Abstract
The overall aim was to establish a model for predicting chewing index (CI) values for ranking the fibrousnesses of feeds fed to dairy cows within the Nordic Chewing index system. The CI values are predicted as the sum of the eating (EI) and ruminating time index (RI) values. The EI values are assumed to be proportional with the NDF content and a particle size factor through the proportionality factor kEI. The RI values are assumed to be proportional with the NDF content, a particle size factor and a hardness factor through the proportionality factor kRI. The kEI, kRI values and the kEI/kRI ratios were parameterized as the mean eating (mETf), mean ruminating time (mRTf) per intake of forage NDF (NDFIf) and the mETf /mRTf ratio by a Meta analysis of 75 published values from cattle fed three types of unchopped forages with or without supplementation with concentrates. The intake of NDF from ground concentrate (NDFIc) and rolled barley (NDFIRB) was related to NDFIf in the models, which included effects of BW, NDFIf/BW, NDFIRB/BW, NDFIRB/ NDFIf, NDFIc/NDFIf, DM content of silage, interaction between forage type and physiological state of the cattle, method for recording chewing, and with studies as random effect for ruminating time. The mRTf value per kg forage NDF decreased at increased BW and NDFIf/BW. The mETf value increased at increasing BW and at decreasing DM contents of grass silage. Intake of NDF from rolled barley stimulated ruminating time by ¾ of the stimuli from NDFIf. The mETf/mRTf ratio, the mETf and mRTf values of grass silage fed to a standard cow, BW=625 kg, 0.7% NDFIf per kg of BW were predicted to 0.41 (min/min), and 41 and 109 (min/kg NDF), respectively.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aikman, P.C., Reynolds, C.K. and Beever, D.E., 2008. Diet digestibility, rate of passage, and eating and rumination behavior of Jersey and Holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science 91:1103–1114.
Allen, M.S., 1997. Relationship between fermentation acid production in the rumen and the requirement for physically effective fiber. Journal of Dairy Science 80:1447–1462.
Bae, D.H., Welch, J.G. and Gilman, B.E., 1983. Mastication and rumination in relation to body size of cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 66:2137–2141.
Bae, D.H., Welch, J.G. and Smith, A.M., 1981. Efficiency of mastication in relation to hay intake by cattle. Journal of Animal Science 52:1371–1375.
Balch, C.C., 1971. Proposal to use time spent chewing as an index to which diets for ruminants possess the physical property of fibrousness characteristic of roughages. British Journal of Nutrition 26:383–392.
Beauchemin, K.A. and Iwaasa, A.D., 1993. Eating and ruminating activities of cattle fed alfalfa or orchardgrass harvested at two stages of maturity. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 73:79–88.
Beauchemin, K.A., 1991. Ingestion and mastication of feed by dairy cattle. Veterinary Clinics of North America, Food Animal Practice 7:439–463.
Beauchemin, K.A., Eriksen, L., Norgaard, P. and Rode, L.M., 2008. Salivary secretion during meals in lactating dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 91:2077–2081.
Beauchemin, K.A., Farr, B.I. and Rode, L.M., 1991. Enhancement of the effective fiber content of barley-based concentrates fed to dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 74:3128–3139.
Beauchemin, K.A., Farr, B.I., Rode, L.M. and Schaalje, G.B., 1994a. Optimal neutral detergent fiber concentration of barley-based diets for lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 77:1013–1029.
Beauchemin, K., McAllister, T., Dong, Y., Farr, B. and Cheng, K., 1994b. Effects of mastication on digestion of whole cereal grains by cattle. Journal of Animal Science 72:236–246.
Beauchemin, K. and Rode, L., 1994. Compressed baled alfalfa hay for primiparous and multiparous dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 77:1003–1012.
Campling, R.C., 1966a. A preliminary study of the effect of pregnancy and lactation on th voluntary intake of food by cows. British Journal of Nutrition 20:25–39.
Campling, R.C., 1966b. The effect of concentrate on the rate of disappearance of digesta from the alimentary tract of cows given hay. Journal of Dairy Research 33:13–23.
Campling, R., 1966c. The intake of hay and silage by cows. Journal-of-the-British-Grassland-Society 21, 41–48.
Castle, M., Retter, W. and Watson, J., 1979. Silage and milk production: a comparison between grass silage of three different chop lengths. Grass and Forage Science 34:293–301.
Clark, P.W. and Armentano, L.E., 1993. Effectiveness of neutral detergent fiber in whole cottonseed and dried distillers grains compared with alfalfa haylage. Journal of Dairy Science 76:2644–2650.
