Abstract
The organic matter digestibility (OMd) is very important when evaluating the energy value of feedstuffs. Digestibility determinations for a variety of feedstuffs have been extensively carried out by INRA using total faecal collection of in 5–6 gelding trotters (505 kg BW) fed at 1.2 time maintenance for 3 weeks (2 weeks adaptation and 1 week measurements) in order to establish feed tables as well as prediction equations of prediction for routine laboratories. As part of this large study the in vivo OMd of 52 forages were determined. The forages included 7 green natural grassland forages; and 45 hays (39 natural grassland and 7 grasses and 6 legumes). Forages were analysed for their ash; crude protein and cell wall content (crude fibre: CF; NDF; ADF and ADL). The in vivo OMd over of all forages ranged from 41 to 66%.Four prediction methods based on chemical composition; enzymatic degradation; gas production and Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS). Prediction of individual OMd using the NIRS or the enzymatic method were the most accurate (RSD = ±1.8 and ±2.0 respectively. compared with predicting from chemical composition using the CP; NDF and ADL content RSD = ±2.5 or the gas production using faecal inoculums RSD = ±2.5 or ±2.8. The enzymatic method is the easiest for routine analytical laboratories to implement as the transfer of the initial NIRS calibration equations between instruments for routine prediction.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Applegate, C.S. and T.V. Hershberger, 1969. Evaluation of in vitro and in vivo caecal fermentation techniques for estimating the nutritive value of forages for equines. J. Anim. Sci., 28, 18–22.
Aufrere, J. and B. Michalet-Doreau, 1988. Comparison of methods for predicting digestibility of feeds. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol., 20, 203–218.
Aufrere, J., 1982. Etude de la prévision de la digestibilité des fourrages par une méthode enzymatique. Ann. Zootech. 31, 111–130.
Chenost, M. and W. Martin-Rosset, 1985. Comparaison entre espéce (mouton, cheval, bovin) de la digestibilité et des quantités ingérées de fourrages verts. Ann. Zootech., 34, 291–312.
Darlington, J.M. and T.V. Hersheberger, 1978. Effect of forage matrurity on digestibility, intake and nutritive value of alfalfa, orchardgrass by equine. J. Anim. Sci. 27, 1572–1576.
Dorléans, M., 1998. Comparaison des methodes ‘Fibertec’ et ‘Fibersac’ pour doser les constituants pariétaux des aliments selon la méthode de Van Soest, Prod Anim., 40, 45–56.
Fonnesbeck, P.V., 1968. Digestion of soluble and fibrous carbohydrates of forage by horses. J. Anim. Sci; 27, 1306–1344.
Fonnesbeck, P.V., R.K. Lydman, G. W. Vander Noot and L.D. Symons, 1967. Digestibility of the proximates nutrients of forages by horses. J. Anim Sci., 26, 1039–1045.
INRA, 1990. L’Alimentation des chevaux. Martin-Rosset, W. (ed.) INRA Edition, Versailles, France, 232 pp.
INRA, 2011. Nutrition et Alimentation des chevaux. Nouvelles recommandations alimentaires de l’INRA. MartinRosset, W. (ed.) QUAE editions Versailles, France, 620 pp. (English edition in progress).
Koller, B.L., H.F. Hintz, J.B. Robertson and P.J. Van Soest, 1978. Comparative cell wall and dry matter digestion in the caecum of the pony and rumen of the cow using in vitro and nylon bag techniques. J. Anim. Sci., 7, 209–215.
Lindberg, J.E. and S. Ragnarsson, 2010. Prediction of energy digestibility and energy content in forages fed to horses. In Proc. 1st Nordic feed sciences conf. Uppsala, Sweden, pp 127–128. Report 274.
Macheboeuf, D. and M. Jestin, 1997b. Utilisation of the gas test method using horse faeces as a source of inoculums. In: Intern. Symp. in vitro techniques fro measuring nutrient supply to ruminants, Reading, UK, BSAS Ed. p.43.
Macheboeuf, D., M. Jestin, J. Andrieu and W. Martin-Rosset, 1997a. Prediction of organic matter digestibility of forages in horses by the gas test method. In: Intern. Symp. in vitro techniques fro measuring nutrient supply to ruminants, Reading, UK, BSAS Ed. p.36.
