Evaluation of nutritive traits and in vitro production of gas for Alfalfa hays and Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) on feeding ruminants

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to determine the value-nutritive of two species of forage, Trigonella foenum-graecum (TFG) and Alfalfa (ALF), grow in Iran by the use of chemical composition (CP, OM, EE, NDF, ADF, ADF, NFC, GE), in vitro gas production, digestibility (DMD, OMD) and Metabolizable Energy (ME) contents. The Legume forages were collected from the farms around Karaj in the middle of summer, and fenugreek without flowers was chopped and sun-dried. For the gas test, the microbe inoculums were collected from four fistulated Taleshi male cows in Iran as a rumen-mixed. Forge samples were incubated with rumen fluid, and measurements were conducted at; (2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96) hours to determine the production of gas. Significant differences were found between all fractions of chemical composition contents of experimental forages (p<0.01). The production of gas at the exact times of incubation that the constants’ (b, c, and a+b) were higher -significantly (p<0.01)- in ALF hay. The DMD, OMD, and ME (MJ/Kg DM) for TFG and ALF hays were calculated (66.96, 75.59%, 21.15, 66.96, 75.59%, and 21.15), respectively (p<0.01). Finally, the value-nutritive of TFG was higher than that of ALF because more CP, OMD, and ME were used in feeding ruminants and lost cost feeding.