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PubMed1991

Response of dairy cows in early lactation to additions of cottonseed meal in alfalfa-based diets.

The effect of increasing CP levels by additions of cottonseed meal to diets for early lactation was studied in 24 multiparous Holstein cows. Diets containing 13.8, 17.5, 20.4, and 23.9% CP were fed during three 3-wk periods beginning at wk 4 postpartum. Each cow received three of the four dietary treatments giving 18 observations per treatment in a randomized complete block design. Undegraded intake protein as a fraction of total protein for the diets was .25, .32, .36, and .39. Dry matter intake increased linearly with increasing dietary CP concentrations. Daily milk yield increased as dietary CP increased from 13.8 to 17.5%. Increased milk yield was accompanied by increased daily yields of milk fat and protein, but the concentration of these components in milk was not altered. The proportion of total milk N that was NPN increased linearly with increasing dietary CP level. Plasma amino acids and urea N were increased by increasing the dietary CP level. The conclusions of the study were that increasing dietary CP levels from 13.8 to 17.5% by the use of cottonseed meal was beneficial to cows consuming alfalfa-based diets in early lactation. Increasing dietary CP above 17.5% showed little benefit in milk yield. Increasing dietary protein caused an increase in blood urea N and milk NPN, indicating N wastage by the animal.

Amino Acids, Branched-Chain↗

PubMed1992

Dietary fiber and milk yield, mastication, digestion, and the rate of passage in goats fed alfalfa hay.

Two experiments were conducted to study the effect of intake of fiber on productive performance of high producing dairy goats during early to midlactation. Four dietary treatments were isonitrogenous and consisted of combinations of chopped alfalfa hay and concentrate, yielding 14, 18, 22, and 26% ADF. In Experiment 1, 40 multiparous Alpine does were used in a completely randomized block design. Milk fat content and total chewing time increased, and milk yield tended to decrease, as dietary ADF intake increased. Chewing efficiency [min/(g x kg BW.75)] for DM decreased, whereas that for ADF increased as ADF intake increased. Prediction equations were the following: milk fat yield, g/d = 115.78 - .128 x ADF intake, g/d + .00021 X (ADF intake)2 (r = .55); total chewing time, min/d = 345.33 + .32 x ADF intake, g/d (r = .60). In Experiment 2, 20 does were used in a completely randomized design. Apparent digestibilities of DM and energy decreased as dietary ADF intake increased. Rumen turnover rate and transit time of liquid were affected by ADF intake. Transit time of hay decreased as ADF intake increased. Intake of ADF affected pH and ammonia, acetate, and butyrate concentrations in the rumen. Acetate to propionate ration increased with ADF intake. No apparent trends were observed in whole blood beta-hydroxybutyrate or in plasma NEFA concentrations related to ADF intake. It appeared that DMI and milk fat yield leveled at 22% ADF or 43% NDF. For lactating dairy goats producing more than 3.5 kg/d of milk, calculated fat output reached a plateau when they consumed 587 g/d of ADF and spent 512 min/d chewing.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗

PubMed1992

Effects of alfalfa hay of varying fiber fed at 35 or 50% of diet on lactation and nutrient utilization by dairy cows.

