Comparison of In Vivo Digestibility to In Vitro Digestibility of Five Forages Fed to Steers

Authors

Bobbi Gene Geisert, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Terry J. Klopfenstein, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Don C. Adams, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
James C. MacDonald, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

1-1-2007

Comments

Published in 2007 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report. Copyright © 2006 The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska.

Abstract

Eight crossbred yearling steers were used in a Latin rectangle design to determine the in vivo digestibility of five different forages. Feed intakes were higher when steers were fed forages with higher IVDMD. In vivo digestibility of the hay used in this trial was highly correlated to in vitro digestibility. On average, in vitro DMD was 5.4 percentage units higher than in vivo digestibility. Including these five hay samples as standards for in vitro analysis allows researchers to compare samples analyzed across in vitro runs. It also allows researchers to adjust the in vitro DMD to in vivo DMD, which allows for more accurate ration formulation and animal response prediction.