Three experiments were conducted to compare soybean meal/sorghum grain (SBM/SG), alfalfa hay or dehydrated alfalfa pellets (DEHY) as supplemental protein sources for beef cattle grazing dormant range forage. In Exp. 1 (35-d digestion study), 16 ruminally cannulated steers were stratified by weight (average BW 259 kg) and assigned randomly within stratification to: 1) control, no supplement; 2) ...

Despite a shortage of animal feed in Iran, cereal stubble is often underutilized due to agro-economic reasons. On the other hand, lambs fed with a conventional fattening ration deposit a considerable amount of fat; therefore, this experiment was conducted aimed at better utilization of cereal stubble and reducing the fat content of lamb carcasses. Fat-tailed Mehraban and Ghezel ram lambs were p...

BACKGROUND Molecular structures in feed protein influence its digestive behavior, availability and utilization. From a nutritive point of view, stage of maturity and cutting time are important factors affecting nutrient profiles and availability of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) hay in ruminants. The objectives of this study were to determine protein molecular structures by Fourier transform infr...

Eighty-nine samples, 45 of standing forage and 44 of baled hay, were collected from alfalfa harvested at various maturities over three cuttings each during 2 yr. Alfalfa was cut and conditioned mechanically; samples of standing forage were collected by removing bunches of forage from windrows and freeze-drying them. Forage was allowed to field cure and was harvested at an average 80% DM as smal...

A ruminal fermentation study was used to investigate the relationship between forage quality and monensin-dependent amino acid-sparing. Two fistulated cows were fed three concentrations of chopped (2.5 to 5.0 cm in length) timothy and alfalfa hays (100:0, 50:50 and 0:100) and two levels of monensin (0 and 350 mg.cow-1.d-1). The diets were offered 12 times per day (9 kg of DM/d), and the rumen r...

In order to determine of physical characteristics of rice straw as an effective source of fiber in ruminants, alfalfa hay, four varieties of rice straw (Taroum Neda, Taroum Neamat, Taroum Sangi, and Asgari), and four rations that contained four varieties of rice straws were investigated. The chemical (dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), nonfiber carbohydrates (N...

Two experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of indigestible neutral detergent fiber (iNDF) of ration for estimation of rumen degradability of fiber in sheep. In experiment 1, to determine feed iNDF, four ruminal fistulated Zel ewes were used. Three grams of alfalfa hay, corn silage, barley grain, wheat bran, ration 1 (including alfalfa hay and concentrate), and ration 2 (including ...

The objectives of this study were to measure particle size and evaluate the effect of increasing alfalfa hay particle size on production characteristics in lactating Holstein dairy cows. Ninety multiparous Holstein cows in early to mid-lactation were randomly assigned in a complete randomized design for a 30-day period. Animals were offered one of the three diets, which were identical in energy...

Flaxseed (FS) and chia seed (CS) are oilseeds rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which may change meat and milk composition when added to ruminants' diets and may have health benefits for humans. Literature on the effects of CS supplementation on ruminal metabolism is nonexistent. A dual-flow continuous culture fermenter system consisting of 6 fermenters was used to assess the effect of FS and CS sup...