De Boever, J., Andries, J., De Brabander, D.L., Cottyn, B. and Buysse, F., 1990. Chewing activity of ruminants as a measure of physical structure- a review of facors affecting it. Animal Feed Science and Technology 27:281–291.
De Boever, J.L., De Smet, A., De Brabander, D.L. and Boucque, C.V., 1993. Evaluation of physical structure. 1. Grass silage. Journal of Dairy Science 76:140–153.
Freer, M. and Campling, C., 1965. Factors affecting the voluntary intake of food by cows. 7. The behavior and reticular motility of cows given diets of hay, dried grass, concentrates and ground, pelleted hay. British Journal of Nutrition 19:195–207.
Grant, R.J. and Weidner, S.J., 1992. Effect of fat from whole soybeans on performance of dairy cows fed rations differing in fibre level and particle size. Journal of Dairy Science 75:2742–2751.
Kaiser, R. and Combs, D., 1989. Utilization of three maturities of alfalfa by dairy cows fed rations that contain similar concentrations of fiber. Journal of Dairy Science 72:2301–2307.
Luginbuhl, J.M., Pond, K.R., Burns, J.C. and Russ, J.C., 1989. Effects of ingestive mastication on particle dimensions and weight distribution of coastal bermudagrass hay fed to steers at four levels. Journal of Animal Science 67:538–546.
Mertens, D.R., 1997. Creating a system for meeting the fiber requirements of dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 80, 1463–1481.
Nørgaard, P., 1986. Physical structure of feeds for dairy cows. (A new system for evaluation of the physical structure in feedstuffs and rations for dairy cows). In: Neimann-Sørensen, A. (ed.) New developments and future perspectives in research of rumen function. Directorate-General for Agriculture, Coordination of Agricultural Reseach, Brussels, Belgium, pp.85–107.
Nørgaard, P., 1989. The influence of physical form of ration on chewing activity and rumen motility in lactating cows. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica 39:187–202.
Nørgaard, P., Nadeau, E., Volden, H., Randby, A., Aaes, O. and Mehlqvist, M., 2008. A new Nordic structure evaluation system for diets fed to dairy cows. (Grassland Science in Europe, Volume 13). In: Hopkins, A., Gustafsson, T., Bertilsson, J., Dalin, G., Nilsdotter-Linde, N. and Sporndly, E. (eds.) Biodiversity and animal feed: future challenges for grassland production, pp.2008–2764.
NRC, 2001. Nutrient requirements of dairy cattle. National Academy Press, Washingon, D.C., USA.
Oshio, S., 2001. Effect of intake of Italian ryegrass hay on chewing behavior, rumen volume and fecal particle size in heifers. Animal Science Journal 72:410–415.
Schwab, E.C., Shaver, R.D., Shinners, K.J., Lauer, J.G. and Coors, J.G., 2002. Processing and chop length effects in brown-midrib corn silage on intake, digestion, and milk production by dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 19:47–48.
Schwarz, G.E., 1978. Estimating the Dimension of a Model. Annals of Statistics 6:461–464.
Soita, H.W., Christensen, D.A. and McKinnon, J.J., 2000. Influence of particle size on the effectiveness of the fiber in barley silage. Journal of Dairy Science 83:2295–2300.
Sudweeks, E.M., Ely, L.O., Mertens, D.R. and Sisk, L.R., 1981. Assessing minimum amounts and form of roughages in ruminant diets: roughage value index system. Journal of Animal Science 53:1406–1411.
Teller, E., Vanbelle, M. and Kamatali, P., 1993. Chewing behaviour and voluntary grass silage intake by cattle. Livestock Production Science 33:215–227.
Van Bruchem, J., Bosch, M.W., Lammers Wienhoven, S.C.W., Bangma, G.A. and Van, B.J., 1991. Intake, rumination, reticulo-rumen fluid and particle kinetics, and faecal particle size in heifers and cattle fed on grass hay and wilted grass silage. Livestock Production Science 27:297–308.
Weidner, S.J. and Grant, R.J., 1994. Altered ruminal mat consistency by high percentages of soybean hulls fed to lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 77:522–532.
Woodford, J., Jorgensen, N. and Barrington, G., 1986. Impact of dietary fiber and physical form on performance of lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 69:1035–1047.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Wageningen Academic Publishers
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Nørgaard, P., Nadeau, E., Randby, Å.T. (2011). A new Nordic structure evaluation system for diets fed to dairy cows: a meta analysis. In: Sauvant, D., Van Milgen, J., Faverdin, P., Friggens, N. (eds) Modelling nutrient digestion and utilisation in farm animals. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen. https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-712-7_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-712-7_12
Publisher Name: Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen
Online ISBN: 978-90-8686-712-7
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)
