Replacing Alfalfa Hay Research Articles

Energy utilization in lactating Jersey cows consuming a mixture of DDGS and straw replacing alfalfa hay

Some forages require significant amounts of water to grow, causing the dairy industry to be dependent on a limited resource. Feeding crop residues and feed coproducts in dairy rations may represent opportunities when alfalfa is not readily available, and to reduce the industry's use of water. A study using indirect calorimetry and 12 multiparous lactating Jersey cows (BW = 447.5 ± 43.7 kg; DIM = 71 ± 11 d, mean ± SD) was conducted to determine the effect of feeding dried distillers grains and solubles (DDGS) and straw in replacement of alfalfa hay on milk production and energy utilization. A triplicated 4 × 4 Latin square design was used to evaluate the replacement of alfalfa hay with a coproduct mixture (COP) of wheat straw and DDGS. Animals were blocked by milk yield and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 experimental treatments including (proportions on a DM basis): a control diet (CON) containing 18.2% of alfalfa hay, a low-coproduct diet (LCOP) that contained 8.1% of COP, a medium-coproduct diet (MCOP) that contained 16.3% of COP, and a high-coproduct diet (HCOP) that contained 24.3% of COP. No differences were observed for daily dry matter intake or milk yield (mean ± SEM) 19.5 kg ± 0.60, 29.6 kg ± 0.91, respectively. A quadratic tendency was observed where increasing inclusion of COP up to 16.3% maintained ECM and milk fat yield but decreased when animals were fed 24.3% COP. Total methane production decreased linearly from 429.4 to 345.0 ± 22.8 L/d from CON to HCOP diets, respectively. The digestibility of CP increased linearly from 64.0 to 70.4 ± 0.95% and N balance increased linearly from 43.3 to 90.7 ± 15.0 g/d in animals consuming CON to HCOP diets. Total time spent ruminating was lowest in animals consuming the HCOP diet. A linear increasing tendency in digestible and metabolizable energy of 2.92 to 3.02 ± 0.041 Mcal/kg and 2.58 to 2.70 ± 0.047 Mcal/kg was observed in animals consuming CON to HCOP. The proportion ME from DE (ME/DE) tended to linearly increase from 88.3 to 89.4 ± 0.454 when COP was added to the diet. Results of this study indicate that alfalfa hay with a mixture of straw and DDGS can maintain milk production and DMI, but the partial or full replacement of alfalfa with the COP mixture may result in differences in energy utilization in part driven by effects on CH4 reduction.

Chemical Composition and Nutritive Value of Almond Hulls from Two Almond Varieties and Influence of Including Almond Hulls in the Diet on In Vitro Ruminal Fermentation and Methane Production.

Almond hulls (AH) are frequently used in dairy ruminant feeding, but information on variability of their nutritive value and their potential effects on CH4 production is still scarce. The influence of almond variety (Guara vs. Soleta) on chemical composition and energy value of AH was investigated using 10 samples per variety collected in 2 consecutive years. Guara-AH had greater (p ≤ 0.015) ash, protein, and fat content, but lower (p ≤ 0.001) fiber than Soleta-AH. The metabolizable energy content estimated from chemical composition and in vitro gas production was 8.5% greater for Guara than for Soleta samples. Harvesting year significantly affected most of the chemical fractions. The in vitro ruminal fermentation of diets for dairy ruminants including increasing amounts of dried AH (8, 16 and 24% of the total diet; fresh matter basis) indicated that AH can be included up to 16% of the diet, partially substituting corn, wheat bran and sugar beet pulp without detrimental effects on in vitro volatile fatty acid (VFA) production. In contrast, when AH replaced alfalfa hay and corn, VFA production was reduced at all levels of AH inclusion. No antimethanogenic effects of AH were detected in the in vitro incubations.

Replacing alfalfa hay with a novel alfalfa leaf pellet product (ProLEAF MAX) and/or alfalfa stems (ProFiber Plus) in the diet of developing dairy heifers alters dry matter intake, but does not negatively impact growth or development

