Dry matter intake and digestion of alfalfa harvested at sunset and sunrise 1

The preference exhibited by animals in selecting one feed over another is important only if the preferred diet is consumed daily in larger quantities, digested to a greater extent, or both. Six alfalfa (Med- icago sativa L.) hays were harvested in pairs at sunset (PM) and sunrise (AM) on consecutive days at three harvest dates. A previous study of these hays demon- strated differences in ruminant preference favoring PM harvests. This study evaluated the effects of time of cutting and harvest date on voluntary DMI and nutri- ent digestibility. The hays were field-cured, baled, and chopped before evaluation for intake and digestibility. Studies were conducted for sheep (Ovis aries), goats (Capra hircus), and cattle (Bos taurus). Goats, but not steers or sheep, demonstrated differences in nutrient digestibility between PM- and AM-cut hays. Goats con- sumed more PM than AM hay (2.97 vs. 2.83 kg/100 kg of BW; P = 0.07) and digested it to a greater extent (0.710 vs. 0.696;P = 0.03), resulting in greater digestible DMI (2.11 vs. 1.97 kg/100 kg of BW; P = 0.03). Sheep consumed (mean = 2.52 kg/100 kg of BW; P = 0.59) and digested (mean = 0.681; P = 0.25) PM- and AM-cut hays