Sainfoin Hay Research Articles

In Vitro Evaluations and Comparison of the Efficacy of Two Commercial Products Containing Condensed Tannins and of Saifoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) Hay against Gastrointestinal Nematodes of Goats.

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) is a limiting health factor for dairy goats, and the integration of the diet with fodder containing condensed tannins (CT) is becoming increasingly important to control GINs. To preliminary evaluate their potential role as part of GIN control in goat breeding, the in vitro anthelmintic efficacy of the CTs of Silvafeed BYPRO (SBP), Silvafeed Q powder (SQ), and sainfoin hay (SH) was evaluated, and the untargeted metabolomics profiling of the selected formulations was performed. CTs were extracted in water and in ethanol, their concentration was determined, and their chemical characterization was conducted using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) coupled to High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS) platform. The in vitro anthelmintic activity of the extracts was evaluated using the Eggs Hatch Test (EHT) and the Larval Migration Inhibition Test (LMIT) using different extract concentrations (150, 300, 600, and 1200 μg/mL). The metabolomic profile of the ethanol extract showed a high number of flavonoids, while the water extract showed higher levels of hydrolysable tannins. The ethanol extracts were effective on both eggs hatching and larvae migration at low concentrations (150 μg/mL) for the three analyzed samples, while the water extracts showed more varied results: SH showed the greatest ovicidal efficacy (concentration 150 μg/mL, %IH = 40.9), while SBP and SQ were more effective against the larvae migration (concentration 600 μg/mL, %LMI = 69.7% and 88%), respectively. The integration of CT-rich fodder into the diet may be considered for the control of GIN infection in goats.

The Effects of Common Vetch Grain (Vicia Satıva) on Some Blood, Rumen Parameters and Rumen Protozoa in Lambs

This study investigated the effect of different levels of common vetch (CV) grain feed on some blood and rumen parameters and rumen protozoa in lambs consuming sainfoin hay (SH). In the study two-month-old weaned, SH consumed, 36.25 ± 2.49 kg average body weight (BW), twenty-four female lambs were used. Ration groups were established as follows; In the first group (C, control), 2% SH and 0.00% CV of the lamb's live weight (LW) were adopted while in the second group, 1.25% SH and 0.75% CV ( CVI) and in the third group, 0.5% SH and 1.50% CV (CVII) were adopted. Blood and rumen fluid samples were taken twice, once at the beginning of the study and once on the 30th day of the study. Although there were statistical differences in some of the parameters investigated in the study, all blood and rumen parameters were within the normal limits specified for lambs in the literature. In this study, it was concluded that feeding the lambs that are consuming SH with CV 1.5% of their live weight did not have a negative effect and the total ration can be formed using both SH and CV.

Effect of the method of preservation on the chemical composition and in vitro fermentation characteristics in two legumes rich in condensed tannins

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of preservation (hay and silage) on the chemical composition and the in vitro fermentation characteristics in comparison with fresh forage in two legumes rich in condensed tannins (CT). Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) was collected at the late bloom stage and sulla (Hedysarum coronarium) at the early bloom stage. In each forage, a part was immediately freeze-dried, a part was dried at ambient temperature to obtain hay, and another part was ensiled in vacuum-packages for 82 days. An in vitro assay to study the fermentation was carried out with an Ankom system during 72 h. In both forages, the silages had different contents of polyphenols and condensed tannins fractions than fresh forage and hay (P<0.05). Sainfoin hay only had greater content of fibre-bound CT fraction (FBCT) than fresh sainfoin, whereas sulla hay had greater protein-bound CT and FBCT contents than fresh sulla (P<0.05). Sainfoin silage had lower gas and methane production than hay and fresh forage (P < 0.001), whereas fresh sulla had greater gas and methane production, followed by hay and silage, which produced the least (P<0.05). In both legumes, hay had lower in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) than silage and fresh forage (P<0.001). The method of preservation affected the total production of volatile fatty acids (VFA) only in sulla (P<0.05). Most of the proportions of individual VFA were affected by the method of preservation in both legumes (P<0.001). In conclusion, polyphenols content, total content and fractions of CT were more affected in the silages than in the hays when compared to fresh forages. However, according to gas and methane production and IVOMD, silage may have greater feed nutritive value than hay although further studies on animal performance are warranted before recommendation.

The effect of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) and carob pods (Ceratonia siliqua) feeding regimes on the control of lamb coccidiosis.