Abstract Alfalfa is a commonly grown forage in the Intermountain West region of the United States and is often included in the diet of dairy cattle. Alfalfa provides a variety of different nutrients, but the nutrient content of alfalfa varies depending on factors such as the soil, region, cutting, and climate. However, alfalfa leaves tend to have less variation in their nutrient content than alfalfa stems. Fractionating alfalfa may be one way to improve control of nutrients provided when developing a ration for developing dairy heifers. The purpose of this study was to determine whether including fractionated alfalfa in the diet impacts the growth or conception rates of developing dairy heifers. Heifers were allocated to one of three treatments: a control group fed a typical diet (CON; n = 8), a diet that replaced alfalfa with fractionated alfalfa leaf pellets and alfalfa stems (ProLEAF MAX + ProFiber Plus; PLM + PFP; n = 8), or a diet that replaced alfalfa with alfalfa stems (PFP; n = 8) for 85 d. Heifers were fed individually twice daily and weight, hip height (HH), and wither height (WH) were recorded every 14 d. Additionally, blood was collected every 28 d, and conception rates were recorded at the end of the trial. Heifers receiving the PFP diet consumed less dry matter (P = 0.001) than the CON treatment. Analyses were then conducted to determine nutrient intake and heifers receiving the PFP diet also consumed less neutral detergent fiber (P = 0.02), acid detergent fiber (P = 0.02), crude protein (P = 0.001), and net energy for maintenance (P = 0.001) than heifers consuming the CON diet; however, no differences (P > 0.10) were observed between heifers fed the CON and PLM + PFP diets. Analysis of body weight gain over the feeding period showed no difference (P = 0.52) among heifers consuming the different treatment diets. Additionally, treatment did not affect average daily gain (P = 0.49), gain:feed (P = 0.82), HH gain (P = 0.20), or WH gain (P = 0.44) among heifers receiving different diets. Treatment × time altered (P < 0.001) blood urea nitrogen when analyzed as a repeated measure. Total feed cost was lowest (P < 0.001) for the PFP diet and cost of gain tended (P = 0.09) to be increased for the PLM + PFP diet compared to the CON diet. Overall, these data indicate that including alfalfa stems in a developing heifer diet may decrease dry matter intake, lower input costs, and increase profitability, without negatively impacting growth.

Replacing dietary alfalfa hay with nettle benefits rumen ph balance and microbiota in rumen and feces with minimal effects on performance and digestibility in dairy cows

This study investigated the effects of replacing alfalfa hay (AH) with nettle hay (NH) in total mixed rations (TMR) of lactating cows, focusing on lactation performance, nutrient digestibility, and rumen and fecal microbial community structure. Twenty multiparous Holstein cows with similar days in milk (DIM = 91 ± 8), milk production (43 ± 3 kg/d), milk fat (3.81 ± 0.39%), and milk protein (3.05 ± 0.19%) were randomly assigned to two groups (n = 10) in a single-factor test design. Groups fed AH or NH had free access to water for 80 days, including a 20-day pre-feeding period. The results revealed no significant differences in nutrient intake, apparent digestibility, milk yield and composition, and feed efficiency between groups. However, the NH group displayed a decrease in the percentage of milk fats (NH = 3.82%, AH = 4.16%) and proteins (NH = 3.16%, AH = 3.31%). Additionally, the NH group exhibited higher rumen pH (NH = 6.34, AH = 6.10) and isovalerate concentration (NH = 2.46, AH = 1.92 mmol/L). Amplicon sequencing revealed differences in rumen fluid and feces microbiota between AH and NH groups. In rumen, the relative abundance of opportunistic pathogens such as Burkholderiaceae was 68.18% lower in NH than AH. At the genus level, the NH group had lower relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae V9D2013 species, which positively correlated with milk fat content. In feces, the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia were significantly lower in the NH group. At the family level, the relative abundances of Lachnospiraceae and Veillonellaceae were 10.45% and 193% higher, respectively, in the NH group. These differences were also observed at the genus level. Collectively, the findings suggest that the NH diet positively affected gastrointestinal function and increased the abundance of beneficial microbiota. In conclusion, replacing AH with NH positively affects rumen pH and gastrointestinal microbiota in dairy cows with negligible effects on milk yield and nutrient digestibility, but these effects need to be further investigated.

Replacing alfalfa hay with amaranth hay: effects on production performance, rumen fermentation, nutrient digestibility and antioxidant ability in dairy cow.

The aim of this research was to explore the effects of dietary substitution of alfalfa hay by amaranth hay on production performance, rumen fermentation, nutrient digestibility, serum biochemical parameters and antioxidant ability in dairy cows. A total of 45 healthy Holstein cows with same parity and similar milk yield and body weight were randomly divided into 3 groups: control diet without amaranth hay (CON) or 50% and 100% alfalfa hay replaced by an equal amount of amaranth hay (dry matter basis, AH1 and AH2, respectively). All the cows were fed regularly 3 times a day at 06:30, 14:30, and 22:30 and had free access to water. The experiment lasted for 60 d. The dry matter intake of CON and AH1 groups was higher (p<0.05) than that of AH2 group. Compared with AH1 group, the milk yield of AH2 group was reduced (p<0.05). Moreover, dietary substitution of alfalfa hay by amaranth hay increased (p<0.05) milk fat, ammonia nitrogen and acetate concentrations. However, the crude protein digestibility of AH2 group was lower (p<0.05) than that of CON group, while an opposite tendency of serum urea nitrogen was found between two groups. The neutral detergent fiber digestibility of AH1 group was increased (p<0.05) when compared to AH2 group. Amaranth hay treatment increased (p<0.05) the serum concentration of glutathione peroxidase in dairy cows. Compared with CON group, the malonaldehyde activity of AH1 group was decreased (p<0.05). Dietary replacing alfalfa hay with amaranth hay (50% ratio) in dairy cows did not affect production performance but improved their antioxidant ability.

Replacing alfalfa hay with industrial hemp ethanol extraction byproduct and Chinese wildrye hay: Effects on lactation performance, plasma metabolites, and bacterial communities in Holstein cows.

