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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #133485
Title: DIGESTIBILITY AND DM INTAKES OF DIETS CONTAINING ALFALFA AND KENAF

Author
item PHILLIPS, WILLIAM
item RAO, SRINIVAS
item MAYEUX JR, HERMAN
item FITCH, J - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/18/2002
Publication Date: 7/18/2002
Citation: PHILLIPS, W.A., RAO, S.C., MAYEUX JR, H.S., FITCH, J.Q. 2002. DIGESTIBILITY AND DM INTAKES OF DIETS CONTAINING ALFALFA AND KENAF. JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE. Volume 80(11). p. 2989-2995.

Interpretive Summary: Kenaf is a new crop to the U.S. that can be grown throughout most of the country. Although its primary use has been as a fiber crop, it can be harvested as hay and used as an ingredient in processed feeds to replace alfalfa hay. Lambs readily consumed pellets that contained kenaf hay and had similar rates of gain to lambs fed pellets made with alfalfa hay. Pellets containing 82% kenaf hay, which was harvested at 58 d after planting, was successfully used to replace alfalfa pellets in the diets of lambs without decreasing feed intake or lamb performance.

Technical Abstract: Two experiments were conducted to determine the dietary value of pellets containing kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L. var. 'Everglade 41') hay. Kenaf pellets contained 82.6% kenaf hay, 16.6% liquid molasses and 0.8% mineral oil. The chemical composition of the kenaf pellet was 12.6% CP, 41.2% NDF and 22% ADF. In Exp. 1 (digestion and N balance trial) replacing alfalfa pellets with kenaf pellets decreased CP and ADF intakes but increased DM digestibility. Diet had no effect on N balance. In Exp. 2 (DM intake trial), lambs were housed in individual pens with ad libitum access to either fescue or bermudagrass hay. Supplemental protein was fed (185 g of DM) once daily in the form of alfalfa or kenaf pellets. Lambs consumed more fescue than bermudagrass hay (743 vs. 621 g/d). Lambs fed fescue hay gained weight more rapidly than lambs fed bermudagrass hay (120 vs. 72 g/d). Hay intake and ADG was similar for lambs fed alfalfa or kenaf pellets. Kenaf hay mixed with molasses and mineral oil can be formed into a pellet. Kenaf pellets can replace alfalfa pellets in diets fed to lambs without altering forage intake, gain or N retention.