In vitro prediction of whole ration digestibility

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Abstract
In vitro digestibility measures allow a more accurate prediction of the in vivo digestibility of roughage organic matter than the proximate chemical analysis. A comparison was made using mixed diets fed to lactating dairy goats at various levels of intake and proportions of concentrates. Two kinds of concentrate feeds, varying in their proportion of cell wall constituents, were studied. The in vitro digestibility technique applied to feedstuffs taken separately or combined in the same proportions as those of the ingested diet predicted more accurately the in vivo digestibility of the whole diet than the proximate chemical analysis.