A data base was constructed to describe and estimate supplementation effects in nonlactating cattle consuming forage ad libitum. The data base included 66 publications on 126 forages (73 harvested and 53 grazed) and a total of 444 comparisons between a control, unsupplemented treatment and a supplemented treatment. Daily gains were reported for 301 comparisons and voluntary intake for 258. Dire...

Forages help meet the protein requirements of ruminants by providing degraded CP for microbial protein synthesis plus protein that escapes ruminal degradation. Evidence from numerous feeding studies with lactating dairy cows indicates that excessive ruminal protein degradation may be the most limiting nutritional factor in higher-quality temperature legume forages. Hence, there is interest in i...

Ruminants evolved their multi-compartment digestive tract to effectively process plant material containing large amounts of cell wall material. We rely on forages as the sole or major feed resource for domestic ruminant animal production, even in the grain intensive North American beef and dairy systems. Unfortunately, digestibility of forages is extremely variable and almost always less than g...

IntrodUCtIon Ensiling is an ancient method used to preserve the nutritive value of forages by packing and storing forage in airtight conditions. Silage fermentation occurs naturally under anaerobic conditions (the absence of oxygen). Plants contain native lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and when silage is placed under anaerobic conditions, these LAB produce lactic acid, reducing the pH to a level i...

North American porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) subsist predominantly on low-protein, high-fiber, high-tannin diets. Therefore, we measured the porcupine's ability to digest dry matter, fiber, and protein by conducting digestion trials on eight natural forages and one pelleted ration varying in concentration of fiber, nitrogen, and tannins. On these diets, dry matter intake ranged from 5 to 234 ...

Two trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of corn or dried beet pulp on intake and digestibility of forage by lambs and on IVDMD. In Trial 1, 16 lambs (average BW = 41 +/- .9 kg) were used in a randomized complete block design with eight lambs per block. Lambs were fed a crested wheatgrass hay (7.5% CP) and received either no supplement (NS), a protein supplement (PS), or protein supple...

The experiment was conducted to study the production and nutritional values of high yielding fodders by the goat farmers in Kobirhat and Subornochar upazilas of Noakhali District. The yields of high yielding forages had significant differences among the species. The average higher biomass were obtained from Napier–hybrid (34), Napier-aerosa (20), Napier–bazra (17.33) and Splendida (19). The And...

Goats (Capra hircus hircus) offer an opportunity to more effectively convert pasture nutrients to animal products as milk, meat and fiber which are currently marketable and in demand by a growing segment of the US population. With the introduction of the Boer breed and the upgrading of meat-type goats with Boer genetics, research focusing on forage evaluation, feeding strategies and the develop...

To investigate the extent to which enteric methane (CH4) emissions from growing lambs are explained by simple body weight and diet characteristics, a 2 × 2 Latin square changeover design experiment was carried out using two sheep breeds and two fresh pasture types. Weaned lambs of two contrasting breed types were used: Welsh Mountain (WM, a small, hardy hill breed) and Welsh Mule × Texel (TexX,...

The aim of the present study was to compare carbohydrate degradation of forages which store carbohydrates either predominantly as fructan or starch, in horses' hindgut. The effects of an abrupt change from hay-based feeding to green fodder-based feeding on the caecal flora were tested with the in vitro hindgut simulation technique 'Caesitec'. Six trials with different forages (English ryegrass,...