Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-01T18:59:31.199Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Prediction of apparent digestibility and voluntary intake of hays fed to sheep: comparison between using fibre components, in vitro digestibility or characteristics of gas production or nylon bag degradation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

K. Khazaal ,
M. T. Dentinho ,
J. M. Ribeiro  and
E. R. Ørskov
K. Khazaal
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
M. T. Dentinho
Affiliation:
Estacao Zootecnica National, Department de Nutricao, Santarem, Portugal
J. M. Ribeiro
Affiliation:
Estacao Zootecnica National, Department de Nutricao, Santarem, Portugal
E. R. Ørskov
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
Get access

Abstract

The study compared using chemical components (i.e. crude protein (CP), neutral- and acid-detergent fibre or lignin (NDF, ADF and ADL) g/kg dry matter (DM), the in vitro digestibility (Tilley and Terry, 1963), the in situ (nylon bag) DM degradation (g/100 g DM) and gas production (ml/200 mg DM) techniques to predict voluntary daily intake (g DM per kg M0.75) and in vivo apparent DM digestibility (DMD) of 10 graminaceous hays individually offered ad libitum to four Merino male sheep. Gas production or DM degradation were determined after 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 or 96 h incubation and their characteristics described using the equation p = a + b (1 – e-ct). Intake and in vivo DMD of the hays were variable and poorly related (r = 0·52; P > 0·05). The in situ DM degradation was significantly (Y < 0·05) related to in vivo apparent DMD at 48 to 96 h incubation (i = 0·76 to 0·75) and to intake at 24 to 96 h (r = 0·71 to 0·75) incubation. However, fibre components, the in vitro digestibility or gas production were either related to daily intake or in vivo apparent DMD, but not to both on the same occasion. Accurate prediction of intake (r = 0·90; P < 0·05) and in vivo apparent DMD (r = 0·88; P < 0·069) were achieved using NDF, ADF, ADL and CP in a multiple regression. Using the (a + b) and the rate (c) of in situ DM degradation, both in vivo apparent DMD (r = 0·77; P < 0·05) and intake (r = 0·83; P < 0·05) were predicted with accuracy. However, using the (a + b) and (c) of gas production, only intake was predicted accurately (r = 0·87; P < 0·01). The lower performance of the gas test was attributed to the small contribution to gas production and higher buffering capacity resulting from protein fermentation. When data of the graminaceous and other data from leguminous hays were combined, the most accurate prediction of both intake and apparent digestibility was by using characteristics of in situ DM degradation followed by those of gas production. The latter was more accurate than using chemical components or the in vitro digestibility. Addition of CP in the multiple regression improved the prediction of intake and in vivo apparent DMD from characteristics of gas production. It was concluded that despite the need to overcome the problem of protein fermentation in the gas test, accurate prediction of both intake and apparent digestibility can be achieved simply from the degradation characteristics of foods.

