Abstract
NUTRITIONAL evaluation of fresh forages is often difficult because of problems involved in sampling and preparation of the fresh plant material. Thus, the tendency in forage research has been to analyze oven-dried plant material to determine the chemical composition of the fresh plant. Couchman (1959a, b) and Melvin (1963) reported that temperature affects the chemical composition of stored forage. Their data suggest that changes in chemical composition may result from one or more of the following: (1) loss of components, such as ammonia and carbon dioxide; (2) degradation of carbohydrates; (3) enrichment of nonvolatile fractions; and (4) formation of protein-carbohydrate artifacts not originally present in the forage. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of sample handling and drying on the carbohydrate and nitrogen fractions and digestibility of fresh and ensiled forages
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