The use of the rumen degradation characteristics of hay as predictors of its voluntary intake by sheep
- 1 February 1991
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Animal Science
- Vol. 52 (1), 133-139
- https://doi.org/10.1017/s0003356100005766
Abstract
Eleven sun-cured hays with crude protein (CP) and neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) concentrations ranging from 57 to 207 and 428 to 744 g/kg dry matter (DM) respectively, were used to study the relationship between the DM and NDF degradation characteristics and the voluntary DM intake (VDMI) by sheep.The VDMI was measured in the last 10 days of a 21-day period using 50 mature ewes in five groups of 10 ewes per group, with a mean live weight (LAY) of 55 kg and ranged from 41·2 to 69·8 g/day per kg LW075. Disappearanc e rates of DM and NDF were measured by incubating samples in nylon bags in the rumens of three hay-fed rumen-cannulated ewes for 3, 6, 9, 15, 24, 48 and 72 h and by fitting the exponential model Y = a + b (1 — e-ct) to the results. Potential degradabilities (defined as a + b) for DM and NDF ranged from 679 to 868 and from 445 to 808 g/kg respectively.The VDMI was significantly correlated with the soluble fraction of DM (aDM; P < 0·05) and the rate of degradation of DM (cDM; P < 0·01) and NDF (cNDF; P < 0·01). The inclusion of aDM and cDM ni a multiple regression model resulted in the equation: VDMI = 21·3 + 0·0733 (s.e. 0·01577) aDM + 138 (s.e. 26·0) cDM (R2 = 0·897; residual s.d. = 2·79), with a significant increase of the variance explained by one single degradation characteristic (P < 0·05). The prediction was not improved by adding the constant cNDF to the equation (P > 0·05). These results indicate the possibility of predicting the VDMI of hays by sheep from the rumen soluble fraction (aDM) and the rate of degradation (cDM) of DM.Keywords
This publication has 9 references indexed in Scilit:
- Prediction of voluntary intake of conserved forages by cattle and sheep from degradability characteristics determined using synthetic fibre bags in sheepProceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972), 1989
- The possibility of predicting the sheep voluntary dry matter intake of hays from their rumen degradation characteristicsProceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972), 1989
- Prediction of intake by cattle from degradation characteristics of roughagesAnimal Science, 1988
- The effect of digestibility and forage species on the removal of digesta from the rumen and the voluntary intake of hay by sheepBritish Journal of Nutrition, 1986
- The voluntary intake of hay by sheep in relation to its degradability in the rumen as measured in nylon bagsAnimal Science, 1986
- Evaluation of Specific Variables Affecting In Situ Estimates of Ruminal Dry Matter and Protein Digestion1Journal of Animal Science, 1985
- The estimation of protein degradability in the rumen from incubation measurements weighted according to rate of passageThe Journal of Agricultural Science, 1979
- Relationships of Forage Compositions With Rates of Cell Wall Digestion and Indigestibility of Cell WallsJournal of Dairy Science, 1972
- ÉTUDE DE LA DIGESTION DES FOURRAGES DANS LE RUMEN PAR LA MÉTHODE DES SACHETS DE NYLON ; LIAISONS AVEC LA VALEUR ALIMENTAIREAnimal Research, 1969