This study showed that the inclusion of T-CS in the TMR as a substitute for wheat hay affected the composition
of the overall ruminal bacteria in lactating cows, as reflected by the ARISA and analysis of similarities
results (Figure 1A). Nevertheless, this effect did not influence all examined microorganisms in the same
manner, with some increasing and others decreasing in abundance. No observable changes occurred in bacterial
composition within the control group receiving the wheat hay TMR throughout the experiment (Figure 1B). This finding is with concurrence with previous reports showing high conservation of the bacterial community when the animals are kept on the same diet (Jami et al. 2012). This degree of stability within the rumen bacterial community was also observed in
another study showing little difference in composition within a specific cow at different sampling times (Li et al., 2009).