Recent research has suggested that plants containing condensed tannins may offer a promising alternative approach for the control of coccidiosis in lambs and goat kids. The present study aimed to examine the potential effect of condensed tannins in sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) and carob pods (Ceratonia siliqua) incorporated in sheep rations against lamb coccidiosis. The above tannin-rich sources were studied in three independent feeding trials in which the animals (naturally infected by Eimeria spp. ewes and their lambs) were allocated (i) in the control group and received a tannin-free diet (lucerne hay), or (ii) in the treatment groups and received a tannin-rich diet based on sainfoin hay (in trials 1 and 2), or in carob pod meal and a combination of carob pod meal and sainfoin hay (in trial 3). In total, 95 newborn lambs (and their 73 ewes) were enrolled in all trials which started a month before lambing and ended 8-10weeks after lambs were born (at weaning). The course of coccidial infection was monitored in lambs by faecal oocyst counts and consistencies which were recorded at weekly intervals. Moreover, lambs total weight gain was evaluated at the end of each trial. During all trials, 100% of the animals got naturally infected by Eimeria species and the infection burden was higher in trials 2 and 3 compared to trial 1 but in all cases, severe signs of diarrhoea were not observed. Tannin-rich diets were well accepted by the animals not affecting their feed intake and body weight gain when compared to the controls. The results suggest that incorporation of both tannin-rich resources (especially sainfoin) in sheep rations can reduce Eimeria oocyst excretion rates by the lambs, which can decrease subsequently the contamination of the farm environment with the parasite. However, the high variability noted on the results is not allowing us to draw any definite conclusions at least until the potential of those plants is further investigated.

Effect of sainfoin hay and pomegranate peel extracts on in vitro fermentation and protein degradation using the RUSITEC technique

Refat, B., Anele, U., He, Z. X., Bassiony, S. M., Abdel-Rahman, G. A. and Yang, W. Z. 2015. Effect of sainfoin hay and pomegranate peel extracts on in vitro fermentation and protein degradation using the RUSITEC technique. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 95: 417–423. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of supplementation of sainfoin hay extract (SHE) and pomegranate peel extract (PPE) on in vitro rumen fermentation characteristics, protein metabolism and nutrient digestibility using rumen simulation technique (RUSITEC). The experiment was a completely randomized design with three treatments and four replications. Dietary treatments were: (1) control (10% barley silage and 90% concentrate), and control supplemented (2) with SHE (4.1 g catechin equivalent kg−1dry matter; DM) or (3) with PPE (2.8 g tannic acid equivalents kg−1DM). The experiment consisted of 10 d of adaptation and 7 d of data collection. Concentration of total volatile fatty acid (VFA) was lower (P&lt;0.02), but molar proportion of acetate was higher (P&lt;0.01) with SHE or PPE than control. Branched-chain VFA decreased (P&lt;0.01) with PPE supplementation compared with control. Concentrations of large and small peptides were not affected but ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) concentration decreased (P&lt;0.01) with PPE supplementation. Digestibility of DM, starch and crude protein decreased (P&lt;0.02) with SHE and PPE supplementation compared with control. Bacterial nitrogen production (mg d−1) and bacterial efficiency (g bacterial nitrogen kg−1digested organic matter) were not affected by SHE or PPE supplementation. Overall, there were no differences in VFA concentrations, nitrogen fractions and nutrient digestibility between SHE and PPE except for the concentrations of branched-chain VFA and NH3-N, which were higher (P&lt;0.01) with SHE versus PPE supplementation. In conclusion, supplementation of high-grain diet with SHE or PPE can decrease rumen by-pass protein; however, suppression of feed fermentation may decrease the feeding value of high-grain diet.

In vivo and in vitro efficacy of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) against Eimeria spp in lambs

