Ensiling grass and strain mixtures: effect of an enzyme additive and urea on chemical composition and nutritive value for sheep

Author(s):  
R.C. Jakhmola ◽  
J.R. Weddell ◽  
J.F.D. Greenhalgh

Straw mixed with grass before ensiling absorbs excess water and reduces effluent, but dilutes nutrients like crude protein and water soluble carbohydrates, and increases cell wall constituents of the mixture. Earlier studies by the authers showed that treating straw with urea before ensiling with grass increased the digestibility of grass+straw silages. A cellulase enzyme preparation had small but positive effects on fermentation and digestibility. The present paper describes the effect of treating straw with urea and a cellulase enzyme preparation on chemical composition and nutritive value of Silages.Shredded barley straw was treated with urea (60 kg/t of straw dry matter) and a cellulase enzyme preparation (FS01, Forum Feeds Finland; 2 1/t of straw), just before mixing with the precision chopped perennial ryegrass in the ratio of 40:60 on a DM basis, in a 2 X 2 factorial experiment. All the four premixes were ensiled in polythene silos ( 1 t capacity). Eight male sheep were fed four silages in a 4 X 4 latin square design. Each feeding period consisted of a 4-day adjustment period, a 10-day preliminary feeding period and a 7-day period for measurement of digestibility.

1993 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. Smith ◽  
A. R. Henderson ◽  
J. D. Oldham ◽  
D. A. Whitaker ◽  
K. Aitchison ◽  
...  

AbstractThree silages were prepared from the primary growth of a predominantly perennial ryegrass sward (dry matter (DM) 175 g/kg; crude protein 142 g/kg DM; water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) 243 g/kg DM). Herbage was wilted for 24 h and then treated with either an inoculant/enzyme preparation (Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus faecium and Pediococcus acidilactici), formic acid applied at 4·2 lit (Add F, BP Chemicals) or no additive. Time series analysis of laboratory silages revealed that different patterns of fermentation had been achieved: formic acid treatment resulted in high levels of residual WSC and low levels of lactic acid, indicative of an inhibited fermentation, whilst treatment with the inoculant/enzyme preparation resulted in high levels of lactic acid with a low level of residual sugars, as expected with an enhanced fermentation. Analysis of the material ‘as fed’ showed that losses in the WSC content of the formic acid-treated silage had occurred in the clamp. Secondary fermentation of lactic to acetic acid was apparent in the untreated silage, but not in the inoculant/enzyme-treated silage. Digestibility, as determined using Greyface wether lambs, was marginally higher for both additive treatments when compared with the untreated silage. An evaluation of the silages for milk production was carried out at three levels of concentrate supplementation using 18 Ayrshire × British Friesian cows in a replicated 3×3 Latin-square design experiment. Treatment with formic acid resulted in significantly higher DM intakes, but this was not reflected in milk energy output. Cows offered the inoculant/enzyme-treated silage partitioned energy away from milk production toward body tissue deposition (average milk yields 19·9, 19·9 and 15·2 kg/day, and weight gain 0·26, 0·38 and 0·81 kg/day for the untreated, formic acid and inoculant/enzyme-treated silages respectively). The reason for this is not clear, but it is postulated that microbial capture of degraded nitrogen may have been impaired with the inoculant/enzyme-treated silage, resulting in an imbalance in metabolizable protein: metabolizable energy.


1979 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Moseley ◽  
J. R. Jones

