Digestibility of Forages by the Meadow Vole (Microtus Pennsylvanicus)

Abstract
Meadow voles (Microtus pen~sylvanicus) were fed semipurified diets of alfalfa, brome grass, and orchardgrass hays in con- centrations between 20 and 100%. The hays were the only source of cell walls in the diet. Dry matter digestibility de- creased as the cell wall content in the diets increased. Cell walls and cellulose increased in digestibility as cell wall in the diets increased. Hemicellulose digestibility in the diets followed a curvilinear pattern. Hemi- cellulose decreased in digestibility as the cell wall content of the diets increased to approximately 28% and then digestibility of hemicellulose increased. Most voles sur- vived on diets with up to 50% cell walls but died on diets with more than 55% cell wall contents. The vole digestibility results were compared with digestibilities from sheep, swine, horses and rats fed hay of similar composition.