This trial was designed to investigate the effects of industrial hemp ethanol extraction byproduct (IHEEB) and Chinese wildrye hay (CWH) replacement of alfalfa hay (AH) on digestibility, and lactation performance, plasma metabolites, ruminal fermentation, and bacterial communities in Holstein dairy cows. Nine healthy multiparous Holstein cows (parity = 3) with similar body weights (584 ± 12.3 kg), days in milk (108 ± 11.4), and milk yields (30 ± 1.93 kg; all mean ± standard deviation) were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with 3 periods of 21 d. During each period, each group consumed 1 of 3 diets: (1) 0% IHEEB (0IHEEB); (2) 6.0% IHEEB and 1.7% Chinese wildrye hay (6IHEEB); (3) 10.8% IHEEB and 4.3% Chinese wildrye hay (11IHEEB). The diets in each group were isocaloric and isonitrogenous, with similar contents of concentrate and silage but different ratios of IHEEB and CWH to replace AH. The results showed that increasing the substitute did not affect the total-tract apparent nutrient digestibility. There was no difference in lactation performance of dairy cows fed the three diets, except for the cows' somatic cell count (SCC), which decreased with the increase in the amount of the substitute. Cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol were not detected in milk samples of dairy cows in the different treatment groups. 6IHEEB and 11IHEEB-fed cows showed a linear decrease in total volatile fatty acids (VFA) and butyrate compared to the 0IHEEB cows. Plasma IL-1β content quadratically decreased with feeding IHEEB and CWH, and other blood parameters were unaffected. The rumen fluid's relative abundances of Bacteroidota, Fibrobacterota, and Prevotellaceae quadratically increased, while Firmicutes tended to decrease quadratically as the substitution increased. Feeding IHEEB and CWH linearly increased the relative abundances of Firmicutes, Lachnospiraceae, Monoglobaceae, and Butyricicoccaceae in the feces. As the substitution increased, the cost of dairy farming was reduced. In summary, substituting AH with IHEEB and CWH in diets did not affect the total-tract apparent nutrient digestibility, improved milk composition, and plasma immune indices. It changed the bacterial composition in rumen fluid and feces and improved dairy farming benefits.

The effect of dietary inclusion of Artemisia sieberi leaves on growth performance, feeding behaviors, ruminal fermentation, feed digestibility, and blood hemato-biochemical profile of growing male lambs.

The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of replacing alfalfa hay with Artemisia sieberi leaves (ASL) on growth performance, feeding behaviors, total tract feed digestibility, ruminal fermentation as well as blood cells, and biochemical parameters. A total of 21 Kermani male lambs (average body weight (BW) of 25.2 ± 0.9kg) were randomly divided into three groups and offered the following treatments: (1) basal diet (65% concentrate and 35% alfalfa hay as forage source), (2) ASL inclusion at 25% of forage source (8.75% of TMR, ASL25), and (3) ASL addition at 50% of forage source (17.5% of TMR, ASL50). The experiment lasted for 64days, including 14days of adaptation and 50days of data collection. Dietary ASL inclusion decreased lambs' feed consumption (6.7 and 2.8% reduction in ASL25 and ASL50, respectively, p < 0.05) without affecting water intake, final BW, daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio. Moreover, feeding behaviors, including time spent for eating, ruminating, and chewing activities, were uninfluenced by the dietary ASL addition on days 25 and 50 of the experiment. Based on the data provided, the substitution of alfalfa hay with ASL resulted in an increase in the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and neutral detergent fiber (p < 0.05). In addition, the ruminal fluid of ASL-fed lambs had a lower molar proportion of acetate and a higher proportion of propionate compared to that of the control animals (p < 0.05), whereas other volatile fatty acids (VFA) and total VFA were not different between the experimental groups. Blood hematocrit, hemoglobin, red cells, white cells, and their differentiation, platelets, glucose, total protein, albumin, globulin, triglyceride, calcium, phosphorus, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase, urea, total antioxidant capacity, and malondialdehyde remained unchanged when ASL was included in the diet. Regardless of the slight decrease in dry matter intake, the lack of adverse effects of dietary ASL addition on growth performance, feeding behaviors, rumen fermentation, and blood hemato-biochemical parameters, along with positive impacts of ASL on propionate production and total tract feed digestibility, suggest that Artemisia sieberi leaves can be considered as a potential alternative feed resource for small ruminants.

Inclusion of Berberis vulgaris leaf in the diet of fattening lambs: Effects on performance, nutrient intake, rumen fermentation, and carcass traits.

