ANSC 221 Final Exam Questions and All
Correct Answers 2026-2027 Updated.
What are the differences between grasses and legumes? advantages and disadvantages of each.
- Answer Grasses: provide bulk, grow under wide range of conditions, generally not as much
nutritive value as legumes except at extreme maturity conditions, palatable when immature,
high in energy, prevent erosion, better root structure
Legumes: higher in CP, vitamins and minerals, not much difference in TDN, CF, Fat, and P, may be
more digestible when young, may be less digestible when mature, improve soil fertility,
What are the common grass forages? - Answer Big bluestem, indian grass, switch grass, side-
oats gramma
what are the common legume forages? - Answer Alfala, red clover, crown vetch, sweetclover,
white dutch clover, birdsfoot trefoil
What are the characteristics of pastures, silages, hay? what are the principles regarding how
they are made? - Answer Pastures: fresh forage (grasses and legumes) eaten by grazing.
Silage: preserved wet due to fermentation
Hay: dried
What is the most important factor to making and preserving good silage?
What additives might you add to silage and why? - Answer Acid formed to alt the microbial
activity and be preserved. Most important factor is keeping it oxygen free. Additives might help
in the fermentation process such as Ground corn - adds DM and energy
• Molasses
• Sulfur Dioxide.
the reason for additives are: • Increase or decrease dry matter
• Alter rate, amount & kind of acid production
• Acidify
• Inhibit microbial growth
• Change type of microbes
• Increase nutrient content
What are NDF and ADF and what do they pertain to and indicate? - Answer NDF is neutral
detergent fiber and it reflects forage intake (negative relationship) indicates bulkiness of feed.
, ADH is acid detergent fiber and it is basically cellulose and lignin. It reflects digestibility (has a
negative relationship- high ADF= low digestibility)
What factors affect the quality of forages? Which of these do we have control of and how? -
Answer Species of plant, maturity, soil fertility, processing method, storage, feeding
What animals have the lowest nutrient requirements, highest nutrient
requirements, levels in between? - Answer Animals in maintenance have the lowest
requirements, young animals levels are high and animals that are in late pregnancy and/or
lactating have the highest requirements
CORN - Answer (or wheat, barley, milo)- high E feed, low protein. Used to boost energy good
for: Dairy cattle, finishing cattle, starting calves...
SBM - Answer (cottenseed, peanut, linseed...)- protein supplement but also high in E. can be
used for any animal to meet protein needs.
High Quality Forage - Answer for animals that need good quality feeds that are palatable and
high in protein- young calves and dairy cows. Highest quality are legumes.
Low quality Forages - Answer mature grass hays, feed to animals with low requirement (just
for maintantance)
Corn Silage- - Answer high in E low in Protien and Ca and other minterals, feed to ruminants
that need high E like dairy coes and beef cows in the winter. Often need to limit feeds.
Pastures- - Answer grass, legume, mixed grass and legume. Good feed for beef cattle, sheep,
and horses. Can be used for forage portion of dairy ration can for growing calves. Not good for
pigs or poultry and not high in E enough for milking cows, heifers or steers for finishing
Crop residue feeds- - Answer low quality, low protein, and low E... used to meet part of
ruminant feed needs, but not for high producing. Only good for sheep and cattle in early or mid
gestation.
What differences are there between large and small breeds of dogs? - Answer Amount needed
and pellet size
What specific differences are there to feeding cats? Why? - Answer They are true carnivores so
they need a high protein diet. They do not synthesize niacin from tryptophan, cannot convert
Correct Answers 2026-2027 Updated.
What are the differences between grasses and legumes? advantages and disadvantages of each.
- Answer Grasses: provide bulk, grow under wide range of conditions, generally not as much
nutritive value as legumes except at extreme maturity conditions, palatable when immature,
high in energy, prevent erosion, better root structure
Legumes: higher in CP, vitamins and minerals, not much difference in TDN, CF, Fat, and P, may be
more digestible when young, may be less digestible when mature, improve soil fertility,
What are the common grass forages? - Answer Big bluestem, indian grass, switch grass, side-
oats gramma
what are the common legume forages? - Answer Alfala, red clover, crown vetch, sweetclover,
white dutch clover, birdsfoot trefoil
What are the characteristics of pastures, silages, hay? what are the principles regarding how
they are made? - Answer Pastures: fresh forage (grasses and legumes) eaten by grazing.
Silage: preserved wet due to fermentation
Hay: dried
What is the most important factor to making and preserving good silage?
What additives might you add to silage and why? - Answer Acid formed to alt the microbial
activity and be preserved. Most important factor is keeping it oxygen free. Additives might help
in the fermentation process such as Ground corn - adds DM and energy
• Molasses
• Sulfur Dioxide.
the reason for additives are: • Increase or decrease dry matter
• Alter rate, amount & kind of acid production
• Acidify
• Inhibit microbial growth
• Change type of microbes
• Increase nutrient content
What are NDF and ADF and what do they pertain to and indicate? - Answer NDF is neutral
detergent fiber and it reflects forage intake (negative relationship) indicates bulkiness of feed.
, ADH is acid detergent fiber and it is basically cellulose and lignin. It reflects digestibility (has a
negative relationship- high ADF= low digestibility)
What factors affect the quality of forages? Which of these do we have control of and how? -
Answer Species of plant, maturity, soil fertility, processing method, storage, feeding
What animals have the lowest nutrient requirements, highest nutrient
requirements, levels in between? - Answer Animals in maintenance have the lowest
requirements, young animals levels are high and animals that are in late pregnancy and/or
lactating have the highest requirements
CORN - Answer (or wheat, barley, milo)- high E feed, low protein. Used to boost energy good
for: Dairy cattle, finishing cattle, starting calves...
SBM - Answer (cottenseed, peanut, linseed...)- protein supplement but also high in E. can be
used for any animal to meet protein needs.
High Quality Forage - Answer for animals that need good quality feeds that are palatable and
high in protein- young calves and dairy cows. Highest quality are legumes.
Low quality Forages - Answer mature grass hays, feed to animals with low requirement (just
for maintantance)
Corn Silage- - Answer high in E low in Protien and Ca and other minterals, feed to ruminants
that need high E like dairy coes and beef cows in the winter. Often need to limit feeds.
Pastures- - Answer grass, legume, mixed grass and legume. Good feed for beef cattle, sheep,
and horses. Can be used for forage portion of dairy ration can for growing calves. Not good for
pigs or poultry and not high in E enough for milking cows, heifers or steers for finishing
Crop residue feeds- - Answer low quality, low protein, and low E... used to meet part of
ruminant feed needs, but not for high producing. Only good for sheep and cattle in early or mid
gestation.
What differences are there between large and small breeds of dogs? - Answer Amount needed
and pellet size
What specific differences are there to feeding cats? Why? - Answer They are true carnivores so
they need a high protein diet. They do not synthesize niacin from tryptophan, cannot convert