The effect of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) against ovine coccidia was evaluated in vivo and in vitro. In 3 in vivo trials weaned lambs were allocated into two treatment groups receiving diets with either lucerne (Medicago sativa) or sainfoin. During the trials, which lasted for 7 (trial 1) or 8 weeks (trials 2 and 3), oocysts per gram of faeces (OPGs), faecal scores and weight gain were recorded. In two of the experiments (trials 1 and 3) a reduction in the mean oocyst excretion rates was observed, starting three to four weeks after sainfoin hay feeding. This reduction ranged between 21.3% (trial 1) and 61.7% (trial 3) compared to the control values. As a result, a decrease in the total number of oocysts excreted (expressed as the mean area under the curve of the OPG) was observed from week 4 to the end of the two trials, respectively (trial 1: 42.6% reduction, p=0.05; trial 3: 52.4% reduction, p=0.06). The results did not show any significant diet effect on lamb growth rates and faecal scores. In the in vitro experiments the effect of 39 sainfoin extracts were tested in an oocyst sporulation inhibition assay. The Eimeria oocysts sporulation inhibition throughout the experiments did not exceed 10.7%, showing that extracts of this forages do not have a significant inhibitory effect on Eimeria oocyst sporulation. This was an initial attempt to investigate a possible anticoccidial effect of sainfoin and further studies are needed in order to better understand its mode of action against Eimeria.

Fermentation kinetics of sainfoin hay with and without PEG

The in vitro gas production technique was applied to evaluate the biological activity of tannins in sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) hay cut at four progressive phenological stages. The buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) rumen fluid was used as inoculum, polyethylene glycol (PEG) was added as specific binding agent and an alfalfa hay (AH) was used as control. All samples were analysed for chemical composition and condensed tannin (CTs). According to the phenological stage of sainfoin, crude protein gradually decreased [from 219 to 122 g/kg dry matter (DM)] and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) increased (from 391 to 514 g/kg DM). Condensed tannins showed the highest value at the first phenological stage [31.5 mg catechin equivalents (CE)/g DM], and their level significantly decreased at the subsequent growth stages. Gas production and fermentation rate were significantly affected by substrate type and PEG addition. The first stage of sainfoin showed the lowest value of gas and volatile fatty acids production and the slowest fermentation kinetics compared with the other samples, when incubated without PEG, because of the CTs effect. The incubation with PEG improved the fermentation process of the first stage of sainfoin, but no effect was registered on AH, where CTs were not detected. Among the sainfoin samples, the slowest kinetics with PEG was observed in the hay harvested at the fourth stage, probably due to its chemical composition. The use of PEG allowed to verify the effect of tannins on the in vitro fermentation characteristics of sainfoin hay.

Palatability,in situandin vitronutritive value of dried sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia)

SUMMARYThe current study was conducted to determine chemical composition, nutrient content and availability, metabolizable energy (ME) content and nutritive value of sainfoin hay for ruminants. Three ruminally cannulated Holstein cows were used forin situandin vivoexperiments, to determine rumen degradability and digestibility of sainfoin hay. Apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients was determined with feeding of sainfoin hay as the sole diet to achieve 10% more than maintenance energy requirements. Six Zandi ewes were used in the palatability experiment. Means for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and condensed tannins (CTs) of sainfoin hay were: 940·4 g/kg and 93·43, 12·13, 47·87, 43·33 and 2·13 g/kg DM, respectively.In situeffective degradability of CP and DM were 0·38 and 0·54 g/g with a ruminal outflow rate of 0·05/h, respectively. OM apparent digestibility was in the range of 0·592–0·689, respectively, for Tilley &amp; Terry and total faecal collection assays. ME content of sainfoin hay, according to different methods (gas production,in vitroandin vivodetermined digestible organic matter in dry matter (DOMD)) was in the range 6·87–10·11 MJ/kg DM. Metabolizable protein (MP) content was 483·4 g/kg CP. Sainfoin was more palatable than alfalfa for sheep. It was concluded that sainfoin has a potential use in ruminant rations, especially if environmental conditions are not suitable for alfalfa production.

Suitability of Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) Hay as a Supplement to Fresh Grass in Dairy Cows

