Alfalfa Hay Facts
According to the National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance, alfalfa contains the highest feeding value of all adapted forage legumes. Alfalfa is highly digestible and usually contains higher protein, and a higher Relative Feed Value (RFV) than just about any other forage.
One of the things we do at Avery Acres to ensure our customers know as much about the quality of the hay they are buying from us is present copies of lab analysis we have completed after each cutting. This provides important information about moisture, crude protein, acid detergent fiber, nutritional detergent fiber, and total digestible nutrients.
Moisture: Hay moisture content is important because the higher the moisture content, the lower the dry matter and nutrient content per pound of feed. A high moisture content (above 18%) increases the likelihood of mold damage during storage. We always test the moisture content of our hay before we start baling and we never bale until the moisture level is 18% or less.
Crude Protein: Determined by measuring the nitrogen content of the sample and multiplying by 6.25, since protein in forages contains about 16% nitrogen. The quality of hay is closely associated with crude protein and is directly related to the stage of maturity and leafiness. Weather permitting, we strive to cut our alfalfa in the pre-bud stage when protein levels and palatability are at their highest.
Acid Detergent Fiber: ADF is the percentage of indigestible plant material present in forage. It contains cellulose, lignin, and silica. ADF is a useful predictor of energy and digestibility of forages. Low ADF values mean higher energy value and digestibility, therefore low ADF values are desirable.
Neutral Detergent Fiber: NDF represents all of the structural or cell wall material in the forage. NDF is partially available to animals. NDF is closely related to animal intake of the forage and as NDF increases, intake decreases. Like ADF, low NDF values are desirable.
Total Digestible Nutrients: TDN represents the total of all digestible nutrients in the forage. Higher TDN values are desirable.