Assessment of Physical and Chemical Properties of Hay Prepared From Different Species of Fodder

The current study was conducted to determine physical properties and nutritional quality of hay prepared from soybean, cowpea and grass pea fodders. Cultivation of fodder species and preparation of hay were carried out in the field laboratory of Agrotechnology Discipline, Khulna University. The fodders for making hay were cut in the morning and drying in the sun for 3 to 4 days. Three fodder species viz. soybean, cowpea, and grass pea were selected for hay preparation. Three replicates were maintained for each species. Three samples were collected from each species for evaluation of physical and chemical properties. To determine the physical properties, leafiness, color, maturity at harvest, odor, softness, and purity was examined. Chemical analysis was performed in the Animal Husbandry Laboratory, Khulna University following the procedure of AOAC (1990). Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS (version 22) and R software in computer. From the study of physical properties of hay, it was found that leafiness, color, maturity at harvest, odor, softness, and purity was acceptable levels for all the samples under study.

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