Two experiments were carried out to determine the utility of sainfoin hay, a temperate tanniferous forage legume, as a dietary supplement for grass-fed cows. The condensed tannins (CT) of sainfoin might counteract the typical metabolic ammonia load of cows in intensive grazing systems. Furthermore, the physical fibrousness of sainfoin might improve ruminal pH stability. In the preliminary experiment, the eating rate of non-lactating Holstein cows of two tanniferous hays, sainfoin and birdsfoot trefoil, was compared to that of a grass-clover hay after specific periods of time (n = 4). The eating rate of sainfoin was superior to that of the other forages. In the main experiment, designed as a replicated 3x3 Latin square, six ruminally-cannulated, lactating Red Holstein cows received grass, concentrate and either no supplementation, 3 kg/d of grass hay or 3 kg/d of sainfoin hay (n = 6). Measured intakes of the grass hay and the sainfoin hay were 2.0 and 1.5 kg DM, and two cows entirely refused to eat the sainfoin hay and had to be excluded from data analysis. Grass DMI was similar for cows supplemented with sainfoin hay and cows fed only grass whereas intake of concentrate was higher (p<0.01) for the latter treatment. Continuous measurement of ruminal pH showed that the minimum pH at night tended to be lower (p<0.10) with grass-only feeding compared to sainfoin supplementation, but pH did not decline below the threshold of subacute acidosis for a longer period of time. The slightly higher intake of nitrogen (N) for cows supplemented with sainfoin hay (413 g/d) compared to cows fed only grass (399 g/d) was accompanied by an increased (p<0.05) fecal N excretion and a tendency for an increased (p<0.10) urinary N excretion. Ruminal ammonia concentration, as well as plasma and milk urea, were not affected by sainfoin supplementation. In conclusion, the lack of positive effects typical for CT might be explained either by the limited CT content of this plant species (55 g/kg DM) or the relatively low proportion of sainfoin in the total diet or both. Moreover, due to the unexpected low grass quality, the general ammonia load might have been too low for CT to have an impact.

The effect of dietary sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) on local cellular responses toTrichostrongylus colubriformisin sheep

The effect of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) hay consumption on the pathophysiology and local cellular responses of growing lambs during infection with Trichostrongylus colubriformis was investigated. Thirty-two lambs, 16 weeks of age, were allocated to 1 of 4 treatment groups (n=8) that were offered either grass (G) or sainfoin (S) hay while concurrently either infected (+), or not (-) with 12,000 L3 T. colubriformis larvae per week for 6 weeks. Liveweight gains were affected by diet (P=0.002) and reduced by infection (P<0.05). Faecal egg count was reduced in S+compared to G+ from days 35 to 42 (P=0.001); however, total egg output, worm burdens at day 42 and worm fecundity were similar between diets (P>0.05).Feeding sainfoin appeared to enhance immune cell development with tissue eosinophils, mast cells and pan T cells present in greater concentrations in S+ than in G+ animals. However, further studies are required to determine if the enhanced immune cell development is a consequence of a greater nutrient supply or a direct influence of sainfoin metabolites on local inflammatory responses to the gastrointestinal nematode T. colubriformis.

In vivo and in situ measurements of the digestive characteristics of sainfoin in comparison with lucerne fed to sheep as fresh forages at two growth stages and as hay

In vivo and in situ digestive characteristics of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia L., a tannin-rich forage) and lucerne (Medicago sativa L., a tannin-free forage) were compared to evaluate the effects of condensed tannins (CT) and growth stage (vegetative v. early flowering) in experiment 1. In experiment 2, the hays of the two forages, harvested at early flowering, were compared. Ingestibility, organic matter digestibility (OMD) and nitrogen (N) retention were measured in sheep fed sainfoin and lucerne fresh forages and hays. The loss of dry matter (DM) and N from polyester bags suspended in the rumen, abomasum and small intestine was also measured using rumen fistulated sheep and other intestine fistulated sheep. Nitrogen content was lower in sainfoin than in lucerne. Content of CT in sainfoin decreased with growth stage (3.5 to 2.5 g CT/kg DM) and was lower for sainfoin hay (0.6 g CT/kg DM). Ingestibility and OMD did not differ between fresh-fed forage species. Total N tract digestibility in vivo was much lower for sainfoin than for lucerne fresh forages (mean value 0.540 v. 0.721, P < 0.001) and for sainfoin hay than lucerne hay (0.464 v. 0.683, P < 0.001). In both species, N digestibility was not altered by growth stage. The rumen degradation of N was lower in sainfoin than in lucerne, resulting in a lower proportion of N intake excreted in urine. The intestinal digestibility of sainfoin was also lower than that of lucerne, resulting in a higher N excretion in faeces. Hence the efficiency of N utilisation by sheep (ENr) was similar (mean value 0.205 and 0.199 g N retained/g N intake for fresh sainfoin and lucerne, respectively). The coefficient of N retention by the animal was higher for sainfoin at the vegetative stage than for all the other forages. Nitrogen degradability in the rumen determined by the nylon bag technique (DegN) was lower for sainfoin than for lucerne when forages were studied both fresh (mean value 0.608 and 0.818, respectively) and as hays (0.631 and 0.767). The efficiency of forage N digestion (ENd) was higher for sainfoin at the vegetative stage. Compared with lucerne, sainfoin greatly increased the in situ estimate of forage N escaping the rumen but decreased its intestinal digestibility.