1. Three sheep fitted with duodenal re-entrant cannulas and three with large rumen fistulas were given red clover, perennial ryegrass and a 2:1 (w/w) mixture of grass and clover in two Latin square arrangements. Measurements were made of voluntary intake, digestibility, flow of nutrients into the duodenum and the flow of Cr-EDTA marker through the reticulo-rumen.2. Organic matter (OM) digestibility was similar for the three feeds but the voluntary intake decreased in the order mixture > red clover > perennial ryegrass. There was an increase in the rate of marker flow from the rumen and a decrease in retention time of the same order. Rumen volume did not change significantly.3. There was a reduction in the mean particle size of rumen contents in the order perennial ryegrass > clover > mixture. The in vitro digestibility of particles decreased with size; the reduction being more rapid for clover than perennial ryegrass.4. The proportion of ingested digestible OM appearing at the duodenum increased from 18.4% to 26.7% to 30.0% for perennial ryegrass, clover and the mixture respectively.5. A higher proportion of digestible cellulose and hemicellulose disappeared over the stomach for the perennial ryegrass feed compared to the clover and the mixture but over 96% of water soluble carbohydrates and starch disappeared over the stomach for all three feeds.6. The apparent digestibility of nitrogen was similar for all three feeds but the proportion of undigested feed N appearing at the duodenum was calculated to be greater by a factor of 1.71 and 2.52 for clover and mixture feeds compared to grass.7. It was concluded that the higher nutritive value of red clover compared to perennial ryegrass was due to an increased rate of flow of nutrients througth the reticulo-rumen and an increase in the proportion of digestible OM digested post ruminally.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. e0602
Author(s):  
Somayeh Farzinmehr ◽  
Javad Rezaei ◽  
Hassan Fazaeli

Aim of study: To evaluate the effect of maturity stage and harvesting frequency of Jerusalem artichoke (JA) forage on the nutritional quality of the tubers and forages.Area of study: The plant cultivation and laboratory experiments were carried out in Karaj (Alborz, Iran) and Tehran (Tehran, Iran), respectively.Material and methods: Forages were harvested every 60, 90 and 120 days during the growing season (four, three and two harvests per year, respectively). Tubers were harvested just once, at the end of the growing season, from plots with four, three and two forage cuts per year. Biomass production, chemical composition and in vitro ruminal fermentation of the forages and tubers were assessed.Main results: Compared to 90 and 120 days, the forages harvested every 60 days contained the highest (p<0.05) yearly dry matter (DM) biomass (27.16 t/ha), crude protein (98.6 to 145 g/kg DM), organic matter digestibility (0.607 to 0.691) and microbial biomass production (350 to 369 g/kg DM). Compared to 60 and 90 days, harvesting JA forage every 120 days caused the tubers with the higher (p<0.05) water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), in vitro digestibility and DM yield (7.63 t/ha). Jerusalem artichoke forages and tubers contained the low phenolics (4.93 to 13.2 g/kg DM) and nitrate (1.12 to 3.19 g/kg DM). Overall, the best harvesting interval of JA forage to achieve tubers with the highest yearly yield, WSC and digestibility was every 120 days, while the highest nutritive value and yield of the forages were observed with harvesting JA every 60 days.Research highlights: The best harvesting interval of JA forage to obtain the highest yearly DM, protein and energy biomass from both tubers and forage was every 60 days.


2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew P. Woolnough ◽  
William J. Foley

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to predict the nutritive value of forage species available to the critically endangered northern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii). Nutritive attributes of the forage successfully estimated included total nitrogen concentration, fibre (including neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and acid lignin), organic matter, water soluble carbohydrates and in vitro dry matter digestibility. The reported results demonstrate the seasonal variability of the forage resource available to L. krefftii in its tropical savanna habitat. Multivariate modelling of the spectra enabled the nutritive value of forage samples to be estimated with coefficients of determination (r2) of 0.770–0.995 and standard errors of the cross-validation of 0.070–2.850 using a modified partial least-squares analysis technique. The standard error of the laboratory was 0.02–1.42. This study demonstrates that broad-based NIRS predictive equations can be used to predict the nutritive value of a number of plant types available to a herbivore over time. By using NIRS the analyst can rapidly analyse large numbers of samples with limited reduction of precision, thereby enabling large-scale ecological applications that may have previously been impeded by time and costs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. e49951
Author(s):  
Fabiellen Cristina Pereira ◽  
Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho ◽  
Daniele Cristina da Silva Kazama ◽  
Roberto Guimarães Júnior

