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Vitamin A Activity of Milk as Related to Pasture and Feeding Practices in Alabama¹

Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn

ABSTRACT

The vitamin A activity of the milk produced by a well-fed dairy herd varied from 200 micrograms per quart in February to 1,045 micrograms per quart in August. The vitamin A activity of the milk varied with the succulence of the pasture.

Feeding sorghum silage, or alfalfa hay or lespedeza sericea hay did not prevent a low vitamin A value of the milk produced in the winter.

Under common feeding and pasture practice, milk of high vitamin A value was produced for only 4 months of the year.

When cows were allowed to graze on a temporary pasture of rye and clover beginning on February 1st, the vitamin A activity of the milk increased from 200 to 1,050 micrograms of vitamin A per quart in 2 weeks.

The results of this work show that by the development of suitable winter pastures it is possible to extend to 8 months the period when one quart of milk furnished at least half of the daily human requirements for vitamin A.

¹ A preliminary report of this work was presented at the 20th Annual meeting of the Southern Division, American Dairy Science Association, Memphis, Tennessee. 1942.

² Now on active duty in Sanitary Corps, Army of the United States.