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Alfalfa Thoughts
ELDON COLE
MT. VERNON, MO.
Many of you know I’m a big fan of alfalfa for beef cattle on fescue. If you will be buying hay this season, try to lay in some alfalfa hay or haylage. I saw an article in the March, 2019 Hay & Forage Grower written by Peter Robinson a dairy extension specialist with U. of California-Davis that points out lower lignin alfalfa will have higher net energy values that deserve a premium.
Other pluses pointed out by the specialist for alfalfa that especially aids the dairy cows is a high cation exchange capacity or the alfalfa’s ability to stimulate cud chewing. He also pointed out that a nutrient (example pectin) that alfalfa has to offer. I’ll bet some of these alfalfa features can also be a plus for our beef cows on fescue. ∆
ELDON COLE: Extension Livestock Specialist, University of Missouri
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