This study was aimed to first, determine the nutritional value of Berberis vulgaris leaf (BVL), using in-vitro gas production technique and second, determine the effect of replacing alfalfa hay (AH) with BVL in lamb diets on nutrient intake, performance, and carcass traits. In-vitro rumen gas kinetics and fermentation profile were assessed using three fistulated lambs and 96h incubation of samples. For the in-vivo trial, twenty-one Baluchi male lambs of 5-6 months of age and 30.6 ± 1.28kg body weight (BW) were randomly assigned to three treatment diets containing BVL at 0% (CTRL), 7.5% (BVL7.5), and 15% (BVL15) of the total dry matter (DM) inclusion. The study lasted 84 days, which included 14 days for adaption and 70 days for sample collection. In-vitro results showed that BVL had lower gas yield (GY24, p ≤ 0.05) than AH. In-vivo trial revealed that DMI increased with BVL15 followed by BVL7.5 (p ≤ 0.05). Digestibility of DM, OM, NDF, and ADL decreased (p ≤ 0.05) with BVL15. Total weight gain (TWG), average daily gain (ADG), hot carcass weight (HCW), and cold carcass weight (CCW) were decreased (p ≤ 0.05) with BVL15, however, no differences were observed between the BVL7.5 and CTRL groups. Feed cost per kg BW gain decrease (p ≤ 0.05) by increasing the inclusion levels of BVL. In conclusion, BVL (up to 7.5 % DM of diet) have positive consequences on performance, nutrient intake, rumen fermentation without deleterious effects on fattening performance.

Effects of Replacing Alfalfa Hay with Oat Hay in Fermented Total Mixed Ration on Growth Performance and Rumen Microbiota in Lambs

The use of the fermented total mixed ration (FTMR) is a promising approach for the preservation of feedstuff, but the effect of FTMR on the between growth performance and ruminal microflora of lambs are still limited. This study aimed to assess the effects of different roughage types in the FTMR on growth performance and rumen microbiota of lambs. Forty-five six-month-old Small tail Han sheep × Ujumqin male lambs were randomly allocated into three groups (three pens per treatment and five lambs per pen) with the initial body weight (BW) of 28.50 ± 1.50 kg. The three treatments were as follows: the low oat percentages group (LO) contained 200 g/kg oat hay + 400 g/kg alfalfa hay, the medium oat percentages group (MO) contained 300 g/kg oat hay + 300 g/kg alfalfa hay, and the high oat percentages group (HO) contained 400 g/kg oat hay + 200 g/kg alfalfa hay. The result revealed that the dry matter intake and average daily gain were markedly (p &lt; 0.05) higher in the MO treatment than in the LO and HO treatments, whereas no significant difference (p &gt; 0.05) was found in the final body weight. There were no significant (p &gt; 0.05) differences on the Shannon and Simpson index among the three treatments. The PCoA score plot illustrated the individual separation in the LO, MO, and HO treatments. At the phylum level, the presence of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes belonging to the dominant phyla is widely described in rumen communities among the three treatments. The relative abundances of Prevotella, Fibrobacter, and Succinivibrio in the level of the genes were remarkably higher (p &lt; 0.05) in MO treatment than that in LO and HO treatments, while the relative abundance of Sediminispirochaeta was remarkably higher (p &lt; 0.05) in LO treatment than that in MO and HO treatments. These results indicated that the MO treatments could more effectively improve growth performance than the LO and HO treatments, and also revealed that the different forage types in diets reshaped the compositions and function of the rumen microbiota. Consequently, the findings presented in this study provide a reference for the application of FTMR in animal production and the understanding of the interaction between diet, animal performance, and ruminal microbiota.

Replacing alfalfa hay with paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera L.) silage in diets do not affect the production performance of the low lactating dairy cows

Developing and utilizing more roughage resources is conducive in improving the health status of dairy cows and beneficial in controlling the production costs of raw milk. In the current study, we investigated the impact of replacing alfalfa hay with paper mulberry silage (PMS) on the production performance of low lactating dairy cows. Sixty multiparous Holstein cows were stratified by milk yield, days in milk and parity and randomly assigned to 4 treatments: control diet without PMS (CON) or 33.33 %, 66.67 % and 100 % alfalfa hay replaced by an equal amount of PMS (DM basis, PMS1, PMS2, and PMS3, respectively). The experiment lasted for 14 weeks, with the first 2 weeks for adaptation. Dry matter intake of low lactating dairy cows was not affected by PMS, and though milk yield of PMS3 was 1 kg lower than CON, no statistical differences were observed. Lactose yield and feed conversion efficiency (FCE) tended to be affected by treatment × week interaction (P = 0.07 and P = 0.08, respectively), and the FCE of PMS groups was lower than CON in wk12 (P = 0.08). No treatment effect on oxidative stress-related variables was detected, except malondialdehyde (MDA), which tended to be decreased by PMS (P = 0.06). Cows in PMS3 had lower CP digestibility than CON (P = 0.004), and the apparent digestibility of NDF and ADF were lower for PMS2 compared to CON (P = 0.004 and P = 0.05, respectively) and PMS1 (P = 0.005 and P = 0.006, respectively). In conclusion, replacing alfalfa hay with paper mulberry in the diet of low lactating dairy cows did not affect DMI and milk yield, but improved their antioxidative capacity. However, the amount of paper mulberry should be added to the diet cautiously, due to its potentially adverse effect on digestibility and milk yield in dairy cows.

