Table 5.
Comparison of different sources alfalfa hay on ruminal fermentation in dairy cows.
| Item | Treatments1 | SEM2 | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAH | SAH | |||
| pH | 6.51 | 6.56 | 0.068 | 0.731 |
| Total VFA3 (mM) | 49.68 | 55.49 | 2.113 | 0.199 |
| Mol/100 mol | ||||
| Acetate (A) | 62.01 | 60.97 | 0.689 | 0.346 |
| Propionate (P) | 21.76 | 22.29 | 0.457 | 0.574 |
| Butyrate | 13.65 | 13.79 | 0.331 | 0.265 |
| Valerate | 1.63 | 1.71 | 0.084 | 0.194 |
| Isobutyrate | 0.291b | 0.526a | 0.034 | 0.007 |
| Isovalerate | 0.660 | 0.703 | 0.054 | 0.698 |
| A:P4 | 2.88 | 2.74 | 0.090 | 0.467 |
| Ammonia N (mg/100 mL) | 9.33 | 11.27 | 1.217 | 0.460 |
a,bMeans with different superscripts in each row differ significantly (p < 0.05).
1
AAH, American alfalfa hay; SAH, Spanish alfalfa hay.
2
SEM, standard error of mean.
3
VFA, volatile fatty acids.
4
A:P, acetate/propionate.