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Recent developments in predicting the nutritive value grass silage for ruminants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2017

D I Givens*
Affiliation:
ADAS, Nutrition Chemistry Feed Evaluation Unit Alcester Road, Stratford on Avon CV37 9RQ
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Extract

Nutritive value 1n the context of this paper refers to metabolisable energy (ME) content. Silage composition and hence ME content 1s determined essentially by the composition of the ensiled crop, pre-ensiling treatments such as wilting or additive use and the conditions within the silo. Consequently the ME content of silage 1s very variable and means of predicting it are required for routine purposes.

Until 1985 the prediction of ME was based on a series of digestibility trials carried out on MAFF EHFs between 1967 and 1972. A relationship between DOMD content and modified add detergent fibre (MADF) content (Clancey and Wilson, 1966) was calculated and the assumption that ME: (MJ/kg DM)= DOMD (%) X 0.16 was made. This did not take account of the energy contribution from volatile components.

Type
Developments in Feed Evaluation and Intake Prediction for Ruminants
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1987

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References

Clancey J.J., and Wilson R.K., (1966). In: Proc. VI Inst. Grassland Cng. p.445.Google Scholar
Dewhurst R.J., , Webster A.J.F., , Wainman F.W., and Dewey P.J.S., (1986). Anim.Prod. 43, 183–194.Google Scholar
Givens D.I., (1986). In: Developments in Silage 1986. Chalcombe Publications, Marlow.Google Scholar
Gordon F.J., and Peoples A.C., (1986). Anim.Prod. 43, 355–366.Google Scholar