Comparisons of in situ dry matter disappearance kinetics of wheat forages harvested by various techniques and evaluated in confined and grazing steers

Ruminal in situ disappearance kinetics of forages are commonly evaluated in confined animals, but there have been relatively few attempts to evaluate disappearance kinetics of forage dry matter (DM) in grazing animals. Our objectives were 1) to evaluate the effects of harvest technique and sampling date on the in situ DM disappearance kinetics and nutritive value of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) forage, and 2) to compare the in situ disappearance kinetics of DM for these forages when the experimental steers were housed in confinement with those obtained from steers grazing wheat pasture. Wheat forage was harvested on three dates (March 6, March 27, and April 11, 2000). Sampling techniques evaluated on each date included three clipping techniques (whole plant, random pluck, and top half) and two evaluations of masticates (oven dried at 50degreesC or lyophilized). There was an interaction of harvest technique and sampling date main effects for crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin, and whole-plant ash. Disappearance kinetics of DM for these 15 forages were then evaluated by the in situ technique using five 393- +/- 54-kg crossbred steers consuming an alfalfa-based (Medicago sativa L.) diet in confinement, and subsequently, in five 448 +/- 49-kg crossbred steers grazing wheat pasture during March 2001. For fractions A, B, and C, potential extent, rate of disappearance (K-d), and effective ruminal degradability, linear regressions of values obtained for steers grazing wheat pasture on those obtained from confined cattle had significant slopes and exhibited high r(2) statistics (>0.821). For fractions A and B, and Kd, the slope of these regression lines did not differ from unity, and the intercept did not differ from zero. For fraction C, potential extent of disappearance, and effective ruminal degradability, slopes were all equal to 1.19 and differed from unity. For effective degradability, deviation of the slope from unity can be explained, in part, on the basis of the passage rates used to calculate these values (0.035 and 0.062/h for confined and grazing steers, respectively). From a practical standpoint, the in situ disappearance kinetics of DM for these wheat forages did not appear to be altered substantially by evaluating them in grazing steers.