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Factors affecting intake by grazing ruminants and related quantification methods
Virginie Decruyenaere , André Buldgen , Didier Stilmant
The aim of this review is to discuss the factors affecting intake of grazing ruminants and its main quantification methods.
Level of intake depends on many factors linked, for instance to the gut capacity, to the animal’s requirements covering, or
to the forage quality. The post-ingestive feedback of the intake, the morphological characteristics of grazed plants and the
environment such as climate, characteristics of feed resources, are also factors of interest to explain some intake variations.
Intake is a multi-factorial phenomenon. There are few studies on the estimation of that parameter. Methods and techniques
developed to measure intake are often laborious and expensive, sometimes unrepresentative of the true grazing conditions and
often lacking of accuracy. Currently, the n-alkanes, natural markers presents in the plants, appear as one of the best way to
predict at the same time intake and digestibility of ingested diet. However, the method remains hard to apply for long periods
and in free ranging schemes. If sufficiently robust databases and calibrations are developed, Near Infrared Spectroscopy
(NIRS) appears as an interesting technique to predict rapidly intake and digestibility of grazed grass. Particularly, NIRS
applied to faeces appears promising as related in recent studies. It could be considered as a good alternative for assessing the
diet, in quantity and in quality, of grazing or ranging ruminants.
pages:15
[thanks-thanks]pdf,251KB,http://www.mediafire.com/view/?plbbsjuv266pdbc[/thanks-thanks]
Virginie Decruyenaere , André Buldgen , Didier Stilmant
The aim of this review is to discuss the factors affecting intake of grazing ruminants and its main quantification methods.
Level of intake depends on many factors linked, for instance to the gut capacity, to the animal’s requirements covering, or
to the forage quality. The post-ingestive feedback of the intake, the morphological characteristics of grazed plants and the
environment such as climate, characteristics of feed resources, are also factors of interest to explain some intake variations.
Intake is a multi-factorial phenomenon. There are few studies on the estimation of that parameter. Methods and techniques
developed to measure intake are often laborious and expensive, sometimes unrepresentative of the true grazing conditions and
often lacking of accuracy. Currently, the n-alkanes, natural markers presents in the plants, appear as one of the best way to
predict at the same time intake and digestibility of ingested diet. However, the method remains hard to apply for long periods
and in free ranging schemes. If sufficiently robust databases and calibrations are developed, Near Infrared Spectroscopy
(NIRS) appears as an interesting technique to predict rapidly intake and digestibility of grazed grass. Particularly, NIRS
applied to faeces appears promising as related in recent studies. It could be considered as a good alternative for assessing the
diet, in quantity and in quality, of grazing or ranging ruminants.
pages:15
[thanks-thanks]pdf,251KB,http://www.mediafire.com/view/?plbbsjuv266pdbc[/thanks-thanks]
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