Effects of Drying on Forage Quality of Alfalfa and Reed Canarygrass Fed to Lambs

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Abstract
The effect of drying alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) on forage nutritive value, intake, and gain by lambs was determined by feeding both forage species in undried (fresh) form or as artifically-dried hay in a 35-day growth study and a 12-day digestion trial. The forages were of high quality and essentially of equivalent digestibility. Gains of lambs fed alfalfa hay, fresh alfalfa, reed canarygrass hay, and fresh reed canarygrass were 97, 63, 48 and −7 g/day, respectively. These gain means were different (P<.05). Gains were related to intake of dry matter, but lambs fed fresh forages did not gain as much per unit of forage dry matter consumed as those fed hay. The fresh reed canarygrass contained 69% more alkaloids than reed canarygrass hay. The digestibility of dry matter was not affected by kind of forage, but alfalfa protein was more digestible (P<.01) and alfalfa crude fiber was less digestible (P<.05) than were the protein and crude fiber of reed canarygrass. Copyright © 1976. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1976 by American Society of Animal Science.

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