Prediction of Dry Matter Digestibility in Cattle Given Corn Silage-Alfalfa Hay Diets with an Improved Method for Analyzing Acid Detergent Lignins as Internal Markers

Two studies were conducted with the objective of evaluating the effects of feeding different levels of whey ensiled with wheat straw and wheat middlings (whey silage) compared to control diets on production parameters in growing cattle. Whey silage was included in diets at 55 and 65.5% on a dry matter basis with net energy for maintenance and crude protein calculated to be similar to control diets containing a combination of alfalfa hay, corn silage and wheat middlings at 1.74 Mcal kg-1 and 13.4%, respectively. Dry matter intake averaged 8.41 versus 8.91 kg d-1 (P < 0.05) and 8.68 versus 7.09 kg d-1 (P < 0.05) when whey silage was included at either 55 or 65.5% of the diets compared to the control diets. Average daily gains of cattle fed whey silage incorporated at 55% was 1.00 versus 1.14 kg d-1 (P < 0.05), and reflected the difference in dry matter intake; no differences (P > 0.05) in feed efficiency (8.73:1 versus 8.71:1) were observed. However, the higher dry matter intake (DMI) of cattle fed diets with whey silage incorporated at 65.5% did not (P > 0.05) translate into higher average daily gain (1.23 versus 1.18 kg d-1), resulting in a higher (P < 0.05) feed to gain (7.00:1 versus 6.01:1) for the whey-based silage diets. Incorporation of whey silage in diets at 55% increased (P > 0.05) the dry matter digestibility by 12%, whereas incorporation at 65.5% decreased (P < 0.05) dry matter digestibility by 12% compared to control diets, with no differences (P > 0.05) in percent neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) at either level. We conclude that whey silage can be included at between 55 and 65.5% of the total dry matter in diets with no adverse effects on production compared to cattle fed diets containing a combination of alfalfa hay, corn silage and wheat middlings. Key words: Agricultural by products, crop residues, digestibility, growing cattle, production, whey silage

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Chemical characteristics, aerobic stability, and microbiological counts in corn silage re-ensiled with bacterial inoculant

Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira ◽

10.1590/s0100-204x2018000900008 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 53 (9) ◽

pp. 1045-1052

Author(s):

Mateus Merlo Coelho ◽

Lúcio Carlos Gonçalves ◽

José Avelino Santos Rodrigues ◽

Kelly Moura Keller ◽

Gustavo Vinícius de Souza dos Anjos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Crude Protein ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Nutritive Value ◽

Corn Silage ◽

Neutral Detergent Fiber ◽

Dry Matter Digestibility ◽

Aerobic Stability ◽

Whole Plant

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of re-ensiling and bacterial inoculation on the quality of corn silage. The experiment was carried out in a 2x2 factorial design with or without inoculant (association of Lactobacillus plantarum and Propionibacterium acidipropionici), and with re-ensiling after 36 hours of aerobic exposure or only ensiling of the whole plant of 'BRS 1055' corn. The fermentative quality, nutritional parameters, dry matter losses, aerobic stability, and microbiological counts of silages were evaluated. Re-ensiling caused an increase of pH and in acetic acid and propionic acid concentrations, as well as in the dry matter (DM), crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber crude protein contents. Conversely, there was a reduction in the nonfiber carbohydrates concentration and in in vitro dry matter digestibility for the re-ensiled material. All changes were explained by the higher-effluent production and DM loss of re-ensiled material that was subjected to two compactions. Microbiology was not altered by the treatments. The use of inoculant altered ash content, but it did not influence other parameters. In contrast, re-ensiling after 36 hours of aerobic exposure caused a reduction in the nutritive value of corn silage and accentuated the DM losses.

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EVALUATION OF THE TWO-STAGE TECHNIQUE FOR THE IN VITRO ESTIMATION OF THE DRY MATTER DIGESTIBILITY OF CORN SILAGE

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.4141/cjas80-046 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 60 (2) ◽

pp. 367-378 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

R. J. BOILA ◽

J. D. ERFLE ◽

F. D. SAUER

Keyword(s):

