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PubMed2002

Ryegrass or alfalfa silage as the dietary forage for lactating dairy cows.

Renewed interest exists in using grass forages to dilute the higher crude protein (CP) and lower digestible fiber present in legumes fed to lactating dairy cows. A 3 x 3 Latin square feeding study with 4-wk periods was conducted with 24 Holstein cows to compare ryegrass silage, either untreated control or macerated (intensively conditioned) before ensiling, with alfalfa silage as the sole dietary forage. Ryegrass silages averaged [dry matter (DM) basis] 18.4% CP, 50% neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and 10% indigestible acid detergent fiber (ADF) (control) and 16.6% CP, 51% NDF, and 12% indigestible ADF (macerated). Alfalfa silage was higher in CP (21.6%) and lower in NDF (44%) but higher in indigestible ADF (26%). A lower proportion of the total N in macerated ryegrass silage was present as nonprotein N than in control ryegrass and alfalfa silages. Diets were formulated to contain 41% DM from either rye-grass silage, or 51% DM from alfalfa silage, plus high moisture corn, and protein concentrates. Diets averaged 17.5% CP and 28 to 29% NDF. The shortfall in CP on ryegrass was made up by feeding 7.6% more soybean meal. Intake and milk yields were similar on control and macerated ryegrass; however, DM intake was 8.3 kg/d greater on the alfalfa diet. Moreover, feeding the alfalfa diet increased BW gain (0.48 kg/d) and yield of milk (6.1 kg/d), FCM (6.8 kg/d), fat (0.26 kg/d), protein (0.25 kg/d), lactose (0.35 kg/d), and SNF (0.65 kg/d) versus the mean of the two ryegrass diets. Both DM efficiency (milk/DM intake) and N efficiency (milk-N/N-intake) were 27% greater, and apparent digestibility was 16% greater for DM and 53% greater for NDF and ADF, on the ryegrass diets. However, apparent digestibility of digestible ADF was greater on alfalfa (96%) than on ryegrass (average = 91%). Also, dietary energy content (estimated as net energy of lactation required for maintenance, milk yield, and weight gain) per unit of digested DM was similar for all three diets. Results of this trial indicated that, relative to ryegrass silage, feeding alfalfa silage stimulated much greater feed intake, which supported greater milk production.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed2002

Corn silage management III: effects of hybrid, maturity, and processing on nitrogen metabolism and ruminal fermentation.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of maturity and mechanical processing of two hybrids of whole plant corn silage on DM and OM digestibility, nitrogen metabolism, ruminal fermentation, and milk production and composition in lactating Holstein cows. In the first experiment, Pioneer hybrid 3845 whole plant corn was harvested at hard dough, one-third milkline, and two-thirds milkline with a theoretical length-of-cut of 6.4 mm. At each stage of maturity, corn was harvested with (1-mm roll clearance) and without (15.9-mm roll clearance) mechanical processing using a John Deere 5830 harvester with an on-board kernel processor. In the second experiment, Pioneer hybrids 3845 and Quanta were harvested at one-third milkline, two-thirds milkline, and blackline stages of maturity with and without mechanical processing. The theoretical length-of-cut was 12.7 mm. Total tract DM and OM digestibilities were lower for cows fed diets containing processed corn silage in experiment 1, and tended to be lower for cows fed diets containing unprocessed corn silage in experiment 2. Ruminal acetate concentrations were greater and ruminal propionate concentrations were lower 2 and 6 h after feeding for cows fed diets containing corn silage harvested at physiological maturity in experiment 2. This was due to decreased digestion of starch at advanced maturities in experiment 2. Ruminal pH tended to decline rapidly after feeding for cows fed hybrid Quanta (2 h) compared to hybrid 3845 (5 h) corn silage based diets. Ruminal acetate concentrations decreased and ruminal propionate concentrations increased 2 and 6 h after feeding for cows fed diets containing hybrid Quanta corn silage compared to hybrid 3845 corn silage. This was related to a greater starch concentration in the corn silage, greater starch intake, and increased rate of starch digestion