Crotalaria for Forage


TABLE 12.-COEFFICIENTS OF DIGESTIBILITY AND DIGESTIBLE NUTRIENTS OF C. Inter-
 media HAY AND SILAGE.
 Coefficients of Digestibility Average
 Average Total
 Dry Crude Ether Crude Nitrogen-free Digestible Digestible
Animal Matter Protein Extract Fiber Extract Crude Protein Nutrients
 percent percent percent percent percent percent percent

 C. intermedia hay, dried naturally*

151 30.6 37.5 32.8 24.9 41.6

296 60.4 57.5 52.2 64.2 67.6 4.8 44.8

 C. intermedia hay, dried artificially*

 151 40.6 42.4 73.2 32.6 49.5

 228 44.4 42.7 51.7 45.9 57.5 4.3 42.7
 Average 45.5 55.0 41.9 54.0 4.6 43.8

 C. intermedia silage

 E-49 62.02 65.25 26.20 36.10

 E-50 63.93 73.26 32.82 41.87
 E-51 65.79 61.69 40.09 45.16
 E-52 59.75 67.49 31.74 39.15
 Average 62.87 66.92 32.71 40.57 2.1 10.7
 *These coefficients are deemed unsatisfactory, due to irregular and insufficient
 feed intakes, as discussed on page 40.

 Digestion Trials with Crotalaria intermedia Silage.-In con-
 trast with the less successful digestion trials with cows on the
 mature C. intermedia hay, a satisfactory digestion trial was con-
 ducted in 1935 with four steers receiving C. intermedia silage to-
 gether with a basal supplement of cut alfalfa hay and cotton-
 seed meal (41 percent total crude protein). The average coeffi-
 cients of digestibility of this silage were: crude protein, 62.87
 percent; ether extract, 66.92 percent; crude fiber, 32.71 percent;
 and nitrogen-free extract, 40.57 percent. These coefficients were
 higher for protein and ether extract and lower for fiber and
 nitrogen-free extract than those obtained in the less satisfac-
 tory trial with the mature hay.
 Details of the digestion trial with C. intermedia silage were
 presented in Florida Station Bulletin 279 (21), and are summar-
 ized in Table 12.