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Development of an in vitro Fermentation Technique for Estimating the Nutritive Value of High Energy Mixed Rations for Ruminants^{1, 2,}

Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster

Abstract

An in vitro fermentation technique has been developed and studied as a possible method for estimating the nutritive value or digestibility of high energy mixed rations. Using dry matter disappearance in vitro as a criterion, the values obtained after a 48-hr. fermentation were highly correlated with the estimated energy digestibility of a wide range of mixtures of orchard grass or alfalfa with ground corn. Twelve mixed rations consisting of three roughages—orchard grass, alfalfa and soybran flakes—mixed with concentrates in proportions of 0, 25, 50 and 75% were compared in digestion trials conducted with sheep and in vitro. Dry matter disappearance in vitro at 48-hr, was highly correlated with dry matter digestibility in vivo (r=0.85). Digestible dry matter intake per unit of metabolic weight was proportional to dry matter digestibility up to 68%, beyond which no relationship could be shown. Digestible dry matter intake of the orchard grass and alfalfa rations increased up to 50% concentrate but was decreased at 75% concentrate. Soybran flakes resembled concentrates as an energy source.

¹ Approved for publication as Journal Article No. 108-66 by the Associate Director of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, Ohio. This work was supported in part by funds allocated to the Center on the recommendation of the North Central Technical Committee on The Development and Application of Laboratory Methods for Determining Forage Quality (NC-64).

² The authors wish to acknowledge the technical assistance of K. E. McClure, H. W. Scott and C. H. Cook.

³ Present address: Laboratory of Nippon Formula Feed Mfg. Co., Yokohama, Japan.

⁴ Department of Animal Science.