Five alfalfa hays (four from Arizona and one from California), varying in percentages of ADF (26, 28, 32, and 38%), were fed to 40 lactating Holstein cows averaging 90 DIM. Cows were in 10 groups of 4 cows each; groups were based on 14-d pretreatment milk yield. Each hay was included in TMR to provide 50 or 35% of DM. Diets were fed for ad libitum intake for 70 d. Feeding behavior of 2 cows per treatment was electronically monitored for 14 d. Total tract digestibilities of DM, ADF, and NDF were determined using Cr2O3, and ruminal in situ loss of DM, ADF, and NDF of hays was estimated using 4 cows fitted with ruminal fistulas. Dry matter intake, 3.5% FCM, changes in BW, rectal temperatures, and milk composition (except milk fat) were not affected by ADF in hays or concentrate percentage. However, milk yield decreased as ADF in hay increased, particularly at 50% concentrate. At 50% concentrate, milk yield of cows fed hays of 26 to 28% ADF averaged 30.7 kg/d, and the mean for cows fed 32 and 38% ADF hays was 27.6 kg/d. Milk fat percentages tended to be lower on higher concentrate. Eating time was longer as hay ADF increased and tended to decrease on high concentrate, but there were no significant effects of treatment on number or length of meals. In situ disappearance of DM, ADF, and NDF decreased as hay ADF increased, but total tract digestibilities of ADF and NDF were greater in hay of higher fiber content, particularly in cows fed 35% hay.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1994

Lactational responses to ruminally undegradable protein by dairy cows fed diets based on alfalfa silage.

Lactational responses to protein supplementation of diets containing 60% of DM as alfalfa silage were evaluated. Sixty muliparous Holstein cows were fed a covariant diet for the first 3 wk postpartum, blocked by calving date, and randomly assigned for 14 wk to one of six isonitrogenous (19.4% CP) diets. Diets were formulated with soybean meal, a blend of animal by-products, or both, and contained 5.0, 5.6, 5.6, 6.2, 6.1, and 6.8% ruminally undegradable protein (DM basis). Percentage of ruminally undegradable protein or source of supplemental protein did not affect 3.5% FCM (39.4 kg/d), milk fat yield (1.38 kg/d), milk protein percentage (2.83%), milk urea (7.66 mM), or plasma urea (8.91 mM). However, cows fed diets supplemented with soybean meal had higher DMI (26.2 vs. 24.7 kg/d), milk yields (40.4 vs. 39.1 kg/d), and milk protein (1.15 vs. 1.09 kg/d) yields, but lower milk fat concentration (3.42 vs. 3.53%) and body condition score (2.85 vs. 2.93) than cows fed diets containing a blend of animal by-products. The lack of response to ruminally undegradable protein was partially caused by higher than predicted DMI (5 to 15% above NRC predictions); all diets provided at least 1.3 kg of ruminally undegradable protein, and there was no beneficial effect from ruminally undegradable protein intake increases to 1.6 kg/d.

Ammonia↗

PubMed1995

Additives containing bacteria and enzymes for alfalfa silage.

First-cutting alfalfa was wilted, harvested from alternate rows, left untreated or treated with additives containing lactic acid bacteria and enzymes (cellulase, amylase, and pectinase), and ensiled in bag silos. Inoculation increased lactic acid bacteria from 5 x 10(4) to 1 x 10(6) cfu/g of forage. Because treatments were bagged consecutively, the DM of treated silages was higher than that of untreated silage. However, after 4 d of ensiling, the pH of treated silage, about 4.3, was lower than that of untreated silage, 4.7, and remained lower throughout the ensiling period. After 177 d of ensiling, total lactate was about 25% higher, and ammonia N was about 40% lower, in treated silage. In addition, NDF and ADF contents were lower in treated than in untreated silage. Between 51 and 177 d of storage, glucose content increased in treated silage, but not in untreated silage, suggesting that some plant cell-wall hydrolysis occurred during prolonged storage. In vitro digestion of NDF did not differ among treatments during early incubation, but the extent of digestion after 36 and 48 h was lower in treated than in untreated silage. The microbial and enzyme silage additives used in this study improved fermentation characteristics and reduced fiber content of silage but decreased the in vitro digestibility of fiber.

