introduction: sugarcane (saccharum officinarum) is widely cultivated in south west of iran for production of sugar. after harvest, a lot of sugarcane tops remain on the farm that can be used to feed ruminants. the total digestible nutrients (tdn) and crude fiber of sugarcane top is about 72% and 39%, respectively. the digestibility of dry matter (54%) and crude protein (39%) of sugarcane top is...

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of EM on the consumption, nutritive value and digestibility of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum cv. napier) silages processed from wilted and fresh grasses. The first experiment was a feeding trial with sheep involving three treatments: fresh grass silage + 9% ground corn fed alone or inoculated with EM, and wilted grass silage in...

This study aimed to examine the effects of feeding corn silage inoculated without or with either Lactobacillus buchneri (LB) alone or a combination of LB and Lactobacillus plantarum (LBLP) on the apparent digestibility, ruminal fermentation, microbial protein synthesis, and growth performance of lambs. Thirty Santa Inês×Dorper crossbred intact males lambs weighing 20.4±3.8 kg were blocked by we...

The effects of different dietary levels of maize silage (10% v. 36% DM) and group size (7 v. 14 animals) were assessed on growth performance and in vivo digestibility of 28 male fattening buffaloes. In addition, the effects of diet on meat quality and group size on behaviour and immune response were separately evaluated. Animals were weighed and assigned to three groups. The high silage - low s...

Three corn hybrids harvested as whole-plant silage were evaluated in three separate feeding trials with lactating dairy cows. In trial 1, 24 multiparous Holstein cows were used in a replicated 4 x 4 Latin square with 28-d periods. Treatments were conventional (Pioneer 3563) and leafy (Mycogen TMF 106) corn silage hybrids, each planted at low (59,000 plants/ha) and high (79,000 plants/ha) plant ...

Corn can produce high dry matter yields with one harvest. Corn is a good crop to recycle nutrients from manure and maintain water quality. Corn silage is easily ensiled and generally results in palatable forage with relatively consistent quality and higher energy content than other forages. Corn silage production requires less labor and machinery time than other harvested forages. Thus, the cos...

Short description: In Bavaria, feeding cattle with maize silage is a common method, which is practiced even in for maize unfavorable locations. With increasing feed costs a partial substitution of maize by grass silage could be economically reasonable. Especially against the background of bioenergy production from cereals and maize, a competitive situation can evolve and grass as feedstuff can ...

Two experiments were carried out to investigate i) the effects of four levels of lactic acid bacteria inoculants (LAB; 0, 2×10, 3×10 and 4×10 cfu/g fresh forage) and two physical forms of rice straw (whole and chopped rice straw) on silage fermentation quality and nutritive value of rice straw (RS) silage for lactating Holsteins and ii) the effects of the replacement of corn silage (CS) with di...

The effect of inoculation on nutrient content, fermentation, aerobic stability, and beef cattle performance for whole-plant corn silage treated with a commercial product (blend of homo- and heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria, BSM, blend of Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus brevis, DSM numbers 3530, 19457, and 23231, resp.), was compared to a control treatment...