Suwarno, Wittenberg, K. M., Ingalls, J. R. and McCaughey, W. P. 2000. Performance of lactating dairy cows fed macerated forage conserved as silage and hay. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 80: 123–129. The effect of forage maceration at harvest on silage characteristics and its effect on lactation performance of Holstein cows were determined. Either a roller conditioner or a prototype forage macerator manufa...

Hay and pasture crops are critical to Kentucky Agriculture and to that of the entire temperate region of the US. The sale of cattle, calves and dairy products provide 29% of Kentucky's farm income compared with 23% for tobacco. Beef cowcalf enterprises comprise the majority of cattle numbers in the state, however, dairy production is also significant. A substantial horse industry also exists in...

Alfalfa is usually wilted 15% or less moisture prior to baling for hay. However, harvesting at low moistures increases loss of leaves (protein) during baling and reduces nutritive value. In addition, long wilting times increases the risk for damage from rain. In order to retain more nutrients and prevent rain damage, hay can be baled at higher moistures but the risk of spoilage from undesirable...

Two experiments were conducted with Polypay ewes nursing twin lambs to evaluate the effects of supplementing fat (calcium salts of palm oil fatty acids or hydrogenated tallow) on ewe lactation. In Exp. 1, ewes were fed a 52% concentrate:48% hay-based diet (as-fed basis) consisting of alfalfa hay (n = 4), endophyte-free fescue hay (n = 4), or fescue hay with 3.7% fatty acids (n = 4) from d 4 to ...

this experiment was conducted to determine the effect of feeding alfalfa hay and starter fiber level on feed intake and performance of holstein dairy calves, using thirty two male calves in a completely randomized design assigned to four diets in a 2×2 factorial arrangement. the experimental treatments were as follow: t1: starter with low fiber and without alfalfa hay, t2: starter with low fibe...

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...

there are a little information about nutritive value of alfalfa harvested at different cuts and different cutting time (morning and afternoon) in semiarid climate condition of north east of iran. effects of different harvesting cuts and cutting time (6 a.m and 6 p.m) of alfalfa hay at early bud stage on chemical composition and in vitro gas production fermentation profiles were studied in this ...

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient in cattle, and Se-deficiency can affect morbidity and mortality. Calves may have greater Se requirements during periods of stress, such as during the transitional period between weaning and movement to a feedlot. Previously, we showed that feeding Se-fertilized forage increases whole-blood (WB) Se concentrations in mature beef cows. Our current object...

The objective was to determine the effect of forage quality on apparent total tract digestibility and ruminal fermentation in cattle versus sheep. Five yearling English crossbred (Hereford × Angus) steers (440.4 ± 35.6 kg of initial BW) and 5 yearling whiteface (Rambouillet × Columbia × Debouillet) wethers (44.4 ± 4.6 kg of initial BW), each fitted with a ruminal cannula, were randomly assigned...