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Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 72 No. 4 958-963
© 1989 by American Dairy Science Association ®
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Effect of Particle Size of Alfalfa Hay on Intake, Digestibility, Milk Yield, and Ruminal Cell Wall of Dairy Cattle1

R. L. Belyea2, F. A. Martz2,3, and G. A. Mbagaya2

University of Missouri,3, Columbia 65211

ABSTRACT

Alfalfa hay was chopped in a tubgrinder containing screens with apertures of 31, 63, or 100 mm. The hays were fed with concentrate to lactating cows (Experiment 1) and without concentrate to nonlactating, fistulated cows (Experiment 2). The objective was to find effects of forage particle size upon intake, digestibility, milk yield, and ruminal cell wall. In Experiment 1, there were no significant effects of forage particle size upon forage or total DM intake, digestibility of NDF, cellulose, nitrogen retained, milk yield, or milk fat percent. Digestibility of DM, ADF, and protein increased as particle size decreased. In Experiment 2, forage DM intake was greater for the 63 than the 100-mm forage but digestibility of cell wall and DM were not different among treatments. Ruminal volume for the 31 and 63-mm forages was greater than the 100-mm forage. Ruminal DM and ruminal cell wall were greater for the 63-mm forage than the 100-mm forage, with the 31-mm forage in between. Increased volume, DM, and cell wall probably account for increased intake of the 63-mm forage. Chopping alfalfa to these three sizes had no particularly positive or negative effects on animal productivity.

FOOTNOTES

1 Contribution of the Agriculture Experiment Station. Approved by Director. Journal Series Number 10322.

2 Department of Dairy Science.

3 Missouri Cluster, US Dairy Forage Center USDA-ARS, Animal Physiology Unit, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211.






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Copyright © 1989 by the American Dairy Science Association ®.