The chemical composition of sun-dried sweet potato vines (SPV) and lucerne meal showed high levels (g/kg DM) of neutral detergent ®bre, ash and protein of 364 and 352, 178 and 100, and 191 and 182, respectively. Amino acid analysis showed modest levels of lysine, threonine and the sulfur amino acids in both meals but concentrations of these amino acids were generally higher in lucerne meal than...

The incorporation of lucerne meal in the diet of chicks prevents normal gains in weight (Alder, 1946; Draper, 1948; Cooney, Butts & Bacon, 1948; Lepkovsky, Shaeleff, Peterson & Perry, 1950; Heywang, 1950; Kodras, Cooney & Butts, 1951 a, b). This effect is attributed to the saponin fraction of lucerne (Peterson, 195oa, b; Heywang & Bird, 1954), which has been shown to be a complex mixture of rel...

I . Protein concentrates were prepared from freshly cut lucerne by the Pirie proccss and freeze-dried. When supplemented with methionine or cystine and given to rats as the sole sourcc of protein at 120 g protcinjkg diet, the adjusted mean protein efficiency ratio was 2.89 (casein standard at 2. jo). As a supplenient to protein from barley meal the lucerne leaf-protein concentrate (LPC) was sim...

In total, 20 multiparous Holstein-Friesian dairy cows received one of four diets in each of four periods of 28-day duration in a Latin square design to test the hypothesis that the inclusion of lucerne in the ration of high-yielding dairy cows would improve animal performance and milk fatty acid (FA) composition. All dietary treatments contained 0.55 : 0.45 forage to concentrates (dry matter (D...

1. In the first experiment sheep taken from pasture were given a low-protein diet for six weeks in individual pens. Then, for 1 week, groups were given a supplement of lucerne chaff, safflower meal or lucerne chaff plus safflower meal. In the second experiment eighteen sheep maintained on lucerne chaff rather than pasture were then depleted of protein to a greater extent by feeding on a restric...

I . In four feeding experiments with sheep the utilization of proteins contained in lucerne hay and of those in toasted soya-bean meal (SBM), representing a roughage and concentrate feed respectively, were examined. The ration of one group of animals contained lucerne hay as sole source of digestible protein and that of the other SBM. 2. Measurements of the nitrogen balance showed clearly the s...

I . Experiments are described in which the food intake and the water intake of sheep at a single meal were measured. The sheep were offered lucerne chaff ad lib. for z h only each day. 2. Following the peritoneal infusion of physiological saline the food intake increased, while the injection of a diuretic before feeding caused the food intake to be decreased. 3. In eight experiments the osmolal...

The effect of changing dietary energy and crude fibre concentrations on the utilization of metabolizable energy (ME) was investigated in four growing ostrich chicks by addition of lucerne meal to a maize-lucerne based diet. The experiment was carried out in an indirect open circuit calorimeter. When ME concentration was lowered by 7.5%, cell wall digestibility decreased by 9% and energy metabol...

Despite their unrivalled value in livestock systems, certain temperate, pasture, legume species and varieties may contain phytoestrogens which can lower flock/herd fertility. Such compounds, whose chemical structure and biological activity resembles that of estradiol-17α, include the isoflavones that have caused devastating effects (some of them permanent) on the fertility of many Australian sh...