HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Seath, D. M. Articles by Cole, M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Seath, D. M. Articles by Cole, M.

The Supplemental Value of Alfalfa Hay When Fed to Cows on Pasture¹

Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station, Lexington

ABSTRACT

The mid- or late-summer slump in milk production is a common seasonal occurrence in most states. Efforts to prevent or minimize the reduction in milk production have followed different routes, including the feeding of hay as a supplement to pasture.

After observing (10) that cows in Louisiana, during warm weather, spent a major portion of each day in the shade, two trials (11) were conducted by Seath and Miller in which hay was fed as a supplement to pasture in an effort to prevent the mid-summer decline in milk production. In the preliminary trial, conducted in 1940, insignificant increases in milk production were secured when milk cows were fed 9 lb. of white Dutch clover hay daily. In the second trial two levels of hay feeding were tried, i.e., 0.5% of body weight daily and ad libitum feeding. Hay consumption averaged 4.69 lb. daily for the first plan and 5.54 lb. daily for the second plan.

¹ The investigation reported in this paper is in connection with a project of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and is published by permission of the Director.