This study was conducted to investigate the effects of forage type on feed intake, chewing activity and rumen pH in goats. Neutral detergent fibre (NDF) concentration in dry matter (DM) was 44.86, 64.92 and 77.91% for lucerne hay (LH), maize silage (MS), and wheat straw (WS), respectively. In Experiment 1, three fistulated goats were used to measure the degradation kinetics of MS, LH and WS. Effective ruminal degradability of DM, and NDF was higher for LH compared with MS and WS. In Experiment 2, six yearling Saanen × Guanzhong goats (32.3 ± 1.6 kg) fitted with ruminal cannulas were used in a replicated 3×3 Latin square design. MS diet contained 32% NDF from MS. In the other two diets, 60% MS NDF was substituted by NDF from LH and WS, respectively. When expressed as min per day, LH tended to increase time spent in chewing. However, when expressed as min per kg forage NDF intake, WS increased chewing time. Average rumen pH was lower for goats fed LH diet than MS and WS diet. These results suggest that NDF effectiveness to stimulate chewing and maintain rumen pH increases as NDF concentration increases and ruminal degradability decreases in forages.