Amylases↗

PubMed1996

Enhanced intake and production of cows offered ensiled alfalfa with higher neutral detergent fiber digestibility.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of forage fiber digestibility as part of a total mixed diet on intake and production of cows with intakes that were likely limited by rumen fill, using treatments that were not confounded by fiber source, concentrate, or ratio of forage to concentrate. Two alfalfa silages with similar NDF concentrations (40%) but different NDF digestibilities (40 vs. 45% after 24 h of in vitro fermentation) were harvested, mixed with concentrate to achieve diets containing 35% NDF, and offered to 12 multiparous cows (13 DIM) in a two-period balanced crossover design. Samples taken during silage feeding revealed that diets differed in both NDF digestibility (3 percentage units) and NDF content (1.8 percentage units), making interpretation of results difficult. Nonetheless, milk production (36.3 vs. 38.2 kg/d) and DMI (19.4 vs. 20.4 kg/d) were significantly higher with the higher NDF digestibility diet. Apparent in vivo DM and NDF digestibilities, total rumen VFA after feeding, and molar percentage of propionate were also higher with this diet. Equal NDF intake between diets suggested that higher DMI was due to the lower NDF content in the more digestible NDF diet. Higher NDF digestibility might also increase DMI; further experimentation is necessary with larger unconfounded differences in fiber digestibility at the time of feeding.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Use of nitrogen from ammoniated alfalfa hay, urea, soybean meal, and animal protein meal by lactating cows.

Midbloom alfalfa hay was baled (16% moisture) and treated with approximately 2% anhydrous NH3 (percentage of DM). Concentrations (percentage of DM) of total N (4.7% vs. 3.4%), NPN (1.3% vs. 0.4%), soluble N (14.8% vs. 8.2%), RUP (6.3% vs. 4.8%), and NDF (52.5% vs. 45.7%) were higher 3 wk after ammoniation than before treatment. Diets (15% CP) that provided 26% of total CP from N added to hay by ammoniation, urea, soybean meal, or a commercial blend of animal protein meals were fed to lactating cows. All diets provided concentrations of CP and RUP as recommended by the NRC, but diets with ammoniated hay, urea, and soybean meal provided only 70% of NRC recommendations for RUP (100% for the animal protein diet). Apparent digestibilities of DM, N, and fiber fractions were not affected by diet. Diet did not affect N balance, but cows fed the urea diet excreted more N in urine and had higher concentrations of ruminal NH3 and plasma urea than did cows fed ammoniated hay. Production (30 kg/d) and composition of milk and DMI were largely unaffected by diet. Diverse sources of dietary N did not greatly influence N utilization by dairy cows.

Ammonia↗

PubMed1997

Chewing activities and milk production of dairy cows fed alfalfa as hay, silage, or dried cubes of hay or silage.

The objective of this research was to compare the effects of dried cubed hay or silage and long hay or silage on chewing activities and milk production of dairy cows. Second-cutting alfalfa was preserved as hay or wilted silage, and a portion of each forage was dried (hay at 80 degrees C; silage at 175 degrees C) and cubed (5 x 3 x 3 cm). The crude protein effective degradability of forages measured in sacco was (dry matter basis) hay, 69%; hay cubes, 70%; silage, 87%; and silage cubes, 82%. Forages were fed in a replicated 4 x 4 Latin square to eight lactating Holstein cows. The diets, consisting of 45% forage (dry matter basis), were fed in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement; hay or silage was unprocessed or cubed. The dry matter intake were about 2.6 kg/d lower for cows fed silage than for cows fed hay, but the method of preservation did not affect production or fat content of milk or chewing times. Cubing decreased dry matter intakes of both forages by about 1.5 kg/d (2.90%), resulting in a 3.5 to 4.3% reduction in milk production and a 52 to 62% reduction in rumination time. The milk fat content was unexpectedly low for cows fed long hay (2.90%); therefore, cubing only decreased the milk fat content of cows fed silage (silage, 3.34%; silage cubes, 2.86%). Silage offers a viable alternative to hay for cubing. However, for dairy cows receiving high concentrate diets, cubed hay or silage as the sole source of forage might lower intake and reduce milk production compared with effects of uncubed hay or silage.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1997

Protein degradation in response to spontaneous heating in alfalfa hay by in situ and ficin methods.

