scholarly journals Production and utilization of ensiled forages by beef cattle, dairy cows, pregnant ewes and finishing lambs - A review

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Keady ◽  
Seamus Hanrahan ◽  
Christina Marley ◽  
Nigel David Scollan
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Fertilizer Management ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Feed Value ◽  
Cattle And Sheep

This paper reviews the production of, and factors affecting the performance of dairy cows, beef cattle and sheep offered silage based diets in Ireland and UK. Digestibility is the most important factor influencing the feed value of grass silage and consequently animal performance. Each 10 g kg-1 increase in digestive organic matter in the dry matter (DOMD) increases milk yield of dairy cows by 0.33 kg d-1, carcass gain of beef cattle by 23.8 g d-1 , carcass gain of finishing lambs by 9.3 g d-1, lamb birth weight by 52.3 g and ewe weight post lambing by 1.3 kg, respectively. Factors influencing feed value of grass silage are discussed including harvest date, wilting, fertilizer management, chop length and use of additives at ensiling. Maize silage increases the performance of cattle and sheep whilst whole crop wheat silage has no beneficial effect. Advances in silage technology, has enabled the ensiling high protein forages, such as red clover, lucerne and kale.

The potential of a range of maize silages, included as a component of grass silage based diets, to increase the dry matter and energy intakes of finishing beef cattle

2002 ◽  
Vol 2002 ◽  
pp. 115-115
Author(s):  
R.M. Kirkland ◽  
R.W.J. Steen ◽  
F.J. Gordon ◽  
T.W.J. Keady
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Nutrient Supply ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Metabolisable Energy ◽  
Finishing Beef Cattle ◽  
Forage Mixtures ◽  
Forage Diets

The inclusion of maize silage in grass silage based diets may offer the potential to improve productivity on farms due to associative effects resulting from mixed-forage diets on nutrient supply to the animal. The objective of the present study was to examine the effects on dry matter (DM) and metabolisable energy (ME) intakes of beef cattle of offering forage mixtures comprising grass and maize silages of differing qualities.

Effects of mixtures of red clover and maize silages on milk production and Nitrogen utilisation by dairy cows

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 ◽  
pp. 23-23
Author(s):  
R. J. Dewhurst ◽  
R. J. Merry ◽  
L. J. Davies
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Dairy Cow ◽  
Starch Content ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
High Intake ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Oil Resources ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
N Use

Legumes are important to sustainable agriculture because of their N fixing ability and consequent reduced reliance on increasingly scarce oil resources. Our previous studies showed consistently higher intakes and milk yields when red clover silage replaced grass silage in dairy cow diets (Dewhurst et al., 2003). However, the increased intakes of a forage which contains higher levels of N led to a reduction in the efficiency of conversion of feed N into milk N (g/g) from around 0.25 to 0.20 or less. Maize silage has similar high intake characteristics, but its low N content and considerable starch content suggest that it would be highly complementary to red clover silage in terms of N-use efficiency. This study evaluated production and efficiency responses to mixtures of red clover and maize silages in comparison with perennial ryegrass silage.

Factors effecting the feeding value of maize and grass silage in late lactation dairy cows

1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 ◽  
pp. 79-79
Author(s):  
F.J. Mulligan ◽  
F.P. O'Mara ◽  
M. Rath ◽  
P.J. Caffrey ◽  
J. Callan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Feeding Value ◽  
High Starch ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Degradable Protein

Higher dry matter intakes (DMI) have been reported in dairy cows fed maize silage than in dairy cows fed grass silage. The objective of this experiment was to investigate this phenomenon by the measurement of digestibility and the determination of rumen outflow rates for both forages. The response in milk production of late lactation dairy cows to grass or maize silage was also measured.Fourteen late lactation multiparous dairy cows (n = 7) were fed diets containing either grass silage (GS) (DM: 197g/kg; pH: 4.05; NDF: 642g/kg DM) or high starch maize silage (MS) (DM: 339g/kg; pH: 3.94; starch: 360g/kg DM; NDF: 442g/kg DM) ad-libitum plus 4kgs/hd/day of a dairy concentrate (233g CP/kg DM). Urea (460g N/kg DM) was used as a source of degradable protein (10g/kg DM) for the MS diet which also included straw (40g/kg DM). Dietary NDF equalled 542 and 423g/kg DM for the GS and MS diet.

