Abstract
Alfalfa hay harvested at vegetative or full bloom stages of maturity was compared to a control diet, in which the calcium (Ca) source was mainly limestone. True Ca absorption was determined using an isotope dilution technique in three goats fed Ca at requirement. Mean Ca intakes of goats fed the control, vegetative or full bloom alfalfa were: 2.40 ± 0.405, 2.31 ± 0.393 and 2.47 ± 0.461 g d−1; bone calcium accretion rates were: 1.27 ± 0.294, 0.90 ± 0.319 and 1.21 ± 0.237 g d−1; total Ca absorption rates (percent of intake) were: 57.1 ± 2.46, 56.7 ± 8.07 and 54.3 ± 3.03, respectively. Although no differences in true Ca absorption among diets were observed in goats fed Ca at requirement, absorption rates exceeded 50% of intake and are higher than previous estimates. Maturity of alfalfa did not significantly affect Ca availability, although there was a trend for availability to diminish with maturity when absorption rates were corrected for Ca absorbed from other dietary ingredients (i.e., 55.8% availability for vegetative, 47.0% for full-bloom alfalfa). Replacing limestone with alfalfa did not alter Ca bioavailability in the total diet. Key words: Goats, calcium true absorption, alfalfa, maturity, limestone.
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