The availability of calcium in three grasses

Abstract

1. The availability of the calcium in three species of grass has been determined by a slaughter technique, using the rat as the experimental animal.2. The calcium in both timothy and perennial rye-grass was found to be more available than that in cocksfoot, the differences between timothy and cocksfoot, and between perennial rye-grass and cocksfoot being of a significant order.3. The grasses as a whole were found to be inferior to both the legumes and herbs in respect of calcium availability.4. The significance of the high faecal calcium values found in rats receiving the cocksfoot diets has been discussed.5. There was shown to be some indication of inverse relationships between fibre content and calcium availability, and between oxalic acid content and calcium availability.No single one of the nine grassland plants so far investigated has proved to have a calcium availability which, when taken in conjunction with total calcium content, would be in the least likely to induce symptoms of deficiency in an animal fed on that species alone.