NUTRITION


The key factors to ensure successful animal nutrition are:
Keeping the livestock fed healthily
and maximising/optimising the consumption of Dry Matter
.

This requires using high-quality fodder, the maintenance of a suitable level of Effective Fibre and minimising the classification of the portion.
Organoleptic qualities of alfalfa:
Alfalfa is an exceptional foodstuff for milk-producing livestock due to its:
  • High protein content (free of animal flours).
  • High content in digestibly efficient fibre.
  • Other important nutritional values: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Boron, Sulphur, Molybdenum, Magnesium.
  • Highly palatable.

Intake capacity for milk-producing livestock

The highest production of milk is achieved with 50% of the total intake coming from fodder. Alfalfa is the fodder that provides the highest amount of Fibrous Food with advantages such as:

  • Buffer effect (pH = 6.2 to 6.5)
  • Source of Calcium and Potassium.
  • Save on added minerals.
  • High vitamin content (A, D & E).


  • High percentage of protein (60% degradable, 40% by-pass)
  • Carotene xanthophyll range: 35-70%.
  • Advantages of dehydrated alfalfa compared to fresh alfalfa:
  • Reduced loss of nutritional values (leaves, proteins, vitamins)


  • Reduced microbial contamination.
  • Good protein-energy ratio.
  • Consistent low moisture level to prevent aerobic fermentation.

 


Nutritional characteristics of alfalfa


Below is a PDF featuring technical data on the nutritional advantages of alfalfa that can be downloaded. Download here.

Características nutricionales de la alfal