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A Comparison of Two Established Fecal Index Systems for Estimating the Digestibility and Consumption of Forages by Grazing Dairy Cattle¹

Synopsis: Estimates of organic matter digestibility of pastured forages, derived from the fecal chromogen and nitrogen indicator methods, were highly correlated and equally sensitive when prediction equations developed by other workers were utilized. However, the nitrogen method consistently indicated higher forage digestibility. When the TDN requirement of lactating dairy cows was used as a standard, intake of digestible organic matter estimated by the nitrogen-chromic oxide method was more reliable than intake estimated by the chromogen-chromic oxide method.

² Cooperative Graduate Fellow (NSF), Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, (now Research Agronomist, Crops Research Division, ARS, USDA, University of Minnesota); Research Agronomist, Crops Research Division, ARS, USDA (now Associate Professor of Agronomy, Iowa State University); and Associate Professor of Dairy Husbandry, University of Minnesota. Grateful acknowledgments are given to A. R. Schmid for his suggestions and support, and to C. E. Gates for advice in statistical analysis.

Received for publication September 18, 1962.