Effect of sainfoin ( Onobrychis viciifolia) silage and hay on established populations of Haemonchus contortus and Cooperia curticei in lambs

The objective of the study was to examine the effect of dried and ensiled sainfoin ( Onobrychis viciifolia) on established populations of Haemonchus contortus (abomasum) and Cooperia curticei (small intestine) in lambs under controlled conditions. Twenty-four parasite naïve lambs were inoculated with a single dose of infective larvae of these parasites 28 days prior to the start of the feeding experiment. Twenty-four days post-infection, 4 days prior to the start of the feeding experiment, animals were allocated to four groups according to egg excretion, live weight and sex. Groups A and B received sainfoin hay and control hay, respectively, for 16 days. Groups C and D were fed on sainfoin silage or control silage for the same period. Feeds were offered ad libitum and on the basis of daily refusals were supplemented with concentrate in order to make them isoproteic and isoenergetic. Individual faecal egg counts on a dry matter basis (FECDM) were performed every 3–4 days and faecal cultures and packed cell volume (PCV) measurements were done weekly. After 16 days of experimental feeding, all animals were slaughtered and adult worm populations were determined. The consumption of conserved sainfoin was associated with a reduction of adult H. contortus (47% in the case of hay, P < 0.05; 49% in the case of silage, P = 0.075) but had little effect on adult C. curticei. Compared to the controls, H. contortus specific FECDM was reduced by 58% ( P < 0.01) in the sainfoin hay group and by 48% ( P = 0.075) in the sainfoin silage group. For both sainfoin feeds FECDM specific to C. curticei were significantly decreased when compared to the control feeds (hay 81% and silage 74%, both tests P < 0.001). Our data suggest that different mechanisms were responsible for the reduction in FECDM in response to feeding tanniferous fodder. For H. contortus, the decrease seemed to be due to a nematocidal effect towards adult H. contortus. In contrast for C. curticei, the reduction in FECDM appeared to be a result of a reduced per capita fecundity. For both, hay and silage, an antiparasitic effect could be shown, offering promising perspectives for the use of conserved tanniferous fodder as a complementary control approach against GIN.

Consequences of the regular distribution of sainfoin hay on gastrointestinal parasitism with nematodes and milk production in dairy goats

The objectives of the current study were to examine the potential effects of distribution of sainfoin hay on nematode parasitism in a producing herd and to measure the consequences on milk production. The survey was performed in an experimental herd of 120-dairy-goat farm during a whole 9-month grazing season. Every month, 60 goats received indoors on average 1.36 kg of sainfoin hay for 10 days whereas the 60 remaining goats were used as controls, thus receiving the same amount of lucerne hay at the same time. The nutritional values of both hays were comparable except that concentrations of condensed tannins was higher in sainfoin than in lucerne hay, i.e. 2.52% versus 0.7% of diet DM. Intakes of the two types of hay were recorded along with each period. Individual faecal and blood samples were performed monthly to compare parasitological and pathophysiological parameters in the two groups. Milk yield, fat and protein contents were measured fortnightly. A higher consumption of hay was repeatedly recorded in the sainfoin versus the control group. Irrespective to dietary treatment, nematode egg excretions were low during the whole season. Meanwhile, egg output was significantly lowest in the sainfoin group, but the composition in nematode genera was similar among the two groups. Based on a semi quantitative index for assessment of faecal consistency, a lower faecal dry matter content was also found in goats from the sainfoin group. The two animal groups exhibited similar milk yield, fat and protein contents. The differences in egg excretion between the two groups might be due to higher intake of hay in the barn thus to low consumption of grass, a source of parasite infection, or to the effect of some secondary compounds, like tannins. Whatever the mechanism involved, our results suggest that a regular distribution of sainfoin hay to dairy goats might be associated with a reduction in parasitism with gastrointestinal nematodes, without negative consequences on milk production.

The effects of feeding sainfoin hay in sheep parasitised with Trichostrongylus colubriformis

Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) is a Mediterranean forage rich in tannins, which has been shown to reduce the faecal excretion of nematode parasites in goats, when offered as hay supplement (Paolini et al, 2003). The use of conserved forages for parasite control may be preferred when either the climatic or agronomic conditions are not appropriate for the grazing of such forages. The aim of this experiment was to investigate whether the consumption of sainfoin hay could reduce the viability and fecundity of adult gastrointestinal parasites, when offered to parasitised sheep at different time points during the course of a parasitic challenge.

