Intake, Digestibility, and Rate of Passage of Silages and Hays from Wet Fractionation of Alfalfa

Abstract

Fibrous products of alfalfa from various steps of the wet fractionation process were either ensiled or dried artificially. Two 4×4 Latin square digestion trials for silages and hays were to determine the effect of cell maceration and pressure fractionation on characteristics and acceptability of these products by ruminants.Silage treatments consisted of field wilted, chopped, and ensiled; direct cut and cell macerated; direct cut, cell macerated, and pressed; and repressed silage. Dry matter intake averaged 971, 914, 796, and 763 g/day, respectively. Digestion coefficients were: dry matter 60.1, 56.0, 55.6, and 54.3; cell wall constituents 49.8, 49.4, 49.9, and 50.8 for the treatments. Hay treatments were processed in the same manner as were silages but artificially dried. Dry matter intake averaged 1021, 990, 1025, and 980 g/day; digestibility of cell wall constituents was 44.6, 46.5, 51.4, and 52.7%; total mean retention time was 31.5, 41.8, 45.8, and 46.6h for the hay treatments. When the fibrous residues were handled as hay, digestibility of fiber components was increased by cell maceration and pressure fractionation, while intake was maintained.