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Prediction of the Voluntary Intake of Grass Silages by Sheep from Rumen Degradation Characteristics measured by the Polyester Fibre Bag or by Gas Production

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2017

M.J. Morrin
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, 581 King Street, AberdeenAB9 RID
J.A. Rooke
Affiliation:
Animal and Feed Technology Department, SAC, 581 King Street, Aberdeen AB9 IUD
N.W. Offer
Affiliation:
Biochemical Sciences Department, SAC, Auchincruive, Ayr, KA6 5HW
F.D.deB. Hovell
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksbum, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
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Extract

Various studies have reported that the voluntary intake (VFI) of hays (Hovell, Ngambi, Barber & Kyle. 1986, Khazaal, Dentinho, Ribeiro & 0rskov. 1993) and straws (Ørskov, Reid & Kay 1988, Blummel & Ørskov, 1993) is predicted better by rumen degradation characteristics than by whole tract digestibility. Prediction of grass silage VFI is in general poor but is related to both whole tract digestibility and silage fermentation characteristics. However no attempts have been made to relate silage VFI to rumen degradation characteristics. It was the purpose of this study to attempt to predict silage VFI from rumen degradation characteristics measured using either the polyester bag technique or the in vitro Menke gas production technique.

Type
Silage
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1994

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References

Blummnel, M. & Ørskov, E.R. (1993) Animal. Feed Science & Technology, 40: 109119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hovell, F.D.de B.. Ngambi, J.W.W. Barber, W.P. & Kyle, D.J. (1986) Animal Production 42: 111118.Google Scholar
Khazaal, K., Dentinho, J.M.. Ribeiro, J.M. & Ørskov, E.R. (1993) Animal Production 57: 105112.Google Scholar
Ørskov, E.R., Reid, G.W. & Kay, M. (1988) Animal Production 46: 2934..Google Scholar