Dry Matter ◽

Rumen Fluid ◽

Corn Silage ◽

Two Stage ◽

Dry Matter Digestibility ◽

Number Of Bacteria ◽

Incubation Tube

The two-stage Tilley and Terry technique (incubation with rumen fluid followed by an acid-pepsin digest), used to estimate dry matter (DM) digestibility of forages in vitro, was evaluated with oven-dried corn silage as a substrate. The effect of weight of substrate (100–3000 mg), continuous shaking of incubations for the period of incubation with rumen fluid, number of bacteria present in the inoculum, and the contribution of bacterial dry matter to residual feed DM was measured. Percent dry matter digested decreased linearly as weight of substrate per incubation tube increased. Continuous shaking, as opposed to intermittent mixing (twice daily) during incubation with rumen fluid, increased the rate of DM disappearance and resulted in higher digestibility coefficients. Both the volume of inoculum and the number of bacteria present in that volume of inoculum influenced the percent DM digested. Bacteria contribute weight to residual feed DM unless steps are taken to remove them by centrifugation or solubilization.

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Combination of long-chain alcohols and fatty acids with alkanes as faecal markers to estimate feed intake and digestibility in horses and cattle fed on grass-heathland vegetation communities

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1139/cjas-2015-0071 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 96 (2) ◽

pp. 221-231 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Carlos López López ◽

Rafael Celaya ◽

Ana Sofia Santos ◽

Miguel A.M. Rodrigues ◽

Koldo Osoro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Diet Composition ◽

Calluna Vulgaris ◽

Long Chain Fatty Acids ◽

Dry Matter Digestibility ◽

Naturally Occurring ◽

Heathland Vegetation ◽

Internal Markers ◽

Long Chain

Application of long-chain alcohols (LCOH) and long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) combined with alkanes as faecal markers to estimate dry matter intake (DMI) and dry matter digestibility (DMD) of equines and cattle was assessed. Six crossbred mares, randomly divided in two groups (H1 and H2), and three nonlactating cows (C) were housed in individual stalls. Groups H1 and C were fed on a diet of ryegrass (Lolium perenne, 0.7) and heather (Erica spp., Calluna vulgaris, 0.3), and H2 received ryegrass (0.4), heather (0.3) and gorse (Ulex gallii, 0.3). Digestibility was estimated using LCOH (C28-OH and C30-OH) and LCFA (C28-FA, C30-FA, and C32-FA) as internal markers. For DMI estimation, animals received daily a paper pellet containing C24, C32, and C36n-alkanes. Intake was estimated from the faecal ratio of naturally occurring LCOH, LCFA, and dosed n-alkanes, and was compared with the known DMI values. In horses, all markers provided accurate estimates of DMD. Similarly, LCOH provided accurate estimates of DMD in cattle, whereas LCFA underestimated it (P < 0.05). Intake estimates were affected (P < 0.05) by the marker pair used in calculations. In general, the C24:C24-FA pair provided the most accurate DMI estimates. Results suggest the usefulness of combining epicuticular compounds as faecal markers to estimate DMI, DMD and diet composition of horses and cattle grazing grass-heathland communities, simultaneously.

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Effect of different double-sided plastic films on chemical and fermentation characteristics of corn silage

Ciência Animal Brasileira ◽

10.1590/1809-6891v22e-66770 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 ◽

Author(s):

Fernando Braga Cristo ◽

Mikael Neumann ◽

Fernando de Souza Sidor ◽

Maria Eduarda Cozechen Seller ◽

Daniel Corrêa Plodoviski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Experimental Design ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Corn Silage ◽

Plastic Films ◽

Dry Matter Digestibility ◽

Aerobic Stability ◽

Randomized Experimental Design ◽

Polyamide Film

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of different double-sided plastic films on chemical and fermentation characteristics, dry matter digestibility, aerobic stability, physical and dry matter losses in corn silages stored in bunker silos. This was a completely randomized experimental design consisting of three treatments: DF110µm - double-sided polyethylene with 110 µm thickness; DF200µm - double-sided polyethylene with 200 µm thickness; and DFBO - oxygen-impermeable film consisted of double-sided polyethylene with 80 µm thickness overlaid with a translucent vacuum polyamide film with 20 µm thickness. The use of DF200µm film increased the ruminal dry matter digestibility by 4.58% and reduced the silage temperature by 3.1 °C, as well as the physical losses of the corn silage were reduced by 118.9 g kg-1 DM using DFBO and 95 g kg-1 DM with DF200µm; DFBO resulted in the highest aerobic stability (127 hours) of corn silage. The use of DF200µm and DFBO is recommended for preserving corn silage in bunker silos.

