Abstract
Seven laboratory methods for predicting organic matter digestibility were tested and compared on 42 samples of grass hay, 56 of silages and 39 of pelleted forages and byproducts. For all samples digestibility in vivo was determined with wethers fed at a maintenance level. The methods investigated were: tabular digestibility coefficients, Weende components, cell wall components, summative equations (Van Soest), true organic matter digestibility in vitro (Van Soest), digestibility in vitro (Tilley and Terry) and nylon bag digestibility. None of the purely chemical procedures nor the tabular digestibility coefficients were sufficiently accurate for a practical prediction of organic matter digestibility. Considerably better results were obtained with methods using living rumen micro-organisms. The best results were obtained with the nylon bag technique, but digestibility in vitro, measured by the two-stage technique, also gave accurate predictions of digestibility.
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