000151676 001__ 151676 000151676 005__ 20251017144627.0 000151676 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.3390/ani15040541 000151676 0248_ $$2sideral$$a143238 000151676 037__ $$aART-2025-143238 000151676 041__ $$aeng 000151676 100__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-8753-8887$$aVega García, Antonio de$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000151676 245__ $$aPresentation (Chopped Versus Ground and Pelleted) of a Low-Quality Alfalfa Hay in Sheep: Effects on Intake, Feeding Behaviour, Rumen Fill and Digestion, and Passage 000151676 260__ $$c2025 000151676 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted 000151676 5203_ $$aA voluminous amount of knowledge has been collected about the effects of the rate and amount of intake and of the rate and amount of digesta flow out of the rumen on rumen fill and, hence, intake. However, the mechanisms by which small particles in the rumen are selected for passage have not been clearly identified. Grinding and pelleting have been alleged to either enhance or reduce entrapment; hence, the relationships between particle size and digestion and passage kinetics are not sufficiently clear, as it is not the effect of rumen digesta particle size on marker dilution kinetics. On these grounds, the aim of the present experiment was to examine the behaviour of small particles within the rumen and determine if their retention time by passage or digestion pathways alter under pelleting and control intake. In the present experiment, the effects of a low-quality alfalfa hay presentation (chopped vs. ground and pelleted) on intake, feeding behaviour, rumen fill and digestion, and passage were assessed in adult wethers. Pelleting increased intake without alteration of either the maximum amount of digesta present in the rumen or degradation rates. The faster dilution rate of the liquid phase with the pelleted hay, likely including significant amounts of particles <0.15 mm, should be the main factor for the higher intake with this diet. 000151676 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby$$uhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es 000151676 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 000151676 700__ $$aGasa, Josep 000151676 700__ $$aCastrillo, Carlos 000151676 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-9463-0753$$aGuada, José Antonio 000151676 7102_ $$12008$$2700$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Produc.Animal Cienc.Ali.$$cÁrea Producción Animal 000151676 773__ $$g15, 4 (2025), 541 [17 pp. ]$$pAnimals (Basel)$$tAnimals$$x2076-2615 000151676 8564_ $$s910463$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/151676/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yVersión publicada 000151676 8564_ $$s2670078$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/151676/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yVersión publicada 000151676 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:151676$$particulos$$pdriver 000151676 951__ $$a2025-10-17-14:24:47 000151676 980__ $$aARTICLE