Forage Intake by Cattle and Sheep on Dry Annual Range

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Abstract
ALTHOUGH range forage is the major source of nutrients for millions of livestock and game animals, relatively little is known about its quantitative intake. The lignin ratio, chromogen ratio, or fecal nitrogen index procedures have been used to calculate forage intake by range livestock, but these methods are subject to limitations under many conditions. This paper reports on an experiment designed (1) to determine effects of changes in herbage availability on forage intake by catfie and sheep on mature annual range, (2) to compare different indicator techniques for calculating forage intake, and (3) to compare a new method of calculating forage intake, based on microdigestion, to the lignin ratio procedure. Methods Grazing studies were conducted early in July, August, and September 1961 (periods I, II, and III) on an annual grass, open-oak woodland range on the Hopland Field Station in northern California. Herbage availability, determined by clipping 100 randomly located Copyright © 1964. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1964 by American Society of Animal Science