Digestible Nutrient Content


crude fat. Respective averages were: 8.16 percent (crude pro-
tein), 59.34 percent (crude fiber), 51.85 percent (nitrogen-free
extract), and 68.64 percent (crude fat). The results were con-
sistent for all the nutrients except crude protein, variation in
which case could be explained by the low protein content of the
hay. The low protein content is associated with the mature
stage of growth reached by the grass before the rainy season
subsided sufficiently to allow the curing of hay.
 TABLE 3.-THE COMPOSITION, COEFFICIENTS OF DIGESTIBILITY, AND
 DIGESTIBLE NUTRIENTS OF NATAL GRASS HAY.
 MDry Crude Crude I N-free Crude
 Matter Protein Fiber Extract Fat Ash
 Percent I percent I percent Ipercent percent I percent

Composition ................... 92.54 3.66 39.49 43.12 1.44 4.83
 Steer
Coefficients of E-49 7.35 59.87 52.79 60.22
 digestibility.......... E-50 15.12 58.18 53.25 68.81
 E-51 12.29 63.13 51.82 72.64
 E-52 -2.11 56.17 49.53 72.89
 Ave. 8.16 59.34 51.85 68.64
 T.D.N.
Digestible nutrients...... 0.29 23.43 22.36 0.99 48.31

 Digestible nutrients in the hay, calculated from the above
composition and digestibility, amounted to 0.29 percent crude
protein, 45.79 percent carbohydrates, 0.99 percent crude fat, or
48.31 percent total digestible nutrients. Or, the Natal grass hay
used in these trials contained 52.20 pounds of total digestible
nutrients per hundredweight of dry matter.

 DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
 No difficulty was experienced in getting the animals to eat
the experimental rations. In general, satisfactory agreement
between the different animals and successive 5-day periods was
secured, except in the trials with Napier grass silage. In trials
with this feed, the results with only three of the animals were
consistent, hence the results with the other animal (E-52) were
not used in the calculations concerning this feed. All the trials
represented 80 steer-days, except the Napier grass silage trials
which totalled 45 steer-days.
 Greatest discrepancies appeared in those instances where the
 intake of the particular feed constituent from the experimental
 feed was but a small fraction of the total intake of that con-