Maertens, H. and T. Naest, 1987. Near infrared technology in the agriculture and food industries (P. Williams, K., Norries Ed) American Association of cereal chem.., In, St Paul Minnesota, USA, 57–84.
Martin-Rosset, W. and J.P. Dulphy, 1987. Digestibility. Interactions between forages and concentrates in horse: Influence of feeding level. Comparison with sheep. Livest. Prod. Sci., 17, 263–276.
Martin-Rosset, W., 2011 Valeur alimentaire des aliments. In: Martin-Rosset, W. (ed.) Nutrition et Alimentation des chevaux: Nouvelles recommandations alimentaires de l’ INRA. QUAE Editions, Versailles, France, p. 437–484.
Martin-Rosset, W., J. Andrieu, M. Vermorel and J.P. Dulphy, 1984. Valeur nutritive des aliments chez le cheval. In: Jarrige, R. and W. Martin-Rosset (eds.) Le Cheval, INRA Publications, Versailles, France, p. 209–238.
Martin-Rosset, W., M. Vermorel, M., Doreau, J.L. Tisserand and J. Andrieu, 1994. The French horse feed evaluation systems and recommended allowances for energy and protein. Livest. Prod. Sci., 40, 37–56.
Menke K.H. and Steingass H., 1988. Estimation of energetic feeds value obtained from chemical analysis and in vitro gas production using rumen fluid. Anim. Res. and Devlop.28, 7–55.
Miraglia, N. and J.L Tisserand, 1985. Prévision de la digestibilité des fourrages destinés aux chevaux par dégradation enzymatique. Ann. Zootech., 34, 229–236.
Miraglia, N., W. Martin-Rosset and J.L. Tisserand, 1988. Mesure de la digestibilité des fourrages destinés aux chevaux par la technique des sacs de nylon. Ann. Zototech., 37, 13–20.
Norris, K.H., R.F. Barnes, J.E. Moore and J.S. Shenk, 1976. Prediction forage quality by infrared reflectance spectroscopy. J. Anim. Sci., 43, 889–8897.
Orskov E.R. and I. Mc Donald, 1979. The estimation of protein degradability in the rumen from incubation measurements weighted according to rate of passage. J. Agr. Sc. Cambridge, 92, 499–503.
Shenk, J.S. and M.O. Westerhaus, 1994. The application of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to forage analysis. In: Fahey GC, M. Collins, D.R. Mertens and L.E. Moser (eds.) Forage quality, evaluation, and utilization. American Society of Agronomy Inc, Madison, WI, USA, p. 406–449.
Smolders, E.A.A., A. Steg and V.A. Hindle, 1990. Organic matter digestibility in horses and its prediction. Neth. J. Agric. Sci., 38, 435–447.
Somogyi, M., 1952. Notes on sugar determination. J.biol. Chem., 195, 19–23.
Uden, P. and P.J. Van Soest, 1984. Investigation of the in situ bag technique and a comparison in heifers, sheep, ponies and rabbits. J. Anim. Sci., 58, 213–221.
Van Soest, P.J. and R.H. Wine, 1967. Use of detergent in the analysis of fibrous feeds. IV. Determination of plant Cell-Wall Constituents. J. Assoc. Off. Anal. Chem., 50, 50–55.
Van Soest, P. J., 1963. Use of detergent in the analysis of fibrous feeds. II. A rapid method for the determination of fibre and lignin. J. Assoc. Off. Anal. Chem., 46, 829–835.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Wageningen Academic Publishers
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Martin-Rosset, W., Andrieu, J., Jestin, M., Macheboeuf, D., Andueza, D. (2012). Prediction of organic matter digestibility of forages in horses using different chemical, biological and physical methods. In: Saastamoinen, M., Fradinho, M.J., Santos, A.S., Miraglia, N. (eds) Forages and grazing in horse nutrition. Forages and grazing in horse nutrition, vol 132. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen. https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-755-4_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-755-4_7
Publisher Name: Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen
Online ISBN: 978-90-8686-755-4
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)