A new in vitro lab assay has been developed by UW-Madison Dairy Scientists that predicts total tract NDF digestion in ruminants. The in vitro TTNDFD assay predicts NDF digestion of alfalfa, corn silage, grass forages and byproduct feeds. UW-Madison researchers have validated the accuracy of the in vitro TTNDFD test against directly measured NDF digestibility lactating dairy cattle. The Universi...

Neu differentiation factor (NDF, also called heregulin) is a 44-kilodalton glycoprotein that stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of the Neu/HER-2 receptor and induces phenotypic differentiation of certain mammary cancer cell lines to growth-arrested and milk-producing cells. To determine which molecules participate in the concomitant morphological alterations, we analyzed the expression of seve...

This study compared the effects of drying on beet pulp with and without added molasses by measuring the in sacco digestibility and composition including ®ber polysaccharides and minerals. Beet pulp was sampled before and after the addition of molasses from four different sugar processing plants within California. These samples were sub-sampled and then sun-, freeze-, or airdried. The percentage...

Eight forages (alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, red clover, bromegrass, orchardgrass, perennial ryegrass, quackgrass, and timothy) at three maturities were evaluated for ruminal DM, CP, and NDF degradation kinetics. Duplicate dacron bags were incubated for 0, 3, 6, 10, 13, 25, 48, and 72 h in two late lactation Holstein cows fitted with ruminal cannulas over eight experimental periods. Species and m...

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the ratio of non-fibrous carbohydrates to neutral detergent fibre (NFC/NDF) and undegraded dietary protein (UDP) on rumen fermentation and nitrogen metabolism in lambs. Four Dorper×thin-tailed Han crossbred lambs, averaging 62.3±1.9 kg of body weight and 10 mo of age, were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments of combinations of two levels of...

Our objective was to characterize changes in cell wall composition and digestibility of sugarcane bagasse, pith from bagasse, and wheat straw after treatment with alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP). The AHP treatment solution contained 1% H2O2 (wt/vol) maintained at pH 11.5 with NaOH. The H2O2 in solution amounted to 25% of the quantity of substrate treated. After treatment, residues were washed ...

The key chemical analysis used to estimate the energy value of alfalfa hay for trading purposes, ADF (acid detergent fiber), has been supplanted by NDF (neutral detergent fiber) as the key chemical analysis used by nutritionists to evaluate the fibrosity and energy value of alfalfa hay for nutritional purposes. It is important that the alfalfa hay trading industry abandon ADF, as it will genera...

Ferulate-mediated lignin/hemicellulose cross linking in grasses reduces in vitro NDF digestibility (IVNDFD). Impact of ferulate cross linking on animal performance was examined in lamb digestibility and dairy cow performance trials using the seedling ferulate ester (sfe) corn mutant that reduces cross linking and improves IVNDFD. Digestibility of control (W23) and 2 near-isogenic sfe (M04–4 and...

Fifty-four roughages of known voluntary dry-matter intakes (DMI; range 7.8-35.2 g/kg live weight per d) were examined in vitro in a gas production test. Samples (200 mg) of roughage and roughage neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) respectively were incubated in a mixed suspension of rumen contents for 96 h and the gas volumes recorded after 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 30, 36, 48, 54, 60 and 96 h. The kinetics o...

Twelve 2-ha, Nebraska Sandhills upland range paddocks were used in a 2-yr study to determine effects of stocking rate on grazed forage nutrient value in early summer. Paddocks contain a mixture of native cool- and warm-season grasses with forbs as a minor component. Stocking rates were 0 (control), 0.57 (light), and 0.85 (heavy) animal unit months per ha, respectively. Three esophageally fistul...