The relationship between the crude-fibre content of pasture and other feeding-stuffs and their digestibility and starch equivalent

Abstract

A study of the published data for feeding-stuff composition, digestibility and starch equivalent has shown that a linear relationship exists between the crude-fibre content and digestibility, and between crude-fibre content and starch equivalent.No significant difference was found between the regression coefficients for crude fibre and digestibility for sheep and cattle, but the coefficients for horses and pigs were notably larger, and significantly so for pigs.For pasture herbage the relationship between protein and starch equivalent was found to be merely a reflexion of the fibre content, and the regression coefficient between them became non-significant when crude fibre was included in the regression analysis. An equation has been obtained connecting crude fibre with starch equivalent, which is valid over a wide range of pasture species and fibre contents.