In situ ruminal and post-ruminal disappearance [dry matter (DM), crud protein (CP) and ether extract (EE)] of a mixed concentrate prepared as fine mesh (fm), fine pellets (fp) and coarse pellets (cp) were studied. All pellets were provided in a condition of 70°C with pressure of 3 bars in 7 seconds. Concentrate was composited of cereal grain, soybean meal, canola meal, fish meal, urea, wheat bran, beet pulp, bagasse, salt, sodium bicarbonate, mineral and vitamin premix, anionic salt, molasses, sugar, protected fatty acid and Mg oxide (318, 60, 150, 15, 3.6, 250, 33, 40, 6.7, 8.6, 8, 15, 55, 30, 5 and 2.1 g/kg DM, respectively). Four Holstein steers (430±50 kg, BW) fitted with ruminal fistulae and T-shaped intestinal cannulae were used. Steers fed (DM basis) 2.5 kg of alfalfa hay, 2.1 kg of corn silage, 1.5 kg of straw and 2.5 kg of concentrate (170 g CP/kg of DM). Approximately 5 g of sample (DM) was placed in polyester bag (12×19 cm, pore size of 48 μm, n=8), then incubated in the rumen for 12 h. After removal from the rumen, bags were washed and dried. Then, 1 g DM of un-ruminal disappeared sample was weighed into a mobile bag (3x6 cm, pore size of 48 μm, n=8) and inserted in small intestine, then removed from the voided feces and rinsed in cold tap water. DM, EE and CP of intact and incubated samples were determined. Data were analyzed using completely randomized design. Ruminal DM, CP and EE disappearance of fm was significantly (P< 0.01) lower than fp and cp. Ruminal DM, CP and EE disappearance of fp was significantly (P< 0.01) higher than cp (0.71, 0.61 and 0.65 vs. 0.67, 0.58 and 0.59, respectively). Post-ruminal DM, CP and EE disappearance of fm concentrate (0.45, 0.50 and 0.80, respectively) was significantly (P< 0.01) higher compared with fp (0.35, 0.38 and 0.68, respectively) and cp (0.39, 0.38 and 0.57, respectively). Results of the present study indicated that the physical particle size of a mixed concentrate might impact on ruminal and post-ruminal disappearance of DM, CP and EE.

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