Digestion in the Steer, Goat, and Artificial Rumen as Measures of Forage Nutritive Value

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Abstract
Seven alfalfa-bromegrass hays were used to compare the digestive abilities of steers and goats. In Trial-1 (4 hays), there were no significant differences between steers and goats in the digestibility of dry matter (DDM), cellulose, or energy. Goats digested the crude protein of 2 of the hays more extensively. Unusually high steer digestion coefficients for 1 hay in Trial-2 (3 hays) resulted in a significant difference between steers and goat digestibilities agreed closely on all other hays. Artificial rumen digestibility estimates for the hays did not differ significantly from the animal DDM values. Hand-clipped samples gave higher digestibility estimates than the hays.