DETERMINATION OF RELATIVE FEED VALUE, NET ENERGY LACTATION AND METABOLIC ENERGY CONTENTS OF ALFALFA (MEDICAGO SATIVA L.)

Present study was carried out to determine the chemical composition, relative feed value (RFV), net energy lactation (NEL) and metabolic energy (ME) contents of the alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). The beginning of flowering period in first and second harvest alfalfa grown in a private family farm in Hurrempalangasi Village of Erzincan Province in 2018 was used as a research material. At the beginning of the flowering period, the alfalfa was harvested twice during the experimental period. In each harvest, the RFV of the alfalfa were calculated by using the chemical composition, the dry matter digestibility (DMD) and dry matter consumption (DMC) parameters. At the same time, NEL and ME contents were calculated using the nutrient composition of the alfalfa. In the first and second harvest, the mean crude protein, RFV, NEL, ME and TDN contents of the alfalfa were determined 18.06% and 17.50%; 86.36 and 90.79; 1569.8 and 1548.5 Kcal; 2316.5 and 2285.2 Kcal; 53.96 and 52.15, respectively. Although there was no difference between the first and second harvest in terms of CP, NEL, and ME contents, the difference in the relative feed values was found significant (P