An experiment was carried out to determine the effect of corn silage particle size and fat supplements on performance, solid passage rate through the digestive tract, and chewing behavior in dairy cows. The forages were coarse or fine corn silage with geometric means of 8.8±2.7 and 5.6±2.8 mm, and alfalfa with geometrics means of 7.0±3.3 mm, and fat supplements were neutral fat (palm) and soy-o...

This experiment evaluated different strategies for allocating first-cut grass silages to dry dairy cows that had low body-condition score (BCS) at drying off. A total of 48 moderately yielding Holstein-Friesian cows were used, receiving one of three dietary treatments in the dry period and a single lactation diet based on a flat-rate of concentrates and grass silage ad libitum. Throughout the d...

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of applying a bacterial inoculant with enzymes to D. eriantha on the fermentation dynamics during ensiling, the aerobic stability, intake and digestibility of the silage. The grass was ensiled, with or without the addition of a lactic acid bacterial inoculant at 10colony forming units per gram of fresh material, in Cryovac barrier bags. The inoc...

We investigated the effects of the predominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the fermentation characteristics and aerobic stability of total mixed ration (TMR) silage containing soybean curd residue (SC-TMR silage). The SC-TMR materials were ensiled in laboratory silos for 14 or 56 days. LAB predominant in SC-TMR silage were identified (Exp. 1). Lactobacillus fermentum (L. fermentum) and Strept...

The effect of the forage source on ruminal fermentation in vitro was investigated for fine (F) and coarse (C) milled diets, using a modified Hohenheim gas production test and a semi-continuous rumen simulation technique (Rusitec). It was hypothesised that the replacement of maize silage by grass silage might lead to associative effects and that interactions related to particle size variation co...

Whole-plant corn was harvested at early dent, quarter milkline, two-thirds milkline, and black layer stages to evaluate the effects of maturity on intake, digestion, and milk production when corn was fed as silage in the diet. Twenty multiparous Holstein cows were used in a replicated experiment with a 4 x 4 Latin square design with 28-d periods. Diets containing 50% forage (67% corn silage and...

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-e...

In this study, 20 different isolates of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were physicochemically screened for the ability to grow at low pH and produce lactic acid. The best isolates were selected for fermentation of Panicum maximum in order to produce silage. The grass was harvested at 6 weeks re-growth and ensiled at 15, 30, 45 and 60 days. Samples were taken on each of these days for microbial chan...

The objective of this study was to evaluate low and high Brix diets, treated or not with 5 g of calcium oxide per kg of natural matter, and corn silage on intake, digestibility and performance of beef cattle. Forty cattle with initial body weight (BW) of 350 kg were used: five composed the control group, 30 were distributed into random blocks (control) and the other five were distributed in a 5...

Silage normally contains between 12 and 22 % crude protein (CP). While such levels 5 should be adequate for most productive livestock, in silages they are not. This is because of poor 6 utilization of N in silage. Most silage-based production rations require supplemental protein to meet 7 requirements for growth or lactation in ruminants. Silage protein is highly degradable in the rumen and as ...