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cultivating a combination of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) with black oats (Avena strigosa Schreb.) on the chemical composition of forage and the grazing behavior of heifers. To accomplish this, two paddocks 2500m2 each from a Voisin Rational Grazing management system were divided into three blocks each and then into thirds (278m²) characterizing a randomized block design. Three different forage compositions were distributed into these thirds: oats grown alone, vetch grown alone, and oats grown with vetch. Forage samples were collected after 65 days through the square method. Right after collection, three groups of four heifers each grazed the plots for two hours in a 3x3 double Latin Square design for behavioral observation, grazing simulation through the hand-plucking method, and biting rate determination. Forage samples collected either by hand-plucking or the square method, were analyzed for chemical composition and “in vitro” degradability.  Statistical analyses were performed using the R package lme4. Data were evaluated with linear mixed-effects models. The inclusion of common vetch significantly increased forage production and oat protein content, but decreased the fiber content, which promoted better “in vitro” degradability. Grazing frequency was higher in pasture where oats were grown with vetch, but the biting rate was similar in all the three forage compositions evaluated. Forage collected by the square method did not differ from forage consumed by the heifers, probably meaning low herbage selectivity by heifers.  Furthermore, no interaction of investigated variables occurred between forage compositions and the method of collection. The inclusion of common vetch with black oats increased forage chemical composition, “in vitro” degradability, and forage production, thus having positive effects on the time cows spent grazing.


2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 209-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Ringmark ◽  
A. Jansson

This study assessed the insulin response to forage intake with varying crude protein (CP) content in horses at rest and after exercise. Six geldings were fed three grass haylage-only diets for 7 days according to a 3×3 Latin square design. On day 7, blood samples were collected before and for 120 min after feeding 15% of the daily allowance before exercise (feeding A) and after standardised exercise (feeding B). Feed samples were collected before each feeding. Dry matter (DM) and nutrient content varied (DM: 37-58%, water-soluble carbohydrates minus fructans (WSC-f): 3-12% of DM, CP: 10-15% of DM) which resulted in a variation in nutrient intake within haylage batches. Based on individual CP and WSC-f intakes, intake groups were therefore formed (low and high CP intake; ≤ and ≯180 g CP/100 kg body weight, respectively and low and high WSC-f intake; ≤ and ≯100 g/100 kg body weight, respectively). Amino acids were analysed and intakes were generally higher in the high CP group than in the low CP group. An ANOVA model including horse, CP group and WSC-f intake explained 95% of the variation in plasma insulin response compared to 87% using a model including horse and WSC-f group alone. The plasma insulin area under curve (AUC) following feeding A tended to be higher in the high CP group than in the low CP group (P=0.08), but there was no difference after feeding B. Plasma glucose AUC was not affected by CP group (P≯0.05). The study indicates that the post-prandial plasma insulin response in horses fed a forage-only diet is increased by high WSC-f intake but may also be increased by high CP intake, at least at rest. However, due to the low number of observations further studies are needed.


1984 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. W. MATHISON ◽  
L. P. MILLIGAN ◽  
J. WOHLLEBE ◽  
R. M. ELOFSON

Four experiments are described in which the effectiveness of SO2 as a forage treatment before ensiling was evaluated in terms of its influence on silage composition and nutritive value. Retention of added S to the time of feeding was 40% in one experiment and ranged from 17 to 32% in another experiment where SO2 was either applied in the field or at the silo. In general, more water-soluble carbohydrates were preserved in SO2-treated silage. Across all experiments the acetate concentration was reduced (P < 0.05) from 1.7 to 0.9% in the treated silage dry matter (DM). SO2 had no consistent effect on concentrations of other end products of microbial fermentation. In five experiments with legume or alfalfa-grsss silages the apparent digestibility of energy was increased (P < 0.05) by an average 2.6 percentage units whereas DM digestibility was not influenced (P > 0.05) by SO2 treatment. In contrast, energy (P < 0.05) and DM digestibilities were decreased when two cereal silages were treated with SO2. Cattle fed legume or legume-grass silage grew an average of 12.9% faster (P < 0.05) and exhibited a 12.7% improvement (P < 0.05) in DM conversion to liveweight gain in eight comparisons which have been made with SO2-treated forage to date. In contrast SO2 had no influence (P > 0.05) on the performance of steers in one 42-day trial with cereal silage. Further, SO2 was successfully applied in the field as well as at the silo and addition of a silage inoculant to SO2-treated forage was of no value. The use of SO2 as a preservative for legume and alfalfa-grass silage would be economically feasible under some circumstances but at this time treatment of cereal silages with the chemical cannot be recommended. Key words: Sulfur dioxide, silage, silage preservative, steers, nutritive value


