Crotalaria for Forage


 In the final computation it was found that 179 pounds of
C. intermedia silage was equivalent in feeding value to 47 pounds
of No. 1 alfalfa hay, neglecting the changes in body weight. On
this basis 3.78 pounds of fresh C. intermedia silage were equivalent
to 1.0 pounds of air dry No. 1 green federal grade alfalfa hay,
as used in these trials.
 It should be pointed out that the cows received an excess of
protein in every instance, but the rations containing C. intermedia
silage during the first two trials provided slightly less total di-
gestible nutrients than the requirements of the cows, calculated
according to the Morrison standard. Furthermore, the consump-
tion of C. intermedia silage was lower than desired. The total
digestible nutrients from this feed supplied only about one-fifth
of the total digestible nutrients intake of the cows, as compared
with nearly two-fifths from the alfalfa hay.
 As a further check of the relative palatability of the
C. intermedia silage, the percentages of the several feeds refused
by the cows were calculated, and arranged in tabular order. It

TABLE 18.-THE PERCENTAGE OF EACH FEED REFUSED BY INDIVIDUAL COws DURING
 THE COMPARATIVE FEEDING TRIALS WITH C. intermedia SILAGE VERSUS No. 1
 GREEN ALFALFA HAY.
 C. intermedia Corn Mixed Alfalfa
 Silage Silage Grain Hay
 Percentage Refusals
 .7 .... .54
 6.0 .36 ..... 1.3
 10.2 .9 .... 1.5
 10.6 2.2 .... 1.6
 13.0 3.6 .. 2.3
 17.1 3.97 .. 2.4
 17.4 4.9 ..... 3.1
 18.1 5.0 ..... 3.6
 18.7 6.2 ...... 3.9
 18.8 6.5 .... 4.1
 18.9 6.95 ...... 4.45
 20.3 7.1 .... 5.6
 20.4 7.5 .06 5.8
 21.3 7.5 .15 5.8
 25.6 8.0 .15 6.6
 26.4 8.0 .29 11.6
 27.7 8.2 .38 13.2
 28.3 8.7 .5 13.4
 28.7 8.8 .7 16.1
 29.6 8.9 1.4 16.1
 34.7 9.9 3.5 17.9
 35.2 10.3 7.2 18.1
 47.1 11.1 8.4 27.9
 47.5 13.0 9.9 33.0
Average 22.59 6.57 1.36 8.91
Median 20.3 7.1 0.00 5.6