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Weight Gain and Nutrient Intake of Holstein Heifers Fed 25- or 35-Day Alfalfa Pasture or Alfalfa Hay^{1 ,2,}

Departments of Animal Sciences and Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506

ABSTRACT

Three groups of eight 223 to 528-kg Holstein heifers were used to compare two maturities of alfalfa pasture (25- and 35-day regrowth following grazing and clipping) for 90 days with alfalfa hay fed in drylot for 105 days. Two rumen-fistulated forage-sampler animals were added to each of the grazing groups. Average daily gains were 25-day regrowth, 1.06 kg; 35-day regrowth, 1.03 kg; and alfalfa hay in drylot, .95 kg. Consumption of dry matter per 5-day period was 369 and 476 kg for 25- and 35-day regrowth. Intakes of dry matter per 100 kg of body weight were 1.6 and 2.1 kg for 25- and 35-day regrowth grazers. Differences possibly were due to the 35-day regrowth cattle having more dry matter available (1189 kg/period) than those on the 25-day regrowth forage (891 kg/period).

Concentrations of total crude protein and insoluble protein were greater in the 25-day than in the 35-day regrowth alfalfa. Rumen samples from the cardial region from 35-day alfalfa regrowth contained more dry matter than the 25-day samples but were lower in ash and total crude protein.

Consumption of dry matter was correlated with insoluble protein content in dry matter for the 25-day regrowth alfalfa herbage. That relation was dry matter consumption (kg) period = –649 + 77 (percent insoluble protein).

¹ Contribution no. 78-93-j, Department of Animal Sciences and Industry; Agronomy, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506.

² Research partially supported by Smith Kline Corporation, Philadelphia, PA.

³ From a thesis presented by the senior author in partial fulfillment of the Master of Science in Animal Science.