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Gas production and dry matter degradability of diets for ruminants

BSAP Occasional Publication ◽

10.1017/s1463981500042217 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 34 ◽

pp. 21-28

Author(s):

F. Bovera ◽

S. Calabrò ◽

R. Schettini ◽

M.I. Cutrignelli ◽

F. Infascelli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chemical Composition ◽

Soybean Meal ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Starch Content ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Gas Production ◽

Corn Silage ◽

Ruminant Nutrition ◽

Alfalfa Hay ◽

Corn Grain

SummaryFour feeds widely used in ruminant nutrition (corn silage, alfalfa hay, corn grain and soybean meal) and nine diets prepared in the laboratory by thorough mixing of these four feeds in different ratios, were analysed for: chemical composition according to the Weende and Van Soest schemes. Starch content, as well as total gas production and dry matter degradability after 8, 24 and 48 hours of incubation were measured. The same parameters were calculated for the nine diets from the measurements made on each of the four components (i.e. estimated values). For the chemical determinations, the differences between the analytical results (real values) and the corresponding estimated values varied little and did not reach statistical significance. However, statistically significant differences (P<0.05) between real and estimated values appeared for gas production at 24 hours (48.07 vs. 44.13 ml/200mg DM) and for DM degradability after 8 hours of incubation (32.35 vs. 30.56 %). The differences in the gas production measurements were removed when Diet 1 was excluded.

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Response of common silage corn hybrids to inoculant application: fermentation profile, carbohydrate fractions, and digestibility during ensiling

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an16840 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 59 (9) ◽

pp. 1696

Author(s):

Marija Duvnjak ◽

Kristina Kljak ◽

Darko Grbeša

Keyword(s):

Lactic Acid ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Corn Silage ◽

Stable Phase ◽

Corn Hybrids ◽

Neutral Detergent Fibre ◽

Dry Matter Digestibility ◽

Fermentation Profile ◽

Silage Quality

Corn silage digestibility studies have focussed on genetically distant corn types. Conversely, silage additive studies monitored fermentation differences without discussing the subject of hybrid digestibility. How ensiling phases and additives affect silage quality in commercial corn hybrids has not been properly examined yet. As corn silage quality is a result of combined silage fermentation and digestibility characteristics, the aim of the study was to examine fermentation and digestibility responses to inoculant application in whole-plant corn silage of commercial hybrids intended for silage production in several time points during ensiling. Three corn hybrids grown under identical conditions in a split-plot field test were ensiled without inoculant application and with inoculant containing lactic acid bacteria and carbohydrate-degrading enzymes. Silages were sampled before ensiling, at the peak of the fermentation phase and during the stable phase. The fermentation profile, carbohydrate fraction, ruminal in vitro true dry matter digestibility, ruminal in vitro starch digestibility, and ruminal in vitro neutral detergent fibre digestibility were monitored. Although adding inoculant to silage improved its lactic acid production and decrease in pH, it did not affect its starch and fibre contents or their digestibility. Digestibility improved as ensiling continued, with the highest in vitro neutral detergent fibre digestibility and in vitro true dry matter digestibility values observed in the stable phase. Corn hybrids in this study differed in main fermentation characteristics, carbohydrate contents, and digestibility. These results suggest that even for commercial corn hybrids, the hybrid type is more important than inoculant for optimising silage characteristics and digestibility.

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Production of alfalfa hay under different drying methods

Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia ◽

10.1590/s1516-35982010000800008 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 39 (8) ◽

pp. 1676-1683 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Marcela Abbado Neres ◽

Deise Dalazen Castagnara ◽

Eduardo Eustáquio Mesquita ◽

Maximilliane Alavarze Zambom ◽

Leiliane Cristine de Souza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Wall ◽

