Fiber Digestibility

Using Digestible NDF to
Determine Forage Quality
Dr. Dan Undersander

University of Wisconsin
UWEX
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2004
Importance of Digestible Fiber
 Use of empirical equations
 For many years we estimated forage energy
content from single analyte
UWEX
Sampling of Empirical equations
 From Western Region
 %TDN = 82.38 - (0.7515 x ADF)
 From Pennsylvania
 %TDN = 4.898 + (89.796 x NEL)
 NEL (Mcal/lb) = 1.044 - (0.0119 x ADF)
 From Midwest
 %DDM = 88.9 - (0.779 x ADF)
UWEX
TDN Estimates from Different
Empirical Equations
80
75
70
65
60 Western
TDN
55 Pennsylvania
50 Midwestern
45
40
35
30
20 30 40 50 60
Acid Detergent Fiber (%)
UWEX
Relationship of digestible
fiber to ADF for Alfalfa
Comparison of ADF to Fiber Digestibility of World's Forage
Superbowl Samples, 2003
75
Neutral Detergent Fiber Digestibility (%
70
65
y = -0.3822x + 61.224
60
R2 = 0.0901
of NDF)
55
50
45
40
35
30
20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40
Acid Detergent Fiber (% of DM)
UWEX
Relationship of NDF digestibility to
NDF Content
75
y = -0.2184x + 62.015
70
R2 = 0.0264
65
in vitro NDFD 48h, % of NDF
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65
NDF, % of DM
UWEX
NRC (2001) Dairy Approach to
Predicting TDN of Forages
 Uniform feed fractions will have predictable digestion coefficients
TDN 1-X =tdCP + (tdFA x 2.25) + tdNDF + tdNFC -7
+ A more accurate and robust way to estimate TDN of forages

than ADF
- TDN values estimated by NRC(2001) are different than what we
are used to.
UWEX
Influence of NDF digestibility on forage digestibility
TDN = tdCP + (tdFA x 2.25)+ (.75 x NDFD48 x NDF) + tdNFC -7
NDF ADF NDFD48 TDN DDM*

Forage A: 40 30 58 61.6 65.5
Forage B: 40 30 36 53.6 65.5
*DDM = 88.9 * .779(ADF)
UWEX
Influence of NDF digestibility on dry matter intake
dIntake = base intake plus adjustment for dNDF

= base intake + (NDFD-average NDFD) * .374)
Oba and Allen, 1999. J. Dairy Sci. 82:589-596

NDF ADF NDFD dIntake DMI*
Forage A 40 30 58 31.0 2.78% of BW
Forage B 40 30 36 22.8 2.78% of BW
*DMI = 120/NDF
UWEX
Adjusting DMI, Base TMR
Lb DM
Alfalfa 20-30-40-58 25
Corn silage 6
HMC 20
Protein/mineral/vitamins 7
DMI 58
NRC 2001 ration evaluation (110 lb milk)
NE allowable milk, lb 93
MP allowable milk, lb 110
NEl balance, Mcal - 5.6
TMR Nel, Mcal/lb .70
UWEX
Suppose alfalfa
Adjusting DMI, Base TMR composition changed
to 20-30-40-36:
Lb DM Impact:
Alfalfa 20-30-40-58 25 TDN
Corn silage 6 61.6 -> 53.6
HMC 20 dIntake
Protein/mineral/vitamins 7 31.0 ->22.8
DMI 58
NRC 2001 ration evaluation Action steps
NE allowable milk, lb 93 Change alfalfa TDN in
MP allowable milk, lb 110 ration program
NEl balance, Mcal - 5.6
TMR Nel, Mcal/lb .70 Discount TMR intake
UWEX
.374(58-36) = 8 lb
Adjusting DMI and TDN
Base TMR Adjusted TMR

20-30-40-58 20-30-40-36
Alfalfa 25 22
Corn silage 6 5
HMC 20 17
Protein/mineral/vitamins 7 6
DMI 58 50
NRC 2001 ration evaluation
NE allowable milk, lb 93 83
MP allowable milk, lb 110 91
NEl balance, Mcal - 5.6 -8.7
TMR Nel, Mcal/lb .70 .73
UWEX
Relative Feed Value =
(Intake Potential * Digestible DM)

Constant
UWEX
Relative Feed Value (Current)
Intake Potential = 120/NDF
Digestible DM = 88.9 - (0.779*ADF)
Constant = 1.29
UWEX
Relative Feed Value (Current)
Intake Potential = 120/NDF
Digestible DM = 88.9 - (0.779*ADF)
Constant = 1.29
UWEX
Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) =
(dIntake Potential * dTDN)

