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Intake and Digestibility of Silage by Pregnant Sows and Effects of Silage Treatment with Maxgrass Additive

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2017

S A Edwards ,
J Weddell ,
C Fordyce ,
A Cadenhead  and
J Rooke
S A Edwards
Affiliation:
Animal & Feed Technology Department, SAC, 581 King Street, Aberdeen AB9 1UD
J Weddell
Affiliation:
Agronomy Department, SAC, 581 King Street, Aberdeen AB9 1UD
C Fordyce
Affiliation:
Animal & Feed Technology Department, SAC, 581 King Street, Aberdeen AB9 1UD
A Cadenhead
Affiliation:
Animal & Feed Technology Department, SAC, 581 King Street, Aberdeen AB9 1UD
J Rooke
Affiliation:
Animal & Feed Technology Department, SAC, 581 King Street, Aberdeen AB9 1UD
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Extract

Grass silage provides an alternative feed for extensively kept sows, but previous experiments have indicated very variable intake and utilisation, dependant on silage quality. ‘Maxgrass’ silage additive (BP Nutrition) is a blend of compounds including ammonium hexamethanoate, ammonium hexapropanoate and octanoic acid. It is designed to modify fermentation, so that the resulting silage retains a higher proportion of water soluble carbohydrates. This should improve the nutritive value for pigs.

The experiment comprised two parts: an intake/growth study and a separate digestibility study. The same two experimental silages, either treated with Maxgrass or an untreated control, were offered to groups of pregnant sows in a randomised block experimental design in each experiment. Second cut, mainly perennial ryegrass herbage was cut by mower conditioner and direct ensiled. Alternate loads were left untreated or treated with Maxgrass at a mean rate of 6.04 litres/tonne.

Type
Pigs
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 1994 , March 1994 , pp. 154
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1994

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