Adjusting for 30-hour undigested neutral detergent fiber in substitution of wheat straw and beet pulp for alfalfa hay and corn silage in the dairy cow diet: Chewing activities, diurnal feed intake, and ruminal fermentation

This experiment investigated the effects of replacing alfalfa hay (AH) and corn silage (CS) with wheat straw (WS) and beet pulp (BP) in diets with similar forage 30-h undigested neutral detergent fiber (uNDF30) on chewing behavior and ruminal fermentation of lactating cows. Twelve multiparous Holstein cows (51 ± 3 kg/d of milk; days in milk = 97 ± 13; mean ± standard error) were housed in individual stalls and used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with 28-d periods. Experimental diets were (1) 0% forage uNDF30 from WS (WS0, contained 2% BP); (2) 50% forage uNDF30 from WS (WS50, contained 7.6% BP); and (3) 100% forage uNDF30 from WS (WS100, contained 12.4% BP). From 0 to 2 h after the morning feeding, there was a tendency observed for a quadratic effect on dry matter intake (DMI), with cows fed WS50 consuming the greatest amount of DM (9.19 kg). Later DMI (4 to 6 h and 6 to 24 h postfeeding) decreased as dietary proportion of WS and BP increased. Increasing WS and BP decreased eating behavior, but had no detected effect on rumination time (455 min/d), which resulted in a linear reduction in chewing time (the sum of eating and rumination activities). As WS and BP inclusion increased, the number of meals decreased linearly, whereas time between meals, eating rate, and meal size per kilogram of DM increased linearly. Increased dietary inclusion of WS and BP tended to decrease total ruminal VFA and resulted in a linear decrease in propionate but an increase in acetate proportion and ammonia-N concentration in the rumen. Overall, the substitution had no effect on rumination activity, possibly suggesting that a combination of WS and BP could be used in dairy cow rations as substitutes for high-quality forages when WS was added to maintain the uNDF30 level.

Effects of Replacing Alfalfa Hay With Native Grass Hay in Pelleted Total Mixed Ration on Physicochemical Parameters, Fatty Acid Profile, and Rumen Microbiota in Lamb.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of replacing alfalfa with native grass on growth performance, meat quality, and rumen microbiota of lambs. Forty-five 6-month-old Ujimqin lambs with live body weight (BW) of 29.50 ± 0.26 kg were used for the experiment, and the lambs were assigned to three diet treatments (three pens per treatment and five lambs per pen) with 30 square meters per pen in semi-open housing based on similar BW. The lambs have received 30% alfalfa (HA, high alfalfa percentage group), 20% alfalfa (MA, moderate alfalfa percentage group), and 10% alfalfa (LA, low alfalfa percentage group) diets, respectively (dry matter basis). The diet treatments had a significant (P < 0.05) influence on the dry matter intake of lambs and the dry matter intake increased with the increasing percentages of native grass hay, while the significantly (P < 0.05) lower final BW and average daily gain were observed in the MA and LA groups compared with that in the HA group. The diet had a significant (P < 0.05) difference in meat pH value, water loss rate, cooked meat rate, moisture, and intramuscular fat, while no significant (P > 0.05) difference was found in protein. As native grass hay percentages increased in the diet, the contents of palmitic (C16:0) and palmitoleic (C16:1 cis-9) in the HA and MA groups were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than that in the LA groups, and compared with the HA group, the contents of elaidic (C18:1 trans-9), oleic (C18:1 cis-9), and linoleic (C18:2 cis-9–cis-12) were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the MA and LA groups. The content of α-linolenic (C18:3n3) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the LA group than that in the HA and MA groups. The principal coordinate analysis profile displayed that the composition of the bacterial community of these groups was distinctly separated from each other. No significant (P > 0.05) difference was observed in the dominant rumen bacteria at the phyla and genus levels. In conclusion, the meat quality and fatty acid profile analysis revealed that replacing alfalfa hay with native grass hay is more beneficial for Mongolian lambs, and the meat from LA diet treatment is better than the others. In addition, correlation analysis of the association of rumen microbiome with growth performance, meat quality, and fatty acid profile provides us with a comprehensive understanding of the composition and function of rumen microbiota. These findings could provide knowledge of how the diet affects the animal performance, meat quality of lambs, and microbiota of the rumen, laying a theoretical basis for replacing alfalfa with native grass.

Growth Performance, Eating Behavior, Digestibility, Blood Metabolites, and Carcass Traits in Growing-Finishing Fat-Tailed Lambs Fed Different Levels of Dietary Neutral Detergent Fiber with High Rumen Undegradable Protein

