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An evaluation through lactating cattle of a bacterial inoculant as an additive for grass silage
Author(s) -
GORDON F. J.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
grass and forage science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1365-2494
pISSN - 0142-5242
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2494.1989.tb01924.x
Subject(s) - silage , microbial inoculant , formic acid , dry matter , zoology , fermentation , lactic acid , randomized block design , chemistry , agronomy , biology , food science , inoculation , horticulture , bacteria , biochemistry , genetics
Three silages were prepared from herbage treated with either an inoculant (Ecosyl, Imperial Chemical Industries plc) at 3.21 t −1 , formic acid (850 g kg −1 , Add F BP Chemicals International Ltd) at 2·3 1 t −1 , or no additive (control). The herbage used was the first regrowth from perennial ryegrass swards. It was ensiled unwilted, and had mean dry matter and water soluble carbohydrate concentrations at ensiling of 154 and 24·1 g kg −1 respectively. Time course studies showed only minor effects of additive treatment on fermentation patterns within the silo and all three silages had good fermentations. Over an 88 d feeding period, commencing on day 7 of lactation, forty‐eight British Friesian cows were used to evaluate the silages in a three‐treatment, randomized‐block design experiment. The animals were stalled individually, offered the silages ad libitum, and in addition received 5 kg d −1 of a supplement containing 196 g kg −1 crude protein. On the basis of the data recorded during the final 28 d on treatment the animals receiving the inoculant‐treated silage consumed 12 and 10% more silage dry matter and produced 2·1 and 2·3 kg d −1 more milk than those given the control and formic acid‐treated silages respectively. Over the total experimental period the milk yields were 1957, 1894 and 2094 (±41·3) kg for animals receiving the control, formic acid‐ and inoculant‐treated silages respectively. Animals offered the formic acid treated silage produced milk of significantly higher fat concentration than those given the other two silages. Total ration digestibility studies, conducted with three cows per treatment, indicated no significant differences in digestibility coefficients, nitrogen utilization or metabolizable energy concentrations of the three treatment diets. It is concluded that the higher milk yield recorded with the inoculant‐treated silage, and the higher milk fat concentration with the formic acid‐treated silage, over that obtained with the control silage, were due to the increases in ME intake of 5 and 16 MJ d −1 for the formic acid and inoculant‐treated silages respectively.