NITROGEN COMPOUNDS IN ALFALFA HAY.

Alfalfa Hay Quality Testing

Alfalfa is the most productive and highest quality forage species. Over one million acres of alfalfa have been harvested each year in Montana since 1960. Yield and forage quality of alfalfa vary widely across environments and operations. Currently there is much interest in targeting specialized hay markets. Most Montana producers can consistently produce alfalfa that is of fair to good quality....

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...

Great Basin Cattle Nutrition Research Programs: Strategies to Improve Nitrogen Utilization in Alfalfa Hay

The majority of ruminant livestock production occurs in temperate grasslands where animals are allowed to graze or are fed harvested forages (i.e., hays or silages). As a result, forages comprise 50 to 90% of total feed consumed by ruminants during their production cycle (Reid and Jung, 1982). In the U.S., beef cattle production is often viewed as an intensive enterprise because of finishing ca...

The Future of Alfalfa Forage Quality Testing in Hay Markets

Forage quality testing defines the language of value between the dairy and forage sector. From a nutritionist’s viewpoint, forage quality consists of many analyses that, together, provide a prediction of performance in a balanced ration for the dairy cow. Marketing systems, on the other hand, require a few simple criteria that can be related to value and price discovery. Currently, most trading...

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