Keywords

degradationdigestibilityfibrefood intakehayin vitro gas production
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 61 , Issue 3 , December 1995 , pp. 527 - 538
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 1990. Official methods of analysis. 15th ed. (ed. Helrich, K.), vol. 1. Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Arlington, Virginia.Google Scholar
Adebowale, E. A. and Nakashima, Y. 1992. Rumen degradation of some Leguminosae and Graminae roughages: effects of chemical pre-treatment with or without cellulase preparation on dry matter and cell wall disappearance. Animal Feed Science and Technology 38: 219–235.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alexander, J. M. and McGowan, N. 1966. A filtration procedure for the in vitro determination of digestibility of herbage. Journal of the British Grassland Society 16: 140–147.Google Scholar
Balde, A., Vandersall, J. H., Erdman, R. A., Reeves, J. B. and Glenn, B. P. 1993. Effect of stage of maturity of alfalfa and orchardgrass on in situ dry matter degradation and crude protein degradability amd amino acid composition. Animal Feed Science and Technology 44: 29–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blummel, M. and Ørskov, E. R. 1993. Comparison of in vitro gas production and nylon bag degradability of roughages in predicting feed intake in cattle. Animal Feed Science and Technology 40: 109–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carro, M. D., Lopez, S., Gonzalez, J. S. and Ovejero, F. J. 1991. The use of the rumen degradation characteristics of hay as predictors of its voluntary intake by sheep. Animal Production 52: 133–139.Google Scholar
Centre International de Hautes Etudes Mediterranennes 1990. Options mediterraneennes. Table of the nutritive value for ruminants of mediterranean forages and by-products. Serie B. Etudes et recherches no. 4. CIHEAM. EEC.Google Scholar
Coelho, M., Hembry, F. G., Barton, F. E. and Saxton, A. M. (1988). A comparison of microbial, enxymatic, chemical and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy methods in forage evaluation. Animal Feed Science and Technology 20: 219–231.Google Scholar
Ford, C. W. and Elliott, R. 1987. Biodegradability of mature grass cell walls in relation to chemical composition and rumen microbial activity. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 108: 201–209.Google Scholar
Jung, H. G. and Vogel, K. P. 1992. Lignification of swithshgrass (Panicum virgatum) and big bluestem (Andropogen geradii) plant parts during maturation and its effect on fibre degradability. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 59: 169–176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kawas, J. R., Jorgensen, N. A. and Lu, C. D. 1990. Influence of alfalfa maturity on feed intake and site of nutrient digestion in sheep. Journal of Animal Science 68: 4376–4385.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Khazaal, K., Dentinho, M. T., Ribeiro, J. M. and Ørskov, E. R. 1993. A comparison of gas production during incubation with rumen contents in vitro and nylon bag degradability as predictors of apparent digestibility in vivo and the voluntary intake of hays. Animal Production 57: 105–112.Google Scholar
Mbwile, R. P. and Uden, P.Comparison of laboratory methods on precision and accuracy of predicting forage organic matter digestibility. Animal Feed Science and Technology 32: 243–251.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Menke, K. H. and Steingass, H. 1988. Estimation of the energetic feed value obtained from chemical analysis and in vitro gas production using rumen fluid. Animal Research and Development 28: 7–55.Google Scholar
Mertens, D. R. and Loften, J. R. 1980. The effects of starch on forage fiber digestion kinetics in vitro. Journal of Dairy Science 63: 1437–1446CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Minitab, . 1993. Statistical software. Release 9. Minitab Inc., Pennsylvania, USA.Google Scholar
Nandra, K. S., Hendry, R. C. and Dobos, R. C. 1993. A study of voluntary intake and digestibility of roughages in relation to their degradation characteristics and retention time in the rumen. Animal Feed Science and Technology 43: 227–237.Google Scholar
Navarantne, H. v. R. G., Ibrahim, M. N. M. and Shiere, J. B. 1990. Comparison of four techniques for predicting digestibility of tropical feeds. Animal Feed Science and Technology 29: 209–221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nordkvist, E. and Aman, P. 1986. Changes during growth in anatomical and chemical composition and in vitro degradability of lucerne. journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 37: 1–7.Google Scholar
Ørskov, E. R. 1989. Recent advances in evaluation of roughages as feeds for ruminants. In Advances in animal nutrition (ed. Farrell, D. J.), pp. 102–108. University of New England, Armidale.Google Scholar
Ørskov, E. R. and McDonald, I. 1979. The estimation of protein degradability in the rumen from incubation measurements weighted according to rate of passage. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 92: 499–503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ørskov, E. R., Reid, G. W. and Kay, M. 1988. Prediction of intake by cattle from degradation characteristics of roughages. Animal Production 49: 29–34.Google Scholar
Ørskov, E. R. and Ryle, M. 1990. Energy nutrition in ruminants. Elsevier, London.Google Scholar
Ottenstein, D. M. and Bartley, D. A. 1971. Improved gas chromatography separation of free acids C2–C5 in dilute solution. Analytical Chemistry 43: 952–955.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Susmel, P., Stefanon, B., Mills, C. R. and Spanghero, M. 1990. Rumen degradability of organic matter, nitrogen and fibre fractions in forages. Animal Production 51: 515–526.Google Scholar
Tilley, J. M. A. and Terry, R. A. 1963. A two stage technique for the in vitro digestion of forage crops. Journal of the British Grassland Society 18: 104–111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Soest, P. J. 1982. Nutritional ecology of the ruminant. O. and B. Books, Oregon.Google Scholar
Van Soest, P. J. and Wine, R. H. 1967. Use of detergent in the analysis of fibrous feeds. IV. Determination of plant cell-wall constituents. Journal of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists 50: 50–55.Google Scholar
Weinberg, Z. G., Ashbell, G., Hen, Z. and Harduf, Z. 1991. Ensiling whole wheat for ruminant feeding at different stages of maturity. Animal Feed Science and Technology 32: 313–320.Google Scholar