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Publication Date

1977

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Alfalfa was dried at four temperatures ranging from 60 to 180 °C in two experiments to evaluate the effect on composition, diet di­gestibility, and growth by lambs. In Experi­ment I, the alfalfa was supplemented with 0.6 % salt and pelleted. In Experiment 2, alfalfa was supplemented with 24.4 % starch, 18.5% straw, 6% cane molasses, 0.5% sodium phosphate, and 0.6 % salt so that total nitrogen intake was not in excess of the protein require­ment for growth of the lambs. Cell wall, acid­detergent fiber, lignin, acid-detergent insoluble nitrogen, and pepsin insoluble nitrogen in­creased in the alfalfa dried at 180 °C. Insoluble nitrogen was similar on the diets dried at intermediate temperatures. Dry matter and nitrogen digestibility decreased with the 180 °C alfalfa diets. Daily gain was lowest on the 180 °C diets. Nitrogen retention was improved on the 130 and 160 °C alfalfa diets in Experi­ment 1, whereas gain was improved on the 120 and 145 °C diets in Experiment 2. Per­formance was not reduced with drying tem­peratures as high as 160 °C, but there were suggestions of improved performance.

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Growth and nitrogen retention of lambs fed alfalfa dehy­drated at different temperatures

Alfalfa was dried at four temperatures ranging from 60 to 180 °C in two experiments to evaluate the effect on composition, diet di­gestibility, and growth by lambs. In Experi­ment I, the alfalfa was supplemented with 0.6 % salt and pelleted. In Experiment 2, alfalfa was supplemented with 24.4 % starch, 18.5% straw, 6% cane molasses, 0.5% sodium phosphate, and 0.6 % salt so that total nitrogen intake was not in excess of the protein require­ment for growth of the lambs. Cell wall, acid­detergent fiber, lignin, acid-detergent insoluble nitrogen, and pepsin insoluble nitrogen in­creased in the alfalfa dried at 180 °C. Insoluble nitrogen was similar on the diets dried at intermediate temperatures. Dry matter and nitrogen digestibility decreased with the 180 °C alfalfa diets. Daily gain was lowest on the 180 °C diets. Nitrogen retention was improved on the 130 and 160 °C alfalfa diets in Experi­ment 1, whereas gain was improved on the 120 and 145 °C diets in Experiment 2. Per­formance was not reduced with drying tem­peratures as high as 160 °C, but there were suggestions of improved performance.