Disappearance in the Rumen of Grain Dry Matter with Different Physical Forms

Abstract

The in vivo bag technique was used to determine the relative total digestible nutrients (TDN) and digestion coefficients for ground and whole corn, oats, rye, sorghum, soybeans, and wheat and cracked corn. Grinding each of the grains to pass a 2-mm screen increased the respective rumen digestion coefficients and TDN values. Cracking the corn also resulted in an increased digestibility when compared with the whole grain. The rumen digestion coefficients for protein in ground sorghum and dried mature corn were increased less than the coefficients for protein in ground oats, rye, soybeans, and wheat. For the corn there was a relationship between the hardness of the grain and its moisture content and digestibility. The in vivo bag technique was useful in determining relative differences in digestibilities of the grain.