BELTSVILLE, Md. When
Holstein heifers were fed diets of
either orchardgrass or alfalfa
preserved as direct-cut silage with
a formic acid-formaldehyde
treatment, U.S. Department of
Agriculture scientists found that
the heifers fed alfalfa gained
considerably more weight.
Keith Goerling, a scientist with
USDA’s Science and Education
Administration, presented his
research on the contrasting diets
your American Banker.
four American Bankers William Hughes, Gene Richard
The farmer’s financial Almanac.
When it comes to providing dependable farming
information, you can’t beat the people in the Agri-
Business Department of American Bank They go right
to work for you, giving advice and coming up with a
bumper crop of good ideas that help farmers. Each
has a fanning background, so when they come out
to see you, they speak your language.
Since the turn of the century, American Bank has
had a special kinship with farmers and their land. Over
the years we’ve kept pace with their needs with loans
for livestock, new equipment, construction, and remod-
CQUU HOUSING
With over 68 offices throughout Berks, Chester, Montgomery, Lancaster, Lebanon. Lehigh and Schuylkill Counties
Alfalfa-fed heifers outgain
at the Large Dairy Herd
Management Conference held
recently in Vermont.
Alfalfa, as a legume, has a
different chemical make-up than
orchardgrass, including a higher
percentage of protein.
USDA scientists harvested two
cuttings of alfalfa and or
chardgrass containing similar
amounts of digestible energy. Then
for a 119-day period, yearling
Holstein heifers were fed solely
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alfalfa or orchardgrass silage. -
During the four-month test,
heifers given the alfalfa diet
gained an average of 992 grams
(2.19 pounds) per day, while those
on the orchardgrass diet gained
only 662 grams (1.46 pounds) per
day.
“In two "ests over the past four
years, we have obtained similar
results,” says Goermg, who works
in the Ruminant Nutrition
Laboratory of the Beltsville
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eling. As times and needs changed, we helped with
lines of credit and operating capital. Today, we’re still
maintaining that pace with additional financial services
like trusts, retirement and estate planning, and savings
and checking accounts,
We’re proud of the way our farming background has
helped. Together, American Bankers and local farmers
have been right as rain. And together, our future looks
even brighter. If you’d like to see our ideas at work, just
call (215)375-5993.
We predict good things will happen,
those on grass
Agricultural Research Center in
Beltsville, Md.
Blood analysis during the test
penod showed higher levels of
essential ammo acids in alfalfa-fed
hiefers compared to those fed
orchardgrass diets. The larger
weight gam of heifers fed alfalfa
appears to be related to higher dry
matter intake.
Also, alfalfa contains less fiber
and more soluble nutrients than
orchardgrass.
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 25,1981—87
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By treating harvested forage
with the formic acid-fonnai
dehyde preservative, SEA
scientists were able to harvest the
alfalfa and orchardgrass when the
forages had similar levels of
digestible energy.
This allowed the researchers to
contrast the effect that each forage
had on the heifers’ weight gam.
This treatment also allowed direct
storage of alfalfa after harvest.
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