D. Cuddeford et al., A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE NUTRITIVE-VALUE OF SHORT-CUTTING CYCLE, HIGHTEMPERATURE-DRIED ALFALFA AND TIMOTHY HAY FOR HORSES, Equine veterinary journal, 24(2), 1992, pp. 84-89
The objective was to evaluate the nutritive value of short-cutting cyc
le, high temperature-dried (SCCHTD) alfalfa compared to timothy hay. T
his was achieved by carrying out 4 x 4 Latin Square digestibility tria
l using 4 Thoroughbred (one three-quarter Thoroughbred) horses (mean l
iveweight, 531 kg). The four dietary treatments were 0AA (timothy hay
only), 33AA (0.33 alfalfa: 0.67 timothy hay), 67AA (0.67 alfalfa: 0.33
timothy hay) and 100AA (alfalfa only). Digestibility data were obtain
ed by using acid-insoluble ash to estimate apparent digestibility coef
ficients of nutrients. Rate of passage of the feedstuff was determined
using chromiummordanted hay. Plasma triglyceride and cholesterol conc
entrations were estimated. The digestibilities of organic matter (0.63
), energy (0.57) and crude protein (0.74) of the alfalfa were signific
antly (P < 0.001) higher than those for the hay (0.45, 0.43 and 0.36 r
espectively). The fibre components of alfalfa and hay were digested to
the same extent but the ether extract of alfalfa was less well digest
ed. Alfalfa saponins had no consistently significant effects on plasma
cholesterol and triglyceride values but may contribute to the negativ
e digestibility of alfalfa ether extract. We conclude that SCCHTD alfa
lfa is of much higher nutritive value than timothy hay when fed to Tho
roughbred horses.