary cation-anion balance (DCAB) on dry matter intake, daily weight gain, feed conversion efficiency, rumen pH and rumen volatile fatty acid profile in Santa Ines sheep was studied. Dietary treatments were formulated combining sodium sulphate and sodium bicarbonate in appropriate ratios to achieve DCAB balance of -160, -40, 140, 250 and 500 mEq/kg dry matter. Twenty five male lambs were assigned to the five treatments in a randomized block design for a 75-day feeding trial. Increasing DCAB was associated with increasing voluntary dry matter intake, daily weight gain, feed conversion efficiency and rumen pH (P<0.05); but DCAB did not affect the volatile fatty acid profile in the rumen.
sheep; rumen; cation-anion balance; dry matter intake; pH
