Effects of altering the grain content of sorghum silage on its nutritive value.

The effects of increasing grain content of sorghum silage at the soft dough or the mature stages on nutrient digestibility, rate of passage and ruminal characteristics were investigated. A hetero-yellow grain sorghum (WAC 710DR) was harvested at the soft dough and the mature stage. Conventional sorghum silage was harvested by harvesting only the material more than 12 cm above the ground, high-energy silage by cutting it at a 40-cm height and headchop by harvesting at a 65-cm height. Regular silage was supplemented with either 17% or 34% grain to provide amounts of grain equal to that in the high-energy silage and headchop; high-energy silage was supplemented with 25% grain to equal the grain content of headchop. Diets were supplemented to 11.0% CP with soybean meal. Grain content was greater for headchop than for regular silage (72% vs 53%) but DM yield was lower (2,900 vs 4,600 kg/ha). Silages harvested at the more mature stage had lower digestibility of DM (62 vs 68%), CP (60 vs 64%), NDF (46 vs 50%), ADF (48 vs 52%) and starch (89 vs 97%). Increasing the height of cut did not increase DM digestibility of the silage. Compared with conventional silage, headchop had depressed NDF (43 vs 51%) and ADF (46 vs 55%) digestibility. Supplementation of silages with grain did not increase digestibility. The failure to increase DM digestibility was not due to depressed fiber or starch digestion, but rather to an increased fecal excretion of cell contents. The digestibility of grain sorghum silage was not improved by increasing the height of cut or adding supplemental grain.