02614naa a2200265 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001902400330006010000170009324501290011026000090023952018630024865000190211165000210213065000080215165000100215965000100216965000200217965300210219965300120222070000160223270000170224870000160226577300670228120759672017-09-20       1960    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d7 a10.2527/jas1960.191283x2DOI1 aMEYER, J. H.  aEffect of stage of maturity, dehydrating versus field-curing and pelleting on alfalfa hay quality as measured by lamb gains.  c1960  aResults are reported of a four-year study on the influence of stage of maturity on the value of alfalfa as an energy source for sheep. Factorial designs were used for study of interactions of harvesting method (dehydrated and sun-cured) and/or method of feeding (pelleted or chopped hay). Another aspect was the relating of chemical and physical characteristics to hay quality. Weight gains and feed consumption of individually fed growing lambs were used to assess feeding value, which is primarily a reflection of energy value for ruminants since protein was not a limiting factor in alfalfa. From a consideration of the changes in lignin content and the gains of the lambs fed hay harvested at different stages of maturity, the critical turning point in feeding value appears to be when 10% of the stems have one or more blossoms. After 10% bloom the feeding value did not change as markedly as between earlier maturity stages. Differences between bud and bloom stages were always found when alfalfa was dehydrated. Field-cured alfalfa did not always show this difference, because sometimes a relatively greater increase in lignin occurred as a result of harvesting loss for the bud-stage alfalfa compared to the bloom-stage alfalfa. No change in quality was observed between 30 and 100% bloom. Dehydrated alfalfa was superior to field-cured alfalfa as an energy source in all cases. Pelleted alfalfa in all trials gave greater daily gains than chopped. The respective correlations of lignin and protein content with adjusted daily gain (equal feed consumption) were ?.94 and 0.85. Height of stand was very closely correlated with lignin and protein content before harvest, irrespective of year, cutting, or stage of maturity. This suggests that height of stand could be used as an indication of alfalfa quality when selecting a harvest date in this area.  aAnimal feeding  aAnimal nutrition  aHay  aLambs  aSheep  aMedicago Sativa  aFeed consumption  aLignins1 aWEIR, W. C.1 aJONES, L. G.1 aHULL, J. L.  tJournal of Animal Sciencegv. 19, n. 1, p. 283-294, Feb. 1960.