Effect of Alfalfa Ash and Valeric Acids on Growth of Dairy Heifers

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Abstract
Yearling dairy heifers (15 Holstein and 9 Brown Swiss) were divided into 3 groups and used in a 150-day feeding trial to study the effect of alfalfa ash and the fatty acids, valeric and iso-valeric, upon growth. All heifers were fed ground corn cobs free choice once per day as the sole roughage. Neither alfalfa ash nor the combination of fatty acids appeared to affect corn cob consumption significantly. Supplementation of the control ration with either alfalfa ash or the combination of fatty acids increased the growth rate of the heifers significantly. Both supplements appeared to exert their greatest effect during the first 30-day period. Average daily gains of the heifers were 1.71, 2.30 and 2.03 lb. for Groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively, for the 1st 30-day period. Average daily gains of heifers were 1.14, 1.26 and 1.32 lb. per day for Groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively, for the last 120 days of the experiment. Results indicate that both alfalfa ash and the combination of fatty acids exerted a beneficial effect upon the growth rate of dairy heifers fed corn cobs as a roughage. Growth and feed consumption data collected in this experiment would indicate that both alfalfa ash and fatty acids improved the growth rate of heifers through some mechanism other than increased appetite.