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The Weanling Meadow Vole as a Bioassay of Forage Quality of Temperate and Tropical Grasses^1,2,

Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802

Abstract

Samples of temperate and tropical grasses, together with sheep in vivo intake and digestibility data, were obtained from Australia, Florida and West Virginia. Samples were analyzed for crude protein, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber and in vitro dry matter disappearance. Finely ground forages were fed to weanling meadow voles as 60% of the diet, and dry matter intake (DMI), digestible dry matter (DDM) and weight gain were determined. Coefficients of correlation between vole and sheep DDM ranged from –.06 to .89. The correlations between sheep and vole DMI were weak (r = .00 to .48). Coefficients of correlation between vole gain and sheep DDM intake (DDMI) were .66 to .74, similar to those between laboratory analyses and sheep DDMI.

¹ Authorized as Paper No. 5524 in the Journal Ser. of The Pennsylvania Agr. Exp. Sta. Contribution No. 518 from the US Regional Pasture Research Laboratory, USDA, SEA, AR, University Park, PA 16802.

² Mention of a trademark, proprietary product or vendor does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product or vender by the USDA and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products or vendors that may also be suitable.

³ Former graduate student; present address: Dept. of Agron., Univ. of Florida, Gainesville 32611. Address reprint requests to Dr. Shenk.

⁴ Associate professor of plant breeding, The Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park 16802.

⁵ Professor of animal nutrition, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville 32611.

⁶ Australian grasses were supplied by Dr. Dennis J. Minson, CSIRO, Queensland, Australia; Florida grasses, by Dr. John E. Moore, Anim. Sci. Dept., Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, and West Virginia grasses, by Dr. R. L. Reid, Dept. of Anim. and Vet. Sci., West Virginia Univ., Morgan town.