Alfalfa forage, field-wilted to 29.9 or 19.7% moisture and packaged in five baling treatments (prestorage control; conventional bales; and laboratory bales made at 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 times the density of conventional bales), was evaluated for protein degradation characteristics by in situ and ficin assays. Relationships between degradation rates and accumulated heating degree days suggested that these degradation rates are controlled by two conditions. Degradation rates increased concurrently with conservation and minimal heating, primarily because of a large redistribution of highly degradable N that was soluble in prestorage controls, but not in conserved hays. For both methods, this effect appeared to be maximized between 100 and 125 heating degree days. With respect to the in situ method, these effects appeared to be less pronounced, and degradabilities were not affected. After bales accumulated about 125 heating degree days, degradation rates decreased predictably in response to heating by both methods, as did N degradabilities calculated from in situ data. Increases in degradation rates concurrent with conservation and minimal heating appear to be especially important considerations when results of the ficin assay are being interpreted.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections linked to alfalfa sprouts grown from contaminated seeds.

A multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections occurred in the United States in June and July 1997. Two concurrent outbreaks were investigated through independent case-control studies in Michigan and Virginia and by subtyping isolates with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Isolates from 85 persons were indistinguishable by PFGE. Alfalfa sprouts were the only exposure associated with E. coli O157:H7 infection in both Michigan and Virginia. Seeds used for sprouting were traced back to one common lot harvested in Idaho. New subtyping tools such as PFGE used in this investigation are essential to link isolated infections to a single outbreak.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Alfalfa seed decontamination in a Salmonella outbreak.

Based on in vitro data, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends chemical disinfection of raw sprout seeds to reduce enteric pathogens contaminating the seed coats. However, little is known about the effectiveness of decontamination at preventing human disease. In 1999, an outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Mbandaka occurred in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California. Based on epidemiologic and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis evidence from 87 confirmed cases, the outbreak was linked to contaminated alfalfa seeds grown in California's Imperial Valley. Trace-back and trace-forward investigations identified a single lot of seeds used by five sprout growers during the outbreak period. Cases of salmonellosis were linked with two sprout growers who had not employed chemical disinfection; no cases were linked to three sprout growers who used disinfection. This natural experiment provides empiric evidence that chemical disinfection can reduce the human risk for disease posed by contaminated seed sprouts.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1985

The effect of marginal levels of calcium, fish meal, torula yeast and alfalfa meal on feed intake, hepatic lipid accumulation, plasma estradiol, and egg shell quality among laying hens.

In two 2 X 3 factorial-design experiments, Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) laying hens were fed either a corn-soy (CS) diet or one containing 5% each of fish meal, alfalfa meal, and torula yeast (FAY), each with 2.0, 2.75, or 3.5% calcium in Experiment 1 and 2.5, 3.5, or 4.5% in Experiment 2. Duration of the experiments were 6 and 8 weeks, respectively. Low dietary calcium resulted in decreased efficiency of energy utilization in both experiments and significantly elevated energy consumption in Experiment 2. Liver lipids and body weight were unaffected by dietary calcium level, and declines in both egg production and shell quality were observed in both studies. In Experiment 1, overall plasma estradiol and tibial bone ash were significantly reduced with lowered dietary calcium, but this was not observed in Experiment 2. Egg weight was significantly increased by decreased dietary calcium in Experiment 1. Plasma calcium was not affected by dietary calcium in either trial. Feeding FAY resulted in significantly lower liver lipid than feeding CS in both experiments, and similar but nonsignificant trends were realized for plasma estradiol. Tibial bone ash and egg-breaking strength were significantly higher for hens fed FAY in Experiment 1. In Experiment 2, plasma total calcium was lower and the percent shell was higher in hens fed FAY with 3.5% calcium than in hens fed CS with 3.5% calcium. No differences were observed between CS and FAY in feed consumption, body weight, or egg production. These studies indicate that feeding a more complex diet to laying hens may change calcium metabolism and improve shell quality at marginal levels of calcium compared with feeding a simplified CS diet.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1987

Critical vitamin supplementation of broiler diets high in alfalfa juice protein.

