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Prediction of metabolisable energy concentration of fresh grass – which digestibility variable is better, organic matter or energy?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 November 2017

T Yan*
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, Co Down BT26 6DR, United Kingdom
C P Ferris
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, Co Down BT26 6DR, United Kingdom
C S Mayne
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, Co Down BT26 6DR, United Kingdom
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Extract

Accurate prediction of the ME concentration of fresh grass is vital in developing appropriate feeding regimes for grazing animals. While AFRC (1993) proposed an equation to calculate grass ME concentration from digestible OM in total DM (DOMD), the accuracy of this approach has been questioned (Yan and Agnew, 2004). The objective of the present study was to develop a prediction method for ME concentration of fresh grass from nutrient digestibility.

Type
Theatre Presentations
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2009

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References

Agricultural and Food Research Council. 1993. Energy and protein requirements of ruminants. CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon, UK Google Scholar
Yan, T. and Agnew, R. E. 2004. Prediction of metabolisable energy concentrations from nutrient digestibility with chemical composition in grass silages offered to sheep at maintenance. Animal Feed Science and Technology 117: 197–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yan, T. and Mayne, C. S. 2008. Prediction of methane emission of dairy cows offered fresh grass at maintenance level. In: Multifunctional Grasslands in a Changing World, ed. Organizing Committee of 2008 IGC/IRC Conference, Volume II, p.143, Guangdong People’s Publishing House, China.Google Scholar