Digestible Nutrient Content


 EXPERIMENTAL FEEDS
 Alfalfa Hay.-The alfalfa hay used in these digestion trials
was purchased on the Kansas City market. It was second cutting
No. 1 federal grade.
 Cottonseed Meal.-Prime, 41 percent.
 Napier Grass Silage.-The crop was grown on low-lying sandy
soil and was a first year planting. It yielded 11.77 tons per acre
when ensiled October 12-14, 1933, in a trench silo 8 feet wide
at the bottom, 10 feet wide at the top, 9 feet deep, and 35 feet
long. The total yield of 31.05 tons was insufficient to fill the
silo to capacity. Some top spoilage and some "pocket" spoilage
occurred (thought to be due to yeast fermentation). The diges-
tion trials were conducted between January 31, and February
25, 1934.
 C. intermedia Silage.-Grown cooperatively by the Forage
Crops Office, Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. Department of
Agriculture, and the Agronomy Department of this station.
 The crop was planted in rows three feet apart on a Norfolk
soil. Clean cultivation was practiced. It was harvested and
ensiled on September 12-13, 1933, when in the bud stage. The
yield was 3.6 to 7.4 tons per acre, more than corn would yield
on the same soil. The silo was opened on December 4, 1933 and
the digestion trials conducted between February 26 and March
29, 1934. The silage was being used concurrently in a double-
reversal feeding trial. It had a pungent odor, but there was
no indication of decay below the surface spoilage. It had a
lower dry matter content (27.13 percent) than once was con-
sidered essential for the ensiling of legumes (8), and was rela-
tively high in fiber content.
 Natal Grass Hay.-Was grown on light Norfolk sandy soil
and was cut in September, 1932. It had a fair color but had
bleached some in curing and during the 22 months in storage.
Some heads contained mature seed.
 PRESENTATION OF DATA
 Digestibility of the Basal Ration.-Digestibility of nutrients
of alfalfa hay used in the basal ration was determined in the
third series of trials. No feed was refused by any of the ani-
mals, hence they maintained their weight or made slight gains.
Feed intakes per day, composition of the feeds, weight and com-
position of the feces, and digestibility of the nutrients by 5-day
periods are given in Appendix Tables A, B, D and E. Close