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of decreasing concentrations of dietary neutral detergent fiber (NDF) at high rumen undegradable protein (RUP) on performance, digestibility, chewing activity, blood attributes, and carcass characteristics in 32 weaned male Afshari lambs (90 days of age; 26 kg initial body weight; BW). Dietary metabolic energy (ME) was increased from 10.6–11.5 and 11.8 MJ/kg dry matter (DM) by replacing alfalfa hay with grain to achieve NDF concentrations of 270, 245, and 220 g/kg DM, respectively, at 66.6 g/kg DM of RUP. The control (CON) diet contained 10.9 MJ/kg ME, 270 g/kg NDF and 59.6 g/kg RUP on DM basis. Rations containedsimilar concentrations of crude protein (CP, 160 g/kg DM). Lambs were slaughtered after a 56-d feeding period. The increase in dietary RUP had no effect on BW and average daily gain (ADG) but tended to decrease apparent digestibility of CP and DM, significantlydecreasedplasma urea concentration, and increased carcass CP content. Other body or carcass characteristics were unchanged. Decreasing dietary fiber at high RUP did not result in adverse effects on BW, ADG, body length, withers height, apparent digestibility of DM and CP, and BFT, but decreased DM intake (1539 vs. 1706 g/d) and feed conversion ratio (FCR; 4.33 vs. 5.39) compared with CON. Gradual reduction in NDF and physically effective NDF did not affecteating, ruminating or chewing times. Plasma glucose concentration was greater for NDF220 than for the three other treatments (p = 0.015).Slaughtering traits were not affected by dietary treatment except for hot carcass weight, which increased in NDF220 and NDF245 compared with NDF270 (p = 0.021). The concentration of meat CP increased in NDF270 versus CON (167 vs. 152 g/kg). Quadratic effects occurred for meat ether extract concentration (highest in NDF220) and fat-tail weight (highest in NDF245). In conclusion, the results showed that increasing the proportion of RUP within dietary CP improves carcass protein accretion. Decreasing dietary NDF to 220 g/kg DM at high RUP does not impair eating behavior and improves FCR in 3-month-old fat-tailed lambs.

Growth rate, scrotal circumference, sperm characteristics, and sexual behavior of mixed-breed goat bucks fed three leguminous trees

Aim of study: To investigate the effect of feeding foliage of leguminous trees on growth rate, semen characteristics, and sexual behavior of bucks. Area of study: Northeastern Mexico (23°44' N, 99°8' W). Material and methods: Twenty-two young goat bucks were randomly allocated to one of four treatment groups: 33% alfalfa hay (dry matter basis), 33%; Acacia farnesiana; Leucaena leucocephala; or Prosopis laevigata foliage (n=4 for alfalfa; n=6 for the rest of groups). Main results: Average daily gain (ADG) did not differ between bucks fed alfalfa, A. farnesiana, or L. leucocephala (120 ± 26, 134 ± 37, and 103 ± 29 g/d, respectively), but ADG of bucks offered P. laevigata was the lowest (72 ± 8 g; p&lt;0.05). Bucks fed alfalfa had the highest feed efficiency (6.59 ± 1.25 kg of feed consumed/kg of gain; p&lt;0.05) and bucks offered leguminous trees had the lowest (average 9.85 ± 2.3). Bucks offered alfalfa, and A. farnesiana had increased (p&lt;0.05) scrotal circumference (26.6 ± 0.4 and 25.8 ± 1.5 cm) than bucks fed L. leucocephala, or P. laevigata (24.3 ± 1.2 and 24.1 ± 2.0 cm). Mean ejaculate volume was two-fold higher in alfalfa-fed bucks than all other dietary treatments. Sexual behavior did not differ among bucks fed the different legumes. Research highlights: Foliage of both A. farnesiana and L. leucocephala could totally replace alfalfa hay for rearing growing goat bucks in confinement without affecting daily weight gain, most semen characteristics, and copulation ability. P. laevigata reduced body weight and reproductive function.

Ginkgo Biloba L. Residues Partially Replacing Alfalfa Hay Pellet in Pelleted Total Mixed Ration on Growth Performance, Serum Biochemical Parameters, Rumen Fermentation, Immune Function and Meat Quality in Finishing Haimen White Goats.

Sixty castrated male Haimen white growing goats with an initial age of 100 days old and similar body weight (16 ± 1.5 kg) were selected and randomly allocated into five groups with three replicates in each group with four goats in each pen (5 m × 3.2 m). Goats in the control group (CG) were fed a basal pelleted total mixed ration supplemented with 30% alfalfa hay pellet, while experimental treatments (G6, G12, G18, or G24) were supplemented with four levels (6%, 12%, 18%, or 24%) of GBLR replacing alfalfa hay pellet in the diet, separately. Results showed that (1) the final body weight, average daily gain, and average feed intake of G18 was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than CG; in contrast, the feed conversion ratio of G18 was significantly lower than CG and G12 (p < 0.05); the feed cost per head per day of CG was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of G18 and G24, and exhibited obvious linearly decrease (p = 0.04) with increasing GBLR supplementation; and apparent total-tract digestibility of DM and NDF in GBLR treatments were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than CG; (2) alanine transaminase (ALT) concentration in the G18 group was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than those in the control group; aspartate transaminase (AST) concentration in the G24 was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than those in the control group, and an increase in dietary level of GBLR tended to result in a linear decrease (p = 0.09) in the concentration of serum AST; (3) the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) demonstrated a tendency to decrease (p = 0.06) linearly with increasing GBLR supplementation; however, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activity in G12 was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than CG, G6, and G24; in addition, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in G18 was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than CG and G6; concentration of immunoglobulin M (IgM), immunoglobulin G (IgG), and immunoglobulin A (IgA) were not affected by GBLR, but increasing dietary GBLR showed a tendency (p = 0.08) to linearly increase the IgG concentration; the content of interleukin 4 (IL4) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in G12, G18, and G24 than that in CG and G6; (4) There were similar NH3-N, pH, TVFA, and butyrate for goats fed different levels of GBLR supplementation; the C2 (p = 0.07) and acetate: propionate (p = 0.06) demonstrated a tendency to increase linearly with increasing level of GBLR supplementation, separately; however, it was observed that concentration of propionate showed a tendency to decrease (p = 0.08) linearly in response to GBLR supplementation; and (5) Increasing dietary GBLR tended to linearly enhance the lightness (L*) (p = 0.07) and yellowness (b*) (p = 0.09) values of longissimus dorsi muscles; the redness (a*) value in G18 was significantly higher than that in CG (p < 0.05).

