Fresh fescue pasture contained approximately 10 times more vitamin A equivalents than hay and 5 times more than corn silage (39,865, 2,750, and 6,900 IU of vitamin A/kg of DM for fresh pasture, hay, and corn silage, respectively).
Beta-cryptoxanthin and α-carotene could not be detected in any forage samples.
Hay and corn silage vitamin A equivalents decreased over extended periods of time from harvest to sample collection.
Corn was the only feedstuff to have appreciable concentrations of all 3 pro-vitamin A carotenoids quantified.
Corn processing had a minimal impact on the vitamin A equivalents.
High-moisture corn contained 54% more vitamin A equivalents than whole shelled corn (378 and 174 IU of vitamin A/kg of DM, respectively).