Growth Studies with Calves and Rabbits Fed Timothy Hay Grown on Heavily Fertilized Soils,

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Abstract
Timothy hay grown under conditions of heavy application of NPK fertilizer was low in Fe, Cu, Co and Mg. When a ration composed of such hay, a low mineral concentrate mixture, Co, vitamins A and D and common salt was fed to Guernsey calves for a period of more than 1 year, poor growth rates, poor appetites and low hemoglobin levels resulted. These symptoms were not alleviated by either Fe or Cu supplementation or both. I supplementation prevented enlargement of the thyroid glands. Rabbits fed similar hay in a supposedly balanced diet made very poor body weight gains and were anemic. The addition of 5% of alfalfa to the ration resulted in improvement in growth rate and hemoglobin level and a reduction in thyroid size, but feeding an equivalent amount of alfalfa ash was without benefit except in decreasing thyroid hyperplasia. It appears that timothy hay grown under the conditions of this experiment may be deficient in some essential organic factor or volatile ash constituent which may be found in alfalfa.

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