PSIV-12 Effects of feeding a novel alfalfa leaf pellet product (ProLEAF MAX™) and alfalfa stems (ProFiber Plus™) on production of lactating dairy cows

Abstract Alfalfa is a commonly grown forage in the Intermountain west and is often included in lactating dairy cow rations. This study investigated the effects of including novel alfalfa products: ProLEAF MAX™ (PLM), an alfalfa leaf pellet; and ProFiber Plus™ (PFP), alfalfa stems, in the diet of lactating dairy cows on dry matter intake, milk yield, and milk components. Holstein cows were housed in a freestall barn and milked in a free-flow automatic milking system. All cows were fed each treatment for 21-days, then switched to the next treatment utilizing a crossover experimental design. The five treatments were: control (CON, typical diet including alfalfa hay; n = 65); low-quality alfalfa hay (LQ+PLM, a diet that replaced alfalfa hay with low-quality alfalfa hay and PLM; n = 62); PLM+PFP (a diet that replaced alfalfa hay with PLM and PFP; n = 65); PLM (a diet that replaced alfalfa hay with PLM; n = 62); and PFP (a diet that replaced alfalfa hay with PFP; n = 60). Cows were group fed a partial mixed ration balanced for 40.8 kg milk, 3.9% milk fat and 3.3% milk protein. Individual milk yield and milk components were recorded daily by the automatic milking system. Dry matter intake was also recorded daily. When fed the PFP diet, cows had decreased (P &amp;lt; 0.01) dry matter intake compared to the other diets. Milk yield was increased (P &amp;lt; 0.01) when cows received the PLM diet when compared to the other diets. When fed the PFP and PLM+PFP diets, milk fat was increased (P &amp;lt; 0.01) when compared to the other diets. Milk protein was decreased (P &amp;lt; 0.01) when cows were fed the PFP diet when compared to the other diets. These data indicate that inclusion of fractionated alfalfa products in the diet of lactating dairy cows has the potential to increase milk yield and milk components.

Effect of replacing alfalfa hay with Leucaena leucocephala (L. Leucocephala) leaves on in vitro gas production, digestibility and in situ degradability in buffalo

. This study was performed to investigate the effect of replacing alfalfa hay by L. leucocephala leaves in proportions of 25, 50 and 100% on in vitro gas production (GP) parameter, digestibility and in situ degradability in buffalo. Results showed that the volume of GP at 2 to 12 hours after incubation was significantly affected by replacing alfalfa hay with L. leucocephala leaves. In vitro digestibility of organic matter (OMD) differed significantly between treatment as it declined by increasing the alfalfa hay substitution rate from 25 to 100%. The microbial crude protein (MCP) differed significantly between treatments and was the greatest of 589 and 599 mg g-1 of dry matter (DM) when L. leucocephala leaves replaced alfalfa hay at 25 and 50%. The in vitro digestibility of DM (IVDMD) increased significantly at 50% L. leucocephala replacement rate. Moreover, substituting alfalfa hay by L. leucocephala had a significant effect on the in situ degradability parameters. The insoluble but potentially degradable fraction (B) and potential of degradability (A+B) significantly increased for treatment contain 50% L. leucocephala leaves. The effective degradability (ED) was significantly different between dietary treatments and was the greatest when alfalfa hay was replaced by 25 and 50% L. leucocephala. In conclusion, L. leucocephala leaves can substitute 25 to 50% of dietary alfalfa hay in buffalo rations without effect on rumen efficiency.

