Feeding Value of Different Grades of Alfalfa Hay for Growing Dairy Heifers

Effect of yeast culture supplementation of alfalfa silage or alfalfa hay fed to lactating dairy cows

Acid Preservation of Alfalfa Hay for Dairy Cows

Since high quality forage is essential in a dairy ration, it is improtant to study new methods of preserving hay. In this trial, the effect of a commercial organic acid preservative on nutirent content and feeding value of alfalfa hay was evaluated. Alfalfa hay from a common field was baled at about 20 percent moisture for a control, and at about 28 percent moisture with addition of 0.1 percent...

Nutritional Value of Eastern Gamagrass Hay Compared with Alfalfa Hay

A feeding trial utilizing lactating dairy cows was conducted to compare Eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) and alfalfa hay. Response criteria included feed intake, weight change, and yield and composition of milk. Dry matter intake and milk yield of cows fed alfalfa hay exceeded that of those fed gamagrass hay. There was no significant difference in milk composition, and average weight c...

What Are Dairy Nutritionists Looking for in Alfalfa Hay

Dairy cattle nutritionists value alfalfa hay for its high energy value which supports milk production, its rapidly rumen digested structural fiber which stimulates feed intake, its coarse structural fiber that stimulates ruminative chewing and salivation which results in rumen buffering, its structural fiber which has a high buffering capacity , its high protein level which supports animal prot...

Performance of lactating dairy cows fed either alfalfa silage or alfalfa hay as the sole forage.

Alfalfa was harvested from alternate windrows as 40% DM silage or hay in small rectangular bales and fed in two 12-wk 4 x 4 Latin square trials, each with 20 multiparous lactating cows (4 with ruminal cannulas). Diets contained (DM basis) 69 (trial 1) or 66% (trial 2) alfalfa, 26 to 33% high moisture corn, 1.3% minerals and vitamins, and about 1.6 Mcal of NEL/kg of DM. In trial 1, second-cuttin...