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Alfalfa vs. Prairie Hay for Dairy Calves¹

Departments of Dairying and Agricultural Chemistry Research, Oklahoma A. & M. College, Stillwater

ABSTRACT

Previous work (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12) has shown that dairy calves will thrive on legume, mixed legume and grass, and nonlegume hays. Both legume and grass hays have been shown to be satisfactory roughages for the young calf.

It was the purpose of this experiment to determine the relative values of alfalfa and prairie grass hays for the young dairy calf (a) when these hays were offered at birth and (b) when they were not offered until the calf was 8 weeks of age.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

Two 16-week feeding trials were conducted, each involving 20 Holstein and Jersey calves. The first trial began in mid-winter and carried over into the spring season. The second trial began in the summer and carried over into the fall season. In each trial there were four groups of five calves each. Group 1 was offered alfalfa hay ad lib. from birth; Group 2 was offered alfalfa hay ad lib. after the calves were 8 weeks of age; Group 3 was offered prairie hay ad lib. from birth; and Group 4 was offered prairie hay ad lib. after the calves were 8 weeks of age.

¹ A part of these data was presented by J. B. Williams in a thesis to the Graduate School, Oklahoma A. & M. College, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.S. degree, 1953. Chemical analyses were made by R. J. Lloyd.