Estimation of Energy Value and Digestibility and Prediction Equations for Sheep Fed with Diets Containing Leymus chinensis Hay

The objective of this study was to investigate the feeding value sheepgrass, including its chemical composition, dry matter intake, nutrient digestibility, and available energy, as well prediction equations intake (DMI), neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD), (DMD), digestible energy (DE), metabolizable (ME). Two independent experiments based on a completely randomized experimental design were performed evaluate value. results showed that there significant relationships between composition DMI, energy. best-fit follows: DMI (g/d·W0.75) = 121.75 + 0.06CP (%) − 0.24EE 0.10ADF 0.60NDF 0.15OM (R2 0.85, p < 0.01), DMD −1.37 0.23CP 2.96EE 0.32ADF 0.82NDF 1.27OM 0.83, NDFD 225.58 0.59CP 0.04EE 0.09ADF 2.46NDF 0.12OM 0.67, DE (MJ/kg) −5.19 0.38OM 0.26NDF 0.03ADF 0.16CP 0.91, ME 5.55 0.67DE 0.01CP 0.01ADF 0.08NDF 0.02OM 0.98, 0.01). This found sheepgrass be 11 MJ/kg, which is similar millet grass silage. NDF main component affected digestibility. Using hay replacement ratio 28.5% determine forage allowed accurate established. demonstrated strongest correlation with NDFD, OMD, DE, ME. estimated best single predictor