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Effect of Forage Maturity on Digestibility, Intake and Nutritive Value of Alfalfa, Timothy and Orchardgrass by Equine¹

Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Abstract

The digestibility, voluntary intake and nutritive value of alfalfa (80% Vernal alfalfa,20% S–37 orchardgrass), timothy and orchardgrass (80% Pennlate orchardgrass, 15% Viking trefoil, 5% red clover) harvested June 3, 13 and 23, 1966 was determined with four ponies in nine voluntary intake-digestion trials. The apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, ether extract, NFE, TDN and digestible energy (DE) decreased as the forages matured. At each harvest, significant differences in digestibility were observed between forages; namely, alfalfa had the highest DE (64.8%) at the first harvest, timothy had the highest DE (55.1%) at the third harvest and orchard-grass was the least digestible throughout.

At each harvest, the crude fiber digestibility of timothy was higher than the crude fiber digestibility of either alfalfa or orchardgrass.

Date of harvest had no significant effect on the voluntary intake of timothy or orchardgrass, but it significantly reduced the intake of alfalfa.

This study indicated that good quality, early-cut alfalfa had a significantly higher nutritive value (as measured by Nutritive Value Index) for equine than timothy or orchardgrass harvested on the same day. However, as the forages matured, the superiority of alfalfa declined so rapidly that after 20 days the nutritive value of timothy was significantly greater than that of either alfalfa or orchardgrass. The slow decline in the nutritive value of timothy with maturity may partially explain why timothy has been the forage choice of many horse feeders.

¹ Published with thea approval of the Director of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station as Journal Article No.3339 on December 13,1967.

² Department of Animal Science.

³ The authors wish to thank the Barker, Moore and Mein Co., Inc. for partial support for this work.

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