Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T02:41:33.119Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The use of degradation characteristics of browse plants to predict intake and digestibility by goats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

A. Kibont  and
E. R. Ørskov
A. Kibont
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
E. R. Ørskov
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
Get access

Abstract

Twenty-five male goats weighing 16 (s.e. 1-5) kg and aged 15 months were used to measure the dry matter (DM) intake of five browse species namely Acacia albida, Tamarindus indica, Etanda africana, Anogeissus leiocarpus and Sterculia setigera in a growth trial lasting 16 weeks. This was followed by a digestion trial with five goats in a 5 × 5 Latin square with 10 days adaptation and a 5-day measurement period. The degradation characteristics of the browse were measured by incubating samples in nylon bags for 6, 24, 48 and 96 h in the rumens of three sheep fitted with rumen cannulae and given hay plus grass nuts. The exponential model P = a +b(l — ect) was fitted to the data. Rumen fluid from the sheep was also used as an inoculum to incubate the samples in vitro for 3, 6,12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. Nylon bag degradability results were compared with in vivo results and in vitro gas production. The mean DM intakes, apparent digestible DM intakes and growth rates were 0·60, 0·62, 0·55, 0·53 and 0·65 kg/day, 0·43, 0·43, 0·35, 0·34 and 0·49 kg/day and 55, 60, 49, 42 and 62 glday for A. albida, T. indica, E. africana, A. leiocarpus and S. setigera respectively. Using the degradation characteristics A, B and c in a multiple regression analysis, the correlation coefficients with DM intake, apparent DM digestibility, apparent digestible DM intake and growth rate were 0·99, 0·88, 0·92 and 0·99 respectively. The inclusion of a lag phase (L) instead of A in the regression analysis improved the prediction of apparent DM digestibility and apparent digestible DM intake. The correlation coefficients between DM loss in nylon bags and in vitro gas production at 6, 24 and 48 h incubation were 0·84, 0·83 and 0·90 respectively. The results indicate that it may be possible to predict DM and apparent digestible DM intakes of browse by goats from the rumen degradation characteristics.

Keywords

browsedegradationfood intakegoats
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 57 , Issue 2 , October 1993 , pp. 247 - 251
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1993

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

Chenost, M., Grenet, E., Demarquilly, C. and Jarrige, R. 1970. The use of the nylon bag technique for the study of forage digestion in the ruman and for predicting feed values. Proceedings of the eleventh international grassland congress, Surfers Paradise, pp. 697–701. University of Queensland Press, St. Lucia.Google Scholar
Cote, M., Seoane, J. R., Gervais, P. and McQueen, R. E. 1982. [Studies on the biodegradation of forage dry matter by in vitro methods and nylon sacs.] Canadian Journal of Plant Science 62: 407–413.Google Scholar
Dhanoa, M. S. 1988. On the analysis of dacron bag data for low degradability feeds. Grass and Forage Science 43: 441–444.Google Scholar
Goering, H. K. and Van Soest, P. J. 1970. Forage fibre analysis (apparatus, reagents, procedures and some applications). US Department of Agriculture, handbook no. 379.Google Scholar
Hovell, F. D. DeB., Nǵambi, J. W. W., Barber, W. P. and Kyle, D. J. 1986. The voluntary intake of hay by sheep in relation to its degradability in the rumen as measured in nylon bags. Animal Production 42: 111–118.Google Scholar
Jones, D. I. H. and Wilson, A. D. 1987. Nutritive quality of forage. In The nutrition of herbivores (ed. Hacker, J. B. and Ternouth, J. H.), pp. 65–89. Academic Press.Google Scholar
McDonald, I. 1981. A revised model for the estimation of protein degradability in the rumen. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 96: 251–252.Google Scholar
Menke, K. H., Raab, L., Salewski, A., Steingass, H., Fritz, D. and Schneider, W. 1979. Estimation of the digestibility and metabolisable energy content of ruminant feedstuffs from gas production when they are incubated with rumen liquorin vitro. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 93: 217–222.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 (Institute for Scientific Cooperation, Germany) 28: 7–55.Google Scholar
Neathery, M. W. 1972. Conventional digestion trials vs. nylon bag technique for determining seasonal difference in quality of midland bermudagrass forage. Journal of Animal Science 34: 1075–1084.Google Scholar
Ørskov, E. R., Hovell, F. D. DeB. and Mould, F. L. 1980. The use of the nylon bag technique for the evaluation of feedstuffs. Tropical Animal Production 5:195–213.Google Scholar
Ørskov, E. R., Reid, G. W. and Kay, M. 1988. Prediction of intake by cattle from degradation characteristics of roughages. Animal Production 46: 29–34.Google Scholar
Ørskov, E. R. and Ryle, M. 1990. Energy nutrition in ruminants. Elsevier Applied Science, Barking.Google Scholar
Sidahmed, A. E., Morris, J. G., Koong, L. J. and Radosevich, S. R. 1981. Contribution of mixtures of three chaparral shrubs to the protein and energy requirements of Spanish goats. Journal of Animal Science 53: 1391–1400.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Statistical Analysis System Institute. 1987. SAS user's guide. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Wilson, A. D. 1977. The digestion and voluntary intake of the leaves of trees and shrubs by sheep and goats. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research. 28: 501–508.CrossRefGoogle Scholar