Three trials were conducted to identify the critical vitamins in the diets of broiler-strain chicks fed alfalfa juice protein concentrate (AJPC) corn-soy diets from 0 to 3 wk of age. Vitamin supplements were added to AJPC diets. Diets were formulated to contain, parts 30/121, 40/128, 50/135, and 60/142 parts AJPC/parts total diet. Parts were used to permit usage of wet materials and still maintain about 90% dry matter. All diets were formulated to contain 20% crude protein, .93% total sulfur-containing amino acids, and 2,940 kcal metabolizable energy/kg diet. Propionic acid was added at .2% to all diets. Feeds were refrigerated (7 C) and fed out daily. The addition of choline, riboflavin, vitamin B12, vitamin A or E, folic acid, or biotin did not increase weight gains. Addition of 3 mg/kg vitamin B6 completely overcame the growth depression caused by the 50-parts AJPC diet and significant (P less than .05) growth increases (13 to 29%) were achieved with vitamin-B6 supplementation to the 60-parts AJPC diet. Depressed immune responses were completely prevented by the addition of 3 mg/kg of vitamin B6. The significant (P less than .05) increases in leg deformities observed in birds fed the 60-parts AJPC diet were also brought back to more typical values in birds fed the diet supplemented with 3 mg/kg vitamin B6. Vitamin K supplementation (.53 mg/kg) to the 60-parts AJPC diet resulted in significant decreases from 15 min in blood clotting times to 3 to 5 min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1989

Water consumption and fecal moisture of laying hens fed wheat middlings and corn-soybean-alfalfa meal diets.

Hens, housed on the floor and fed a diet containing 89% wheat middlings (WM) either as mash or pellets, consumed more feed and water than hens fed corn-soybean meal-alfalfa meal (CSA) diets with either .15, .50, or .75%. NaCl. Moisture content of the hens' feces was not affected by mash or pellet processing of the WM diet. Feeding the .75% NaCl-CSA diet, however, significantly increased fecal moisture beyond that observed with the other treatments. Caged layers fed the WM diet voided more feces (2.6 fold) than did caged layers fed the .50% NaCl-CSA diet, suggesting that wet litter problems observed in the floor pens of birds fed WM were the result of a greater fecal volume voided rather than a higher moisture content per unit of feces.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1990

Determination of available amino acids and energy in alfalfa meal, feather meal, and poultry by-product meal by various methods.

Several experiments were conducted to evaluate various methodologies for determining availability of amino acids (AA) and energy in alfalfa meal (AM), feather meal (FM), and poultry by-product meal (PBPM). Digestibility of AA was determined with 48-h precision-fed cockerel assays using conventional (CONV) and cecectomized (CEC) cockerels. Amino acid bioavailability was assessed with chick growth assays. True digestibility values of most AA were significantly lower for CEC than for CONV cockerels. In the chick growth assays, partitioning weight gains to reflect only growth attributable to supplemental crystalline AA or test feedstuff AA consumption often yielded higher bioavailability values than when total weight gains were used for FM and PBPM but lower ones for AM. The magnitude of differences between AA digestibility (cockerels) and AA bioavailability (chicks) values varied among feedstuffs; the largest differences were observed for FM. The TMEn values of AM and PBPM were lower for CEC birds than for CONV birds, whereas TMEn of FM was similar for both types of birds.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed2001

Quality of irradiated alfalfa sproutst.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) sprouts were irradiated with gamma rays at doses of 0, 0.85, 1.71, and 2.57 kGy at 5 degrees C. then stored at 6 degrees C for 14 days. Antioxidant power, total ascorbic acid (TAA) (ascorbic acid plus dehydroascorbic acid), carotenoid, chlorophyll, and color were measured at 1, 7, and 14 days of storage. Antioxidant power increased linearly with radiation dose at both 1 and 7 days of storage. Irradiation had minimal effect on TAA content when compared with the decrease in TAA content during storage. Carotenoid content of sprouts irradiated at 1.71 and 2.57 kGy was higher than that of control at 7 days of storage. Irradiation did not have a consistent effect on chlorophyll content or color.