Constant
UWEX
Relative Forage Quality
Intake potential
= base intake plus adjustment for dNDF
= base intake + ((dNDF-average dNDF) *.374)
=(0.012/NDF) + (NDFD-45)*0.374*1350/100
From Oba and Allen, 1999, J Dairy Sci
UWEX
Total Digestible Nutrients (dTDN)
= dNFC + dCP + dFA*2.25 + dNDF - 7
= [(NFC*.98) + (CP*.93) + (FA*.97*2.25) +
NDF * NDFD] - 7
From NRC, 2001
UWEX
Relative Forage Quality (RFQ)
RFQ = dIntake potential*dTDN

1.23
UWEX
Comparison of RFV and RFQ for Hay, Haylage, and
Baleage, 2002 Worlds Forage Superbowl
300
y = 1.1446x - 32.224
250
2
R = 0.8623
200
RFQ
150
100
50
50 100 150 200 250 300
RFV
UWEX
300
y = 1.1446x - 32.224
2
250 R = 0.8623
200
RFQ
150 Dissatisfied
Customers
100
50
100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300
RFV
UWEX
300
y = 1.1446x - 32.224
2
250 R = 0.8623
Giving Energy
200
Away
RFQ
150 Dissatisfied
Customers
100
50
100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300
RFV
UWEX
Relationship of RFV to RFQ in Alfalfa,
World’ s Forage Superbowl, 2003
350

y = 0.8204x + 45.06
Above line – 300 2
R = 0.51
* energy not valued
250
200
Below line –
* poor animal 150
performance
100
* dissatisfied customers
100 150 200 250 300
* heat damaged samples
Relative Feed Value
UWEX
Summary
 Digestible fiber more accurately predicts
animal performance on forage than ADF.
 RFQ uses TDN and digestible fiber.
 RFQ will more accurately index value of hay
to animals.
UWEX
Forage quality of alfalfa in Kawas trial
Pre Bloom Early Bloom Mid Bloom Full Bloom
Percent (dry matter basis)

CP 21.1 18.9 14.7 16.3
ADF 30.2 33.0 38.0 35.9
NDF 40.5 42.0 52.5 59.5
From Kawas et al. 1989

UWEX
Effect of forage quality on
dry matter intake
60
Dry matter intake
50
20%
40
(lb/day)
37%
30
54%
20
71%
10
0
Prebloom Early bloom Mid bloom Full bloom
Alfalfa Maturity
UWEX
Effect of forage quality on 4% fat
corrected milk at four concentrate levels
90
4% fat corrected milk
80
20%
70
(lb/day)
37%
60 54%
71%
50
40
Alfalfa maturity stage
UWEX
Effect of forage quality on butterfat
content of milk at four concentrate levels
Butterfat Content of milk
3.9
3.7
3.5 20%
3.3 37%
(%)
3.1 54%
2.9 71%
2.7
2.5
Alfalfa maturity stage
UWEX
Value of milk from forage quality
$250
$200
Dollars per ton
y = 3.7819x - 384.73
$150
$100
$50
$0
90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160
Relative Feed Value
UWEX
Value of high quality hay
 Increased energy content
 Increased intake
 Use above 150 RFQ to mix with low quality
 Values low quality forage that may be on hand
 May be difficult to mix two hays in some operations
 Use above 150 RFQ to mix with corn silage
 Value to protein because corn silage is lower in protein
 Value to low NDF because corn silage is higher in fiber
UWEX
Further Information
www.uwex.edu/ces/forage
UWEX

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Fiber Digestibility

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Using Digestible NDF to

Determine Forage Quality

Dr. Dan Undersander

TDN 1-X =tdCP + (tdFA x 2.25) + tdNDF + tdNFC -7

+ A more accurate and robust way to estimate TDN of forages

TDN = tdCP + (tdFA x 2.25)+ (.75 x NDFD48 x NDF) + tdNFC -7

NDF ADF NDFD48 TDN DDM*

*DDM = 88.9 * .779(ADF)

dIntake = base intake plus adjustment for dNDF

Oba and Allen, 1999. J. Dairy Sci. 82:589-596

Base TMR Adjusted TMR

(Intake Potential * Digestible DM)

Intake Potential = 120/NDF

Digestible DM = 88.9 - (0.779*ADF)

Intake Potential = 120/NDF

Digestible DM = 88.9 - (0.779*ADF)

(dIntake Potential * dTDN)

= base intake plus adjustment for dNDF

= base intake + ((dNDF-average dNDF) *.374)

= dNFC + dCP + dFA*2.25 + dNDF - 7

= [(NFC*.98) + (CP*.93) + (FA*.97*2.25) +

RFQ = dIntake potential*dTDN

Relative Forage Quality

Pre Bloom Early Bloom Mid Bloom Full Bloom

Percent (dry matter basis)

From Kawas et al. 1989

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DDM = 88.9 .779(ADF)

= [(NFC.98) + (CP.93) + (FA.972.25) +