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Effect of Moisture Level and Injection of Ammonia on Nutrient Quality and Preservation of Coastal Bermudagrass Hay
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1985
Year
EngineeringAgricultural EconomicsWether LambsDigestion CoefficientsMoisture LevelFeed AdditiveMicrobial EcologyCoastal Bermudagrass HayAnimal FeedPublic HealthSoil FertilityNutrient QualityIn Vitro FermentationAnimal NutritionSoil ScienceFeed EvaluationEnvironmental EngineeringAnimal ScienceNutrient CycleHm HayEnvironmental ToxicologyPoultry ScienceNutrient Management
Large, round bales of dry and high-moisture Coastal bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) hay were placed in plastic bags. Probes were inserted into one-half of the bales and the bales were treated with 0 or 3% anhydrous ammonia (dry matter basis). Ammoniation increased lactic acid production and decreased pH of hay. Crude protein equivalent and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of hay were increased 65.8 and 21.5%, respectively, with ammoniation. Mean hemi-cellulose and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content of ammoniated hay were 24.0 and 12.0% lower, respectively, than untreated hay. Hemkellulose and NDF were lower and IVDMD was higher in high-moisture (HM) hay as compared with dry hay. Ammoniation decreased total aerobic bacterial and fungal counts of hay. A digestibility and N balance study was conducted using wether lambs. Dietary treatments were: untreated dry hay, untreated dry hay with urea and ammoniated HM hay. The urea and ammonia treatments were isonitrogenous. Ammoniation increased digestion coefficients for DM, ether extract (EE), cellulose, hemicellulose and NDF when compared with untreated dry hay. Digestion coefficients for DM, EE, acid detergent fiber (ADF), cellulose, hemicellulose and NDF were higher for ammoniated HM hay than for untreated dry hay with urea.