Before flowering, lettuce leaves and stems are green, juicy and palatable, and all kinds of livestock and poultry like to eat them, especially pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits and goats. Cows and sheep are also happy to eat. After flowering, the stems and branches aged and the palatability decreased obviously. The nutritional value of mountain lettuce is high, and it contains a lot of crude protein, vitamins and less crude fiber, so it is an excellent forage. If the grass yield per hectare is 113, kg and the crude protein content is calculated at 3.%, the crude protein yield per hectare is 3375kg, which is twice as high as the protein obtained by alfalfa per unit area.

lettuce leaves are large, tender and juicy, and its stems and leaves contain white milk pulp. Although it is slightly bitter, its palatability is still very good, especially for pigs and poultry, which has the functions of promoting appetite, helping digestion, eliminating fire and preventing diseases. According to Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi and other places, some sick pigs don't eat other feed, and they only like to eat lettuce. In addition, the utilization rate and digestibility of mountain lettuce are high, and feeding it to pigs and poultry can greatly save concentrate. The energy value of lettuce is also relatively high, especially for pigs and sheep.

chemical composition, energy value and digestible protein content (%)

lettuce is suitable for grazing, and it can also be cut as green forage. It is best to graze in foliage stage or before branching; It is suitable to mow and feed before budding.