Defecation Pattern in Goats Fed Maize or Sorghum Silage as Analyzed by Near-infrared Spectroscopy

Abstract

INOUE, N.(2001):Defecation pattern in goats fed maize or sorghum silage as analyzed by near-infrared spectroscopy. Grassland Science 47, 471-477. Goats were fed silages at 4.9% of metabolic body weight per day. As test signal, rye hay treated with ammonia gas was fed for analyzing the continuous defecation stream at 1% of metabolic body weight together with the silage once. The feces were sampled 55 times at 3 hour intervals after feeding rye hay, and near-infrared spectra were obtained. For data compression, correlation coefficients were calculated between the spectrum of the first sample and that of the samples collected thereafter. The change in the correlation coefficient with time was considered to show the defecation pattern of rye hay in the feces. The increase in the proportion of indigestible organic matter in the rye hay is mainly responsible for the decrease in the correlation coefficient. The correlation coefficient fluctuated with the time of sorghum silage feeding, but not with that of the maize silage feeding. In the sorghum silage, the lowest correlation coefficient was observed at 3 days after rye hay feeding. A circadian rhythmicity in the chemical composition of feces was detected by spectrum analysis. The defecation pattern of rye hay varied with the kind of silage fed together with it.