Antioxidants↗

PubMed2001

Growth of Salmonella during sprouting of alfalfa seeds associated with salmonellosis outbreaks.

Growth of Salmonella was assessed during sprouting of naturally contaminated alfalfa seeds associated with two outbreaks of salmonellosis. Salmonella was determined daily in sprouts and sprout rinse water samples by a three-tube most probable number (MPN) procedure and a commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Growth of Salmonella in the sprouts was reflected in the rinse water, and the MPNs of the two samples were generally in agreement within approximately 1 log. The results from EIA testing of sprouts and water samples were also in agreement. The pathogen was present in the seed at less than 1 MPN/g, and it increased in number to maximum population levels of 102 to 10(3) MPN/g in one seed lot and 10(2) to 10(4) MPN/ g in the other seed lot. Maximum populations of the pathogen were apparent by day 2 of sprouting. These results show the ability of the pathogen to grow to detectable levels during the sprouting process, and they provide support for the recommendation to test the sprout water for the presence of pathogens 48 h after starting seed sprouting. The effectiveness of a 10-min, 20,0000-microg/ml (ppm) calcium hypochlorite treatment of the outbreak-associated seeds was studied. For both seed lots, the hypochlorite treatment caused a reduction, but not elimination, of Salmonella contamination in the finished sprouts. These results confirm the need to test each production batch for the presence of pathogens, even after 20,000 microg/ml (ppm) hypochlorite treatment of seeds, so that contaminated product is not distributed.

Calcium Compounds↗

PubMed2002

Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on inoculated alfalfa seeds with ozonated water and heat treatment.

Alfalfa seeds inoculated with a five-strain mixture of Escherichia coli O157:H7 were immersed in water containing 4, 8, 10, and 21 ppm of ozone for 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 min at 4 degrees C. Direct ozone sparging of seeds in water was used as an alternative mode of ozone treatment. Ozone-sparged seeds were also subsequently exposed to heat treatment at 40, 50, and 60 degrees C for 3 h. Populations of E. coli O157:H7 on untreated and treated seeds were determined by spread plating diluted samples on tryptic soy agar supplemented with 50 microg/ml of nalidixic acid. Since E. coli O157:H7 was released from inoculated seeds during treatment with ozone, the rate of release of cells from inoculated seeds soaked in 0.1% peptone water for up to 64 min was also determined. The overall reduction of E. coli O157:H7 on seeds treated with ozonated water without continuous sparging ranged from 0.40 to 1.75 log10 CFU/g (59.6 to 98.2%), whereas reductions for control seeds were 0.32 to 1.03 log10 CFU/g (51.7 to 90.5%). Treatment with higher ozone concentrations enhanced inactivation, but contact time longer than 8 min did not result in significantly higher reductions (P > 0.05). For seeds treated by ozone sparging, a 1.12-log10 CFU/g (92.1%) reduction was achieved using a 2-min contact time, and a 2.21-log10 CFU/g (99.4%) reduction was achieved with a 64-min contact time. The corresponding reductions for control seeds were 0.71 log10 CFU/g (79.5%) and 2.21 log10 CFU/g (99.4%), respectively. Treatment of ozone-sparged seeds at 60 degrees C for 3 h reduced the population to an undetectable level by direct plating (4 to 4.8 log10 CFU/g), although survivors were detected by enrichment. Ozone did not have a detrimental effect on seed germination percentage.

Colony Count, Microbial↗