The effects of ensiling on the intake of herbage and milk production by lactating dairy cows

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 ◽  
pp. 20-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. W. J. Keady ◽  
J. J. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Dairy Cow ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows ◽  
Dairy Animals ◽  
Per Se

In general cows have higher intakes and higher milk yields when outdoors grazing pasture compared to indoors consuming grass silage. However, this observation is not valid as a direct comparison of grass and silage due to the following reasons. Firstly, the cows consuming the silage and grass are usually at different stages of lactation and secondly the silage has not been produced from the herbage being grazed. There is little information available in the literature comparing the intakes of grass and silage harvested from the same sward at the same stage of maturity when fed to lactating dairy animals at similar stages of lactation. The present study was initiated as part of a series of studies at this Institute, to evaluate factors affecting silage intake. The main aims of this study were to determine the actual effect which ensiling “per se” had firstly on dry matter intake and secondly on animal performance by the lactating dairy cow.

Factors affecting silage intake of dairy cows fed low levels of compound

1989 ◽  
Vol 1989 ◽  
pp. 77-77
Author(s):  
O D Davies ◽  
V J Theobald
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Silage Quality ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Feeding Systems

When autumn calving dairy cows are offered low levels of compound supplement, milk production and subsequent profitability depends not only on silage quality but also the quantity of silage consumed. Silage quality and palatability are undoubtably related but when grass silage contributes in excess of 75% of total dry matter intake, some silages which, to date, would be defined as being of good quality, appear comparatively less palatable than their chemical analyses would initially suggest, To enable accurate ration formulation in dairy feeding systems based on ad libitum grass silage, a prediction of silage dry matter intake is essential. In this experiment nine silages, all with a high digestibility and crude protein content, but varying in their fermentation characteristics, were offered ad libitum to individually fed October calving dairy cows receiving 3 kg of a 160 g/kg crude protein cereal based compound supplement daily.

The effects of replacing maize silage by triticale whole crop silage in a roughage mixture with grass silage on feed intake and milk production by dairy cows

1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 ◽  
pp. 78-78
Author(s):  
G. van Duinkerken ◽  
R.L.G. Zom ◽  
E.J.B. Bleumer
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Sandy Soils ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Forage Maize ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Fodder Crops ◽  
Sprinkle Irrigation

In the Netherlands, grass and forage maize are the most important fodder crops. However, on drought prone sandy soils, and in years with insufficient rainfall the yield of maize is very low (7 to 8 tons DM/ha). Therefore, sprinkle irrigation is often applied to overcome problems with drought. However, in some regions sprinkle irrigation is not possible because of a lack of suitable water or due to legislative restrictions on the use of water for irrigation. In situations where water is a limiting factor for growing maize, triticale may be an alternative fodder crop. Triticale grows mainly during the early spring when there usually is a precipitation surplus and so, water is not a limiting factor for growth. When triticale is harvested as triticale whole crop silage the DM yield ranges between 9 and 11 ton of dry matter per hectare. Therefore, under water limiting conditions it may be attractive to replace forage maize by triticale whole crop silage.

scholarly journals The Order of Grass and Maize Silage Supplementation Modifies Milk Yield, Grazing Behavior and Nitrogen Partitioning of Lactating Dairy Cows

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignacio E. Beltrán ◽  
Omar Al-Marashdeh ◽  
Ana R. Burgos ◽  
Pablo Gregorini ◽  
Oscar A. Balocchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Nitrogen Partitioning ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Grazing Behavior ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows ◽  
Holstein Friesian

