Table 3.
Comparison of different sources alfalfa hay on lactation performance and nutrient digestibility in dairy cows.
| Item | Treatmentsa | SEMb | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAH | SAH | |||
| Milk yield (kg/d) | 21.02 | 21.26 | 0.916 | 0.899 |
| Milk composition (%) | ||||
| Milk protein (MP) | 3.77 | 3.67 | 0.761 | 0.537 |
| Milk fat (MF) | 3.84 | 3.78 | 0.154 | 0.839 |
| Lactose | 4.70 | 4.50 | 0.126 | 0.428 |
| Total solids | 13.05 | 12.66 | 0.192 | 0.327 |
| MUNc (mg/dL) | 13.40 | 13.68 | 0.410 | 0.745 |
| SCCd (×104/mL) | 22.84 | 25.10 | 3.986 | 0.785 |
| MF:MPe | 1.03 | 1.03 | 0.044 | 0.959 |
| Nutrient digestibility (%) | ||||
| Dry matter | 70.24 | 68.28 | 1.899 | 0.270 |
| Organic matter | 72.78 | 70.75 | 1.959 | 0.302 |
| Crude protein | 76.25 | 74.20 | 1.420 | 0.421 |
| Ether extract | 80.49 | 78.97 | 2.291 | 0.757 |
| Neutral detergent fiber | 71.56 | 69.58 | 1.469 | 0.190 |
| Acid detergent fiber | 55.33 | 48.70 | 2.258 | 0.150 |
a
AAH, American alfalfa hay; SAH, Spanish alfalfa hay.
b
SEM, standard error of mean.
c
MUN, milk urea nitrogen.
d
SCC, somatic cell count.
e
MF:MP, the ratio of milk fat to milk protein.