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OPEN
Received: 2 September 2016 Accepted: 19 April 2017 Published: xx xx xxxx
Effects of replacing Leymus chinensis with whole-crop wheat hay on Holstein bull apparent digestibility, plasma parameters, rumen fermentation, and microbiota Wenjing Niu1, Yang He1, Chuanqi Xia1, Muhammad Aziz Ur Rahman1,2, Qinghua Qiu1, Taoqi Shao1, Yixun Liang1, Linbao Ji1, Haibo Wang1 & Binghai Cao1 Twelve Holstein bulls were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design to investigate the effects of using wholecrop wheat hay (WCWH) as a substitute for Leymus chinensis (LC) on apparent digestibility, plasma parameters, ruminal fermentation, and microbial communities. Experimental treatments were four proportions of WCWH, 0, 33, 67, and 100%, as a substitute for LC (WCWH0, WCWH33, WCWH67, and WCWH100, respectively). The WCWH100 group showed a higher nutritional intake of crude protein (CP) and higher apparent digestibility of organic matter (OM), CP, and ether extract (EE) than the WCWH0 group (P