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Intake and Digestibility of Big Bluestem Hay and Baleage
Author(s) -
Burns J. C.,
Fisher D. S.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci2012.02.0123
Subject(s) - forage , hay , zoology , dry matter , biology , body weight , agronomy , endocrinology
Big bluestem ( Andropogon gerardi Vitman) has potential to be a source of preserved forage for the mid‐Atlantic Region. This 3‐yr study compares its preservation as hay, direct‐cut (DC) baleage, and wilted (WT) baleage when harvested in the late‐boot to heading stage. The DC baleage averaged 373 g kg −1 dry matter (DM) and WT averaged 536 g kg −1 DM. The DC baleage had a pH of 5.2 vs. 5.6 ( P = 0.06) for the WT. Steer ( Bos taurus ) intakes of the DC and WT baleage were similar (1.72 kg per 100 kg body weight) and greater ( P = 0.07) than intake of hay (1.52 kg per 100 kg body weight). Apparent total tract DM digestibility was greater ( P = 0.03) for hay (545 g kg −1 ) than the similar (504 g kg −1 ) baleage treatments. Steers selected a diet with greater in vitro true DM disappearance (71 g kg −1 ) and not altered by preservation method. Rumination chews per day and chews per minute and total number of boluses per day were greater ( P ≤ 0.10) for DC baleage, reflecting its greater ( P = 0.07) DM intake. Big bluestem dried rapidly providing an advantage for conservation in humid regions. Forage cut by 0900 h reached 800 g kg −1 DM by 1700 h when tedded and by 1100 h the second day in narrow swath. Forage cut at 1700 h reached 800 g kg −1 DM by 1500 h the next day when tedded but not until 1100 h the third day in narrow swath. Big bluestem harvested at early heading is of moderate quality when preserved as hay or DC baleage and dries rapidly giving it a role in beef production systems in the humid mid‐Atlantic Region.