Crude Protein ◽

Dry Matter ◽

In Vitro Digestibility ◽

Drying Methods ◽

Drying Process ◽

Dry Matter Digestibility ◽

Alfalfa Hay ◽

Number Of Leaves

This trial aimed at determining the dehydration curve at nine times (0, 3, 6, 9, 24, 27, 30, 33 and 46 hours after cuting of the plants); the leaf/stem ratio and number of leaves per stem in alfalfa submitted to four managements during the drying process. It was also evaluated the bromatologic composition and in vitro digestibility of the dry matter and cell wall of alfalfa hay before storage. The drying methods applied for alfalfa were the following: drying in the field until 50% DM and drying conclusion in an airy shed; drying in the field without turning; drying with only one turning and drying with two turnings. The experimental design was completely randomized with four drying methods and five replications. Leaf dehydration was faster when compared to the stems in all drying methods. Drying in the shed promoted the lesser re-hydration of the plants at night due to dew. It was also verified that alfalfa hays that remained under the sun and were turned showed the worst quality with reduction in crude protein contents and increase in NDF, ADF, NDIN and ADIN. However, in vitro dry matter digestibility and cell wall digestibility did not suffer any alteration because of the different dehydration methods (69.79 and 41.39%, respectively). There is a market fall of leaves and a reduction on the number of leaves per stem with the turnings.

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Nutritional and metabolic parameters of sheep fed with extrused roughage in comparison with corn silage

Semina Ciências Agrárias ◽

10.5433/1679-0359.2018v39n4p1795 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (4) ◽

pp. 1795

Author(s):

Karla Alves Oliveira ◽

Gilberto De Lima Macedo Junior ◽

Simone Pedro da Silva ◽

Carolina Moreira Araújo ◽

Laura Ferrari Monteiro Varanis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Intake ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Live Weight ◽

Corn Silage ◽

Metabolic Parameters ◽

Cholesterol Concentration ◽

Blood Collection ◽

Blood Concentrations ◽

Dry Matter Digestibility ◽

The Difference

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of extrused roughage on nutritional and metabolic parameters in sheep. Eighteen 3-year-old sheep in metabolic cages were randomly assigned to two treatments: corn silage and extruded roughage. Dry matter intake (DMI) and water intake were calculated as the difference between offered feed and orts left. Ruminal movement was assessed through auscultation of the rumen for five minutes, glycemia and other metabolites through blood collection by jugular venipuncture, and feeding behavior by observation every 5 minutes for 24 hours. DMI per animal, both as a percentage of live weight and in relation to metabolic weight, was higher for animals fed extrused roughage. The extrused roughage treatment also resulted in reduced ruminal movement and higher dry matter digestibility (DMD), glycemia and drinking water intake. Animals fed with extrused roughage reduced the time of rumination and total chewing, thus increasing ingestion, chewing and rumination efficiency. Blood concentrations of glucose and urea were higher in animals fed extrused roughage, while cholesterol concentration was lower. We conclude that the use of extrused roughage promotes improvement in the nutritional parameters of sheep by increasing DMI and DMD, and reducing chewing and rumination times, without causing disorders in energy and protein metabolism.

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Use of indigestible markers to estimate the apparent dry matter digestibility of diets containing a cocoa by-product

Semina Ciências Agrárias ◽

10.5433/1679-0359.2019v40n6p2771 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (6) ◽

pp. 2771 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mércia Regina Pereira de Figueiredo ◽

Eloisa de Oliveira Simões Saliba ◽

Geraldo Sérgio Senra Carneiro Barbosa ◽

Filipe Aguiar e Silva ◽

Andressa Nathalie Nunes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Titanium Dioxide ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Block Design ◽

Live Weight ◽

Neutral Detergent Fiber ◽

Bermuda Grass ◽

Dairy Heifers ◽

Dry Matter Digestibility ◽

Randomized Block Design ◽

Internal Markers

Fecal production and apparent dry matter digestibility (ADMD) were evaluated using external markers (chromium oxide; titanium dioxide; isolated, purified, and enriched lignin (LIPE®); and isolated, purified, and enriched lignin nanoparticles (NANOLIPE®) and internal markers (indigestible DM (IDM), indigestible neutral detergent fiber (INDF), and indigestible acid detergent fiber (IADF) in diets based on Tifton 85 bermuda grass (Cynodon sp.) hay containing different concentrations of a cocoa by-product. Sixteen crossbred (Holstein × Zebu) dairy heifers with a mean live weight of 363.00 ± 27.70 kg were evaluated and distributed in a completely randomized block design with a split-plot arrangement. The plots corresponded to the diets, which differed in the substitution of bermuda grass hay with different concentrations (0, 8, 16, and 24% of DM) of the cocoa by-product, whereas the splitplots represented the indigestible markers. Chromic oxide, LIPE®, NANOLIPE®, and INDF accurately estimated ADMD and fecal production whereas titanium dioxide, IDM, and IADF did not accurately estimate these parameters.

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