Florida Agricultural Experiment Station


 The composition of C. intermedia silage was: 27.13 percent
dry matter, 3.30 percent crude protein, 12.52 percent crude fiber,
8.34 percent nitrogen-free extract, 0.77 percent crude fat and
2.20 percent ash. Even with 5 percent less dry matter, this
legume silage contained nearly three times as much crude pro-
tein as did Napier grass silage. The digestibility of the crude
protein varied with the individual steers from 59.75 to 65.79
percent, the crude fiber from 26.20 to 40.09 percent, the nitrogen-
free extract from 36.10 to 45.16 percent, and the crude fat from
61.69 to 73.26 percent. Averages were: 62.87 percent of crude
protein, 32.71 percent of crude fiber, 40.57 percent of nitrogen-
free extract, and 66.92 percent of crude fat. Most variation
was observed in the digestibility of the crude fiber and nitrogen-
free extract. The agreement among the four steers in regard
to crude protein digestibility was excellent. The crude fiber
of this silage was less digestible and the nitrogen-free extract
equally digestible as compared with Napier grass silage.
 The nutrients in the C. intermedia silage as calculated from
the above composition and digestibility were: 2.08 percent di-
gestible crude protein, 7.48 percent digestible carbohydrates,
0.52 percent digestible crude fat, or 10.72 percent total digestible
nutrients. On a dry matter basis, this is equivalent to 7.66
percent digestible crude protein and 39.48 percent total digestible
nutrients.
 Digestibility of Natal Grass Hay.-Three steers consumed
the experimental rations completely, while the other refused
only a small amount of hay in the first 5-day period. The com-
position of the Natal grass hay, digestibility of the nutrients
by each of the four steers, and the digestible nutrients of the
hay are given in Table 3. Feed intakes per day, composition
of the feeds, weight and composition of feed refused by E-49
in the first 5-day period, weight and composition of the feces,
and digestibility of the nutrients by 5-day periods, are given in
Appendix Tables A, B, C, D and H.
 The composition of the Natal grass hay was: 92.54 percent
dry matter, 3.66 percent crude protein, 39.49 percent crude fiber,
43.12 percent nitrogen-free extract, 1.44 percent crude fat, and
4.83 percent ash. The calcium and phosphorus contents were
0.54 and 0.26 percent respectively, which are rather high for
a grass hay. Digestibility coefficients for the nutrients varied
for the individual steers from -2.11 to 15.12 percent for crude
protein, 56.17 to 63.13 percent for crude fiber, 49.53 to 53.25 per-
cent for nitrogen-free extract, and 60.22 to 72.89 percent for