PSVI-6 Effects of feeding a novel alfalfa leaf pellet (ProLEAF MAX™) and an alfalfa stem byproduct (ProFiber Plus™) on growth and conception rates of developing dairy heifers

Abstract Alfalfa is a commonly grown forage in the Intermountain west and is often included in rations for dairy animals. This study investigated the effects of including novel alfalfa products: ProLEAF MAX™ (PLM), an alfalfa leaf pellet; and ProFiber Plus™ (PFP), alfalfa stems, in the ration of dairy heifers on growth, feed efficiency, and conception. Heifers were stratified by weight and farm origin, and randomly allocated to one of three treatment groups (n = 8/treatment): control (CON, typical ration that included alfalfa hay), PLM+PFP (a ration that replaced alfalfa hay with PLM and PFP), or PFP (a ration that replaced alfalfa hay with PFP). Heifers were fed for 84 d in individual pens and feed intake and refusals were recorded daily. Weight, hip height, and wither height were recorded every two weeks and blood was collected every four weeks. Additionally, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and conception rates were measured. Data were analyzed with day as a repeated measure and treatment as a fixed effect. Heifers fed the CON ration had increased (P &amp;lt; 0.05) weight gain, hip height, and dry matter intake over time compared to the treatment groups. There was a treatment*time (P &amp;lt; 0.05) effect on feed efficiency where heifers fed the PFP had more variable feed efficiency than CON or PLM+PFP. Treatment had an effect (P &amp;gt; 0.03) on BUN where CON heifers had increased BUN compared to those fed PFP. No differences (P &amp;lt; 0.05) were observed in conception. These data provide insight into how performance of growing heifers is affected when novel alfalfa products are included in the ration and indicate that inclusion of PFP might decrease growth of heifers by decreasing DMI. More research needs to be done to determine whether there is an optimal amount of these products to include in heifer rations.

247 The effect of diet on the microbial community structure and composition in lactating Jersey cows consuming a mixture of straw and dry distillers grains plus solubles in replacement of alfalfa hay

Abstract The rumen microbial community is responsible for producing a majority of the energetic needs for the animal, yet our understanding of the rumen microbiome is in its infancy. To better understand the effect of corn-ethanol coproducts on rumen microbial communities, a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design study utilizing 12 cows in three squares was conducted to evaluate the replacement of alfalfa hay with a mixture (CoP) containing straw and dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) in lactating Jersey cows. The experimental treatments were (proportions on a dry matter basis): a control diet (CON) containing 18.2% of alfalfa hay with no straw or DDGS. A low coproduct diet (LCoP) containing 12.1% alfalfa, 2.1% straw, and 6.0% DDGS. A medium coproduct diet (MCoP) containing 6.1% alfalfa, 4.2% straw, and 12.1% DDGS. A high coproduct diet (HCoP) containing 6.2% straw, 18.1% DDGS with no alfalfa. Rumen digesta samples were collected via an esophageal tube. No differences were observed for milk production and dry matter intake (P ≥ 0.307) (mean ± SEM) 19.5 kg ± 0.60, 29.6 kg ± 0.91, across treatments, while a decrease in methane was observed (P &amp;lt; 0.01) for the HCoP treatment. The bacterial community was assessed by sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Additionally, the archaeal community was assessed by sequencing the V4-V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene on the Illumina MiSeq platform. Amplicon Sequence Variants were identified using the DADA2 pipeline. No significant differences were observed for the bacterial (P = 0.334) and archaeal (P = 0.593) communities. Although global effects in microbial community dynamics were not observed, differential taxa were observed with Lachnospiraceae being the major differentially abundant Family. The archaeal community composition demonstrated that Methanobacteriales to be the differentially abundant Order across treatments, and may contribute to methane production.

Replacing alfalfa hay with dry corn gluten feed alters eating behavior, nutrient digestibility, and performance of lactating dairy cows

The objective of this trial was to determine the amount of alfalfa hay (AH) in low forage diets that could be replaced with dried corn gluten feed (DCGF) without negatively altering eating behaviour, ruminal fermentation, nutrient digestibility, and performance of lactating dairy cows. Eight multiparous Holstein cows were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design experiment. Treatments included (dry matter [DM] basis): 18.81% AH without DCGF (0DCGF,); 12.53% AH and 6.26% DCGF (6DCGF); 6.26% AH and 12.53% DCGF (12DCGF); and 0% AH and 18.81% DCGF (18 DCGF). Diet particle size and physically effective neutral detergent fibre declined linearly (p < .001) as DCGF replaced AH resulting in a linear decrease (p < .001) in time (min/d) spent eating, ruminating, and chewing. As DCGF replaced AH, ruminal pH decreased linearly (p = .003) and total VFA concentrations increased linearly (p = .02) tending to be highest (p = .062) for 12DCGF. Ruminal acetate and butyrate, and plasma β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations declined linearly (p = .001) whereas ruminal propionate concentration increased linearly (p = .001) as DCGF increased. Dry matter intake (DMI; p = .001) and nutrient digestibility increased linearly (p < .05) and tended to be greatest (p < .10) for 12DCGF. Milk yield (MY; p = .016) and protein yield (p = .001) increased linearly, but milk fat yield declined as DCGF replaced 6 and 12% of AH and decreased more when DCGF replaced all AH resulting in a quadratic response (p = .041). Results of this trial suggest that replacing 12% of the AH with DCGF increases MY because of higher DMI and nutrient digestibility, but replacing all of the AH with DCGF reduces milk fat yield and dairy efficiency. Highlights DCGF can replace AH to improve nutrient digestibility and milk yield. Improvements in nutrient digestibility when DCGF replaces AH potentially reduce total waste production of dairy cows. Completely replacing AH with DCGF in low forage diets reduces milk fat yield due to change in ruminal fermentation.