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Production of milk, solids-not-fat, fat-corrected milk, milk fat, and milk protein were lower for cows on sainfoin hay than for those fed alfalfa hay in two switch-back trials. Hay and grain consumption did not differ for cows receiving the different hays. In a palatability study, 6-too old heifers preferred sainfoin hay to alfalfa hay. Metabolism studies with mature rams gave digestible coefficients (%) of 65, 63.3, 59.2, 31.6, and 85.5 for dry matter, protein, ether extract, crude fiber, and nitrogen free extract portions of sainfoin hay. Digestibilities with steers were (%) 59.6, 44.9, 67.4, 35.1, and 72.9. Average daily gain and feed consumption did not differ for 319 kg heifers full-fed either sainfoin or alfalfa hay for 60 days.
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Parker et al. (1981) studied this question.
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