Table 3. Dry matter (DM) intake and apparent total tract digestibility of constituents and energy in lambs fed either fresh winter forage rape or fresh perennial ryegrass.

Digestibility and energy	Forage rape	Perennial ryegrass	P b
	(n = 6) a	(n = 6)
Period 1
DM intake (g/d)	895 ±2.1	826 ±6.4	<0.001
Apparent digestibility (g/kg DM):
Dry matter	800 ±4.9	646 ±11.3	<0.001
Organic matter	873 ±2.8	751 ±5.3	<0.001
Crude protein	837 ±3.3	736 ±6.2	<0.001
NDF c	660 ±15.1	583 ±16.3	0.006
ADF d	670 ±14.9	486 ±23.8	<0.001
Energy partition (MJ/kg DM intake):
Intake gross energy	15.6 ±0.01	16.9 ±0.05	<0.001
Faeces gross energy	2.4 ±0.04	4.2 ±0.08	<0.001
Urine gross energy	0.7 ±0.03	0.9 ±0.02	<0.001
Methane gross energy	0.8 ±0.07	1.0 ±0.04	0.011
DE e (MJ/kg DM intake)	13.2 ±0.04	12.8 ±0.11	<0.001
ME f (MJ/kg DM intake)	11.7 ±0.07	10.8 ±0.11	<0.001
Period 2
DM intake (g/d)	932 ±16.6	1041 ±12.9	<0.001
Apparent digestibility (g/kg DM):
Dry matter	821 ±2.3	750 ±5.5	<0.001
Organic matter	850 ±2.9	771 ±5.8	<0.001
Crude protein	772 ±6.4	679 ±5.2	<0.001
NDF	632 ±12.4	756 ±5.7	<0.001
ADF	685 ±12.0	764 ±8.8	<0.001
Energy partition (MJ/kg DM intake):
Intake gross energy	17.2 ±0.04	17.5 ±0.01	<0.001
Faeces gross energy	3.1 ±0.07	4.7 ±0.09	<0.001
Urine gross energy	0.7 ±0.04	0.7 ±0.02	0.259
Methane gross energy	1.0 ±0.08	1.2 ±0.02	0.051
DE (MJ/kg DM intake)	14.1 ±0.04	12.8 ±0.09	<0.001
ME (MJ/kg DM intake)	12.4 ±0.08	10.9 ±0.10	<0.001

^a Number of animals sampled. Values are means ± SEM.

^b P value for the difference between forage rape and perennial ryegrass.

^c Neutral detergent fibre assayed with a heat stable amylase and expressed inclusive of residual ash.

^d Acid detergent fibre expressed inclusive of residual ash.

^e Digestible energy.

^f Metabolisable energy.