2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud F. Seleiman ◽  
Shaimaa Selim ◽  
Seija Jaakkola ◽  
Pirjo S.A. Mäkelä

Maize cultivation for silage could be a sustainable option in Boreal conditions, especially when combined with nutrient recycling. Effects of digestate (sludge from biogas of domestic origin) application in comparison with synthetic fertilizer and two maturity stages on chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of whole-crop maize were investigated. Starch, neutral detergent fiber, water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and digestible organic matter (DOM) contents of maize did not differ in response to the two fertilizer treatments. However, starch, DOM and metabolizable energy of maize increased, while ash, crude protein and WSC contents decreased with increasing maize maturity. Heavy metals in maize fertilized with digestate remained low. The results indicate that whole-crop maize fertilized with digestate and harvested at 150 days after sowing is a promising feed and has good nutritive value, even in Boreal conditions.


Author(s):  
R.A. Waned ◽  
E. Owen

The conventional method of measuring ad libitum intake of roughages involves offering sufficient (usually in chopped form) to ensure that 15 to 20% is left at the end of the feeding period (Blaxter et al 1961). Earlier experiments (Waned and Owen, 1986) with goats and sheep fed long roughages ad libitum (allowing 20% of feed offered to be refused) showed both species to be capable of selective feeding, in that refusals had a lower nutritive value than feed offered. The latter study and that of Glbb and Treacher (1976) with grazing sheep, suggested that selection and hence intake of roughage would increase if the amount offered (and hence refusal rate) was increased.To test this hypothesis two experiments were conducted with housed (16 hours light, 8 hours dark), individually penned Saanen castrate goats ranging in weight (15 to 65 kg) and age (6 to 30 months). Animals were fed restricted amounts of concentrates (15 g dry matter (DM) per kg M0.7S daily) and long barley straw ad libitum.


2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 401-411
Author(s):  
Noura Saïed ◽  
Mohamed Khelifi ◽  
Annick Bertrand ◽  
Gaëtan F. Tremblay ◽  
Mohammed Aider

HighlightsJuice extraction resulted in a decrease in the nutritive value of the bagasse as compared with the initial biomass.Silages made from the second pressing bagasse were well conserved.Sweet sorghum silage has a better nutritive value than sweet pearl millet.Abstract. Pressing the biomass of sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet in-field is one of the suggested options for bioethanol production. The extracted juice can be delivered to an ethanol plant, and the bagasse (pressing residue) can be used for ruminant feeding. Efficient carbohydrate extraction is highly important for good ethanol yield. However, enough carbohydrates must remain in the bagasse for its adequate conservation as silage. In this study, the ensilability and the chemical composition of the second pressing bagasse of sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet were investigated. The bagasse was obtained following a second pressing of the first pressing bagasse after its impregnation with water based on three water:bagasse ratios (0.5, 1, and 1.5). Results indicated that water:bagasse ratio did not affect water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) extraction for both crops. The second pressing bagasse of sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet contained 80.5 ±4.6 and 60 ±4.6 g of WSC kg-1 dry matter (DM), respectively. The second pressing bagasse of both crops had reduced nutritive value compared to the initial biomass, i.e., higher neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) concentrations along with lower non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentration, in vitro true digestibility of DM (IVTD), and in vitro NDF digestibility (NDFd). The second pressing bagasses of both crops also showed good ensilability, but sweet sorghum bagasse silages were of better nutritive value than sweet pearl millet bagasse silages (ADF = 446.2 ±3.7 vs. 463.2 ±3.7 g kg-1 DM, IVTD = 813.8 ±3.4 vs. 708.8 ±6.8 g kg-1 DM, and NDFd = 741.8 ±4.8 vs. 596.2 ±8.5 g kg-1 NDF, respectively). The water:bagasse ratio used for bagasse impregnation before the second pressing only affected the NDF concentration of silages, as a higher NDF concentration was obtained with a water:bagasse ratio of 1.5. Sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet can be considered dual-purpose crops; the extracted juice can be fermented into ethanol, and the second pressing bagasse can be used to make good-quality silage. Keywords: Bagasse impregnation, Nutritive value, Silage, Sweet pearl millet, Sweet sorghum, Water-soluble carbohydrates.


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