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the order of grass silage (GS) and maize silage (MS) supplementation on milk yield, grazing behavior and nitrogen (N) partitioning of lactating dairy cows during autumn. Thirty-six Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were randomly assigned to one of three treatments, and cows remained on these treatments for a 62 days period: (1) MIX; cows supplemented with 3 kg of dry matter (DM) of silage containing 1.5 kg DM of MS and 1.5 kg DM of GS in both the morning and afternoon; (2) GS-MS; cows supplemented with 3 kg DM of GS in the morning and 3 kg DM of MS in the afternoon; (3) MS-GS; cows supplemented with 3 kg DM of MS in the morning and 3 kg DM of GS in the afternoon. All cows received a pasture allowance of 17 kg DM/cow/d and 3 kg DM of concentrate. Grazing time and pasture intake were unaffected by treatment; however, milk production was greater for MS-GS, while milk protein was greater for GS-MS. Urinary N excretion was greater for MS-GS than MIX. In conclusion, MS-GS resulted in high milk yield but also high urinary N excretion, while MIX resulted in low urinary N excretion but also decreased milk yield.

Supplementation of grazing dairy cows with a brewers grains/treated straw mixture

1990 ◽  
Vol 1990 ◽  
pp. 46-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.D. Leaver ◽  
R.C. Campling
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Metabolisable Energy ◽  
Grazing Dairy Cows ◽  
Similar Cost ◽  
Friesian Cows

Supplementary feeding of grazing dairy cows is often uneconomic, and whilst supplementation with silage (buffer feeding) can be worthwhile, this often leads to a depletion of winter forage stores. In this study, a mixture of brewers grains and treated straw was used as a supplement. Offered as a 1:1 mixture in the dry matter (DM), it is a purchased substitute for grass silage, having a similar cost, and similar metabolisable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) contents. The high seasonality adjustments to milk price in mid-late season make supplementation potentially worthwhile.Experiments were carried out from April to September in 1988 and 1989, which had moderate and very low rainfall respectively. Each year 20 British Friesian cows which calved December to March (1988 experiment) and February-April (1989) were allocated at random to either treatment B or C. In B, the cows were offered a 1:1 mixture (DM basis) of brewers grains and NaOH treated chopped barley straw for 60 minutes after morning milking. In C, the cows received no supplement. Both groups were fed 1.0 kg/day of concentrates in the milking parlour. Due to the severe drought in 1989, concentrate feeding was increased to 5.0 kg/day for all cows during the last 4 weeks of the experiment. Also, urea-treated whole crop wheat was fed at a level of 2.5 kg DM/day during the last 7 days.

Acidogenicity of feeds for dairy cows. 2. Production responses

1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 206-206
Author(s):  
R.J. Dewhurst ◽  
D. Wadhwa ◽  
L.P. Borgida ◽  
D.W.R. Davies ◽  
W.J. Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Latin Squares ◽  
Standard Diet ◽  
Lactation Performance ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Holstein Friesian ◽  
Friesian Cows

Falling prices for cereals and beneficial effects on milk protein concentrations may promote greater inclusions of rapidly fermented ingredients in dairy rations. There is, however, a limit to the inclusion of these feeds into dairy rations beyond which performance declines due to sub-acidosis and related disorders. The feed compounder will need to be able to set limits on levels of feeding concentrates according to these risks. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of feeds of different acidogenicity (Wadhwa et al., 1998) on lactation performance of dairy cows offered diets based on grass- or maize-silage.Twelve multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows in the third month of lactation were used for this experiment. The experimental design involved adaptation and covariance recording on a standard diet (grass silage and 10 kg concentrates per day), followed by three 21-day experimental periods arranged as four 3x3 Latin Squares. The Latin Squares were constrained to a single forage to avoid difficulties in changeovers between grass silage and maize silage.

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