Effects of the repeated distribution of sainfoin hay on the resistance and the resilience of goats naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes

Due to the high prevalence of anthelmintic resistance in goats, the need to explore novel approaches to control nematodes and to reduce the exclusive reliance on chemotherapy is strongly demanded in this host species. In sheep, several studies have shown that the consumption of tannin-rich legume forages was associated with positive effects on host resilience and resistance to parasite infection. In goats, studies on such interactions between tanniferous plants and nematode infections remain few. The objectives of the current study were to examine under natural conditions the effects of consumption of sainfoin hay by goats on the parasite populations and on host resilience. Eighteen adult cull goats naturally infected with Haemonchus contortus, Teladorsagia circumcincta and Trichostrongylus colubriformis were used in the study. At the start of the assay, the goats were allocated into two groups, balanced according to weight and the levels of egg excretion. The two groups grazed separate pastures for 3 months with similar stocking rates. Goats from group S received each month indoors, for 7 days, sainfoin hay and control goats (group C) received hay of ryegrass. The diets in both groups were made isoenergetic and isoproteic and the refusals measured. Individual parasitological and pathophysiological measurements were performed fortnightly in order to compare host resistance and resilience. At the end of the study, five goats per group were necropsied. The distribution of sainfoin was associated with: (1) a higher consumption of hay; (2) significant, lower levels of nematode egg excretion which was associated with a decrease in worm fertility but no change in worm population; however, the number of intestinal worms was reduced by 50% in group S; (3) a better host resilience. In particular, after 2 months of grazing, two control goats died and half of the remaining animals needed to be treated whereas this was not the case in group S. These differences were related to significant changes in pepsinogen and phosphate values (PCV) but not in pepsinogen and phosphate concentrations. These results demonstrate that a repeated distribution of sainfoin hay to grazing goats might be beneficial in regard of pasture contamination and host resilience. They suggest that administration of sainfoin hay might represent a valuable alternative and adjunct to reduce nematode infections in dairy goat flock.

Lack of effects of quebracho and sainfoin hay on incoming third-stage larvae of Haemonchus contortus in goats

The effects of tannins on adult populations of Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Teladorsagia circumcincta in goats are characterised mainly by a decrease in egg excretion without any significant changes in worm number. In contrast, the impact of tannins on T. colubriformis or T. circumcincta third-stage larvae (L3) is associated with a significant reduction in worm establishment. The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of quebracho extract tannins on H. contortus L3. The consequences of consumption of sainfoin hay were also examined. Twenty-one naïve kids were divided into three experimental groups. Group Q received quebracho extract and group S received sainfoin hay from days D3 to D5. Group C remained as an infected control group. All kids received 1500 L3 H. contortus on D0, D1 and D2. On D18, post-infection, the kids were slaughtered and the worm populations compared in the different groups. Compared to the control values, the worm counts decreased, respectively, by 33% and 38% in groups Q and S but the differences were not significant. No differences were found in pathophysiological measurements between the three groups. The results confirm differences in tannin effect according to nematode species but not parasitic stage.

Effect of sainfoin on in vitro digestion of fresh alfalfa and bloat in steers

The effects of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) on digestion of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Fresh alfalfa and sainfoin were incubated in an artificial rumen (Rusitec) in ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100 (as-fed). Disappearances of dry matter and N from sainfoin were 77 and 65% of those from alfalfa, respectively. Protease and endoglucanase activities, NH3-N and methane production declined (P &lt; 0.05) as sainfoin increased. Bacterial numbers and microbial outputs were unchanged (P &gt; 0.05), but cells incorporated more 15NH3N as sainfoin in the diet increased. Chopped leaves (100:0, 95:5 and 90:10 alfalfa:sainfoin) were incubated for 48 h with diluted ruminal fluid containing 0 or 50 mg polyethylene glycol, which binds tannins. Gas and volatile fatty acid productions were similar (P &gt; 0.05) across treatments, but including 10% sainfoin (without polyethylene glycol) reduced (P &lt; 0.05) NH3 concentrations between 8 and 24 h. Sainfoin tannins reduced degradation of forage protein without affecting the digestibility of the nonprotein fraction. Alfalfa herbage was fed alone or with early- to full-bloom sainfoin herbage (at 10 or 20% of ad libitum alfalfa dry matter intake) or with sainfoin hay or pellets, to eight Jersey steers in crossover trials conducted over 4 yr. Including sainfoin in the diet reduced (P &lt; 0.001) the incidence of bloat by 45 to 93% in 3 of 4 yr, irrespective of the form in which it was supplied. Co-feeding sainfoin can markedly reduce the incidence of bloat in ruminants consuming fresh alfalfa. Key words: Alfalfa, sainfoin, bloat, condensed tannins

Influence of method of forage preservation on fibre and protein digestion in cattle given lucerne, birdsfoot trefoil and sainfoin

ABSTRACTSix steers, each fitted with a ruminal cannula and T-type duodenal and ileal cannulae, were used to investigate protein and fibre utilization from lucerne, birdsfoot trefoil and sainfoin preserved both as hay and silage. Steers were fed at 2-h intervals during six 12-day periods in an experiment with a 6 × 6 Latin-square design. Animals were fed all-forage diets of six treatments (lucerne hay and silage, birdsfoot trefoil hay and silage, sainfoin hay and silage). Samples were collected from all alimentary sites twice daily during the last 3 days of each period. Acid insoluble ash was used as a solid marker and Cr-ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid as a liquid marker. Organic matter (OM), hemicellulose (HC) and cellulose (CL) total tract digestibilities of lucerne, birdsfoot trefoil and sainfoin were similar (OM: 599, 608, 580 g/kg; HC: 499, 497, 480 g/kg; CL: 590, 618, 608 g/kg). However, crude protein (CP) digestibilities were lower (P &lt; 0·001) for sainfoin (582 g/kg) than for lucerne (732 g/kg) or birdsfoot trefoil (693 g/kg). Nitrogen (N) flows at the duodenum or ileum were similar among forages despite lower N intake for sainfoin. Presence of tannins in sainfoin may have been responsible for low protein degradation in the rumen, and reduced N digestion in the small intestine. Forage preserved as hay or silage had similar CL, HC and OM digestibilities, while CP digestibility was higher (P &lt; 0·05) for silages.

Nutritional Value of Sainfoin Hay Compared with Alfalfa Hay

Production of milk, solids-not-fat, fat-corrected milk, milk fat, and milk protein were lower for cows on sainfoin hay than for those fed alfalfa hay in two switch-back trials. Hay and grain consumption did not differ for cows receiving the different hays. In a palatability study, 6-mo old heifers preferred sainfoin hay to alfalfa hay. Metabolism studies with mature rams gave digestible coefficients (%) of 65, 63.3, 59.2, 31.6, and 85.5 for dry matter, protein, ether extract, crude fiber, and nitrogen free extract portions of sainfoin hay. Digestibilities with steers were (%) 59.6, 44.9, 67.4, 35.1, and 72.9. Average daily gain and feed consumption did not differ for 319kg heifers full-fed either sainfoin or alfalfa hay for 60 days.

The effect of grinding and pelleting on the nutritive value of poor quality roughages for sheep

SUMMARYAnalysis of published data relating to the chemical composition of feeds – mostly roughages – before and after grinding and pelleting showed that ash and crude-protein content increased and crude fibre declined. On the assumption that the ash content was unaffected by grinding and pelleting, the crude-protein and crude-lipid content of the original material was shown to be unaffected by the process but the total carbohydrate was depressed. The loss of organic matter on pelleting was 9% and reasons are given for believing that this was due to partial pyrolysis of the carbohydrate.Calorimetric experiments with a poor quality sainfoin hay and a poor aftermath mixed hay showed that grinding and pelleting increased intake by over 80%, and also increased the metabolizability of the gross energy. The increases were from 37·4 to 40·7% for sainfoin and from 38·2 to 44·4% for the hay. The energy of the pellets was used more efficiently for maintenance in both instances, and with the hay, the efficiency of utilization of its metabolizable energy for production increased from 24·2 to 54·1%. With sainfoin no similar comparison was possible since the sheep given the chopped sainfoin could not achieve positive energy retention. The sainfoin pellets were used for production with an efficiency of 56%. Energy retention in sheep given as much sainfoin as they would consume without refusal increased from – 336 to + 3207 kj/d on pelleting the diet. With hay or hay pellets which were given ad libitumthe corresponding values were + 297 to + 4742 kj/d respectively.