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 Buchman, D. T. Articles by Hemken, R. W. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Buchman, D. T. Articles by Hemken, R. W.

Ad Libitum Intake and Digestibility of Several Alfalfa Hays by Cattle and Sheep¹

Department of Dairy Science, University of Maryland, College Park

ABSTRACT

The relative rates of voluntary consumption of chopped and ground-pelleted alfalfa hay cut at the bud and bloom stages of maturity by three age groups of bovines and by sheep were determined. The hay consumption per 100 lb of body weight and per 100 kg of metabolic body weight was 3.28, 23.7; 3.02, 31.4; 2.91, 17.6; and 2.23, 23.1 lb for the dairy calves, dairy cows, wether sheep, and yearling dairy heifers, respectively.

The grinding and pelleting depressed digestibility but increased intake except for intake of the early-cut hay with the cows. The early-cut hay was more digestible than the late-cut hay.

The cows, yearlings, and sheep digested the dry matter, protein, and energy of the four experimental hays equally well, but the calves' digestion coefficients for these constituents were significantly lower.

The Nutritive Value Indices were calculated and the yearlings, sheep, and calves ranked the four hays from highest to lowest, early-cut pelleted, early-cut chopped, late-cut pelleted, and late-cut chopped, whereas the cows ranked the four hays early-cut chopped, early-cut pelleted, late-cut chopped, and late-cut pelleted.

¹ Scientific Article No. A1126, Contribution No. 3574 of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Dairy Science. Supported in part by Agricultural Research Service Regional Project NE-24.

² Present address: Department of Animal Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.