Forage Quality Criteria and Evaluation

Question 1

What are the two types of critera for forage quality?

Answer 1

1. Subjective: color, odor, leafiness, etc.
2. Objective: quantitative, based on laboratory analysis

Question 2

What goes into the objective critera of forage quality?

Answer 2

Protein: easy to estimate, fast and cheap!
* Nitrogen content expressed as crude protein
* %CP = %N * 6.25

Energy: more difficult to estimate
* It depends on the quantity and quality of fiber
Quantity → total cell wall content
Quality → % of the fiber that is digestible

Question 3

What is RFV?

Answer 3

Relative Feed Value
Digestibility x intake = RFV
* Specific for ruminants, not horses

Question 4

What is NDF?

Answer 4

It’s a measure of total fiber in a feed
* Lignin
* Cellulose
* Hemicelluose

Neutral detergent fiber

Question 5

What is ADF?

Answer 5

Quantifies lignin and cellulose components of forage

Acid detergent fiber

Question 6

What is very early maturity, pre-bloom?

Answer 6

Late vegatative to early bud
* Before you see any flowers

Question 7

What is early maturity, pre bloom?

Answer 7

Mid to late bud

Question 8

Grass hay has a lot higher… compared to legumes?

Answer 8

• More total NDF
• Similar ADF

Grasses have higher hemicellulose (most digestible)