D. Kababya and J. W. Walker
Key Points
A method combining bite-count on target animals and F.NIRS was developed.
Direct continuous observation of target goats recorded botanical composition of diets and handplucked forage representing bites was used to determine chemical and botanical composition.
Fecal samples collected on the second and third day following observations were mixed to develop diet-fecal pairs with the hand plucked diet.
Botanical composition calibrations of 2 browse species and total herbaceous forage were reasonable with R2 between 0.77 – 0.89 and SECV between 5.6 – 7.8% DM.
Calibrations for CP, NDF, in vitro DM digestibility would reliably predict diets of goat browsing in this environment. Calibrations for PEG binding tannins can only be used for screening purposes.
Calibrations for DM intake were poor.
Chapter 6
D. Kababya and J. W. Walker
Key Points
A method combining bite-count on target animals and F.NIRS was developed.
Direct continuous observation of target goats recorded botanical composition of diets and handplucked forage representing bites was used to determine chemical and botanical composition.
Fecal samples collected on the second and third day following observations were mixed to develop diet-fecal pairs with the hand plucked diet.
Botanical composition calibrations of 2 browse species and total herbaceous forage were reasonable with R2 between 0.77 – 0.89 and SECV between 5.6 – 7.8% DM.
Calibrations for CP, NDF, in vitro DM digestibility would reliably predict diets of goat browsing in this environment. Calibrations for PEG binding tannins can only be used for screening purposes.
Calibrations for DM intake were poor.
Chapter 6