Prediction of silage nutritive value from chemical composition and in vitro digestibility analyses 3, Mixed corn, grass and legume silage.
1975
Larsen, R.E., Department of Animal Science, University of Ghana, Legon ,Ghana
Four mixed silages of varied dry matter (DM) contents were fed to Columbia wethers in a series of in vivo trials. Digestibilities of mixed silages by sheep were determined by total collection in all trials. Chemical composition, DM solubility and in vitro digestibilities of DM, organic matter and cellulose contents of mixed silages were determined. There were no significantrelationships between the various chemical characteristics and DM or digestible energy (DE) intake of the mixed silages. Standard partial regression coefficients, however, suggested that crude protein, silage pH, aciddetergent fibre and lactic acid contents of the mixed silage were the most important of the variables determined when predicting DM intake, but silage acetic acid, crude protein and lactic acid influenced the mixed silage DE intake, in a descending order of importance. In vitro digestibility analyses of the mixed silage was not very accurate in predicting in vivo DM intake. However, DM solubility and in vitro DM digestibility predicted DE intake to a reasonable extent (59%; P= 0.05
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