Comparative Response of Wether Lambs to Several Cuttings of Alfalfa, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Bromegrass and Reed Canarygrass

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Abstract
Pure stands of alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, bromegrass, Reed canarygrass and timothy were harvested simultaneously for three cuttings in 1961 and two cuttings in 1962, except that only one cutting of timothy was available for both years. Fiber content of the forages ranged from 28 to 40%, with some tendency for the legumes to have a higher fiber content than the grasses. Legumes contained two to three times as much lignin as the grasses harvested at the same time. A positive correlation was found between lignin content of the forages and dry matter intake. A significant negative correlation was found between lignin or fiber content of the forages and percent digestible DM. Studies using wethers ranked the 1961 forages in terms of DM intake in descending order as follows: birdsfoot trefoil, alfalfa, brome-grass and Reed canarygrass. For the 1962 forages alfalfa ranked above birdsfoot trefoil. There was little difference in dry matter intake of first- and second-cut forages. When forages of all cuttings and both years were considered, there was no significant difference in dry matter digestion coefficients for the different forage species. Digestible dry matter intake per kilogram body weight and NVI followed a trend similar to that of dry matter intake. In most cases NVI values ranked the two legumes at the top followed by bromegrass and then Reed canarygrass. Weight gain was positively correlated to dry matter intake, digestible dry matter intake, NVI and DMNVI. Digestibility of DM was not related to intake per kilogram of body weight or to weight gain. However, the product of dry matter digestibility and dry matter intake resulted in a larger correlation coefficient with weight gain than did either item individually. Regression equations of NVI, DMNVI and digestible DM intake on weight gain were about equal in precision for predicting weight gain, as shown by similar correlation coefficients and standard errors of estimate. Copyright © 1965. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1965 by American Society of Animal Science