Advances in forage quality should translate into improved farm income. Forage quality is synonymous with improved fiber digestibility (NDFd).

Through years of neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFd) work, it is clear there are multiple pools within the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of forage fiber. Currently, we are focused on three pools: fast, slow and “indigestible.”

Throughout this article, NDF refers to aNDF, determined with use of amylase and sodium sulfite as described by Mertens and official AOAC methods of fiber analysis. For brevity of the acronyms, the “a” is omitted. Fiber digestibility is a critical factor in dairy nutrition. It is involved in many parameters used to balance rations and evaluate forages. It affects dry matter intake (DMI) and gut fill capacity as well as total chewing time both eating and ruminating, not to mention milk and milk components production.

There are many benefits to feeding high-forage rations to dairy cows. Doing so successfully takes planning and forethought. In review of our own feeding trials along with work conducted by Dr. Larry Chase of Cornell University, here are some points to consider and reference guidelines of forage quality and ration parameters.

Why do cows – rather rumens – behave differently on the same diet? We know that animal differences (i.e. age, parity, DIM, genetic potential) and management factors (i.e. crowding, time budgets, facilities) greatly affect production and animal health.