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The effect of wilting and additive type on energy utilization of grass silage by growing cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

T. Yan ,
F. J. Gordon ,
L. E. R. Dawson ,
C. P. Ferris ,
R. W. J. Steen  and
D. J. Kilpatrick
T. Yan
Affiliation:
The Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co Down BT26 6DR, UK
F. J. Gordon
Affiliation:
The Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co Down BT26 6DR, UK
L. E. R. Dawson
Affiliation:
The Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co Down BT26 6DR, UK
C. P. Ferris
Affiliation:
The Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co Down BT26 6DR, UK
R. W. J. Steen
Affiliation:
The Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co Down BT26 6DR, UK
D. J. Kilpatrick
Affiliation:
The Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co Down BT26 6DR, UK
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Extract

Wilting of grass prior to ensiling generally produces positive responses in dry matter (DM) intake of cattle, but the responses in animal performance are often small, or even negative. The primary objective of the present study was to compare energy utilization from heavily wilted and unwilted silages by growing cattle when given at equal metabolisable energy (ME) intakes. A secondary objective was to evaluate effects of silage additive type (inoculant v. formic acid) on energy utilization.

Four silages were produced from unwilted and wilted grasses (DM 193 and 450 g/kg) obtained from a perennial ryegrass sward. The wilted grass was dried in the field for 26 hours using rapid wilting techniques involving crop conditioning and spreading. At ensiling both the unwilted and wilted grasses were each treated with two additives, a bacterial inoculant (Ecosyl, Zeneca Bioproducts Limited) and a formic acid additive (ADD-F, BP Chemicals Ltd.).

Type
Programme
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 1999 , 1999 , pp. 35
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 1999

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References

Yan, T., Gordon, F. J., Agnew, R. E., Porter, M. G. and Patterson, D. C. 1997. The metabolisable energy requirement for maintenance and the efficiency of utilisation of metabolisable energy for lactation by dairy cows offered grass silage-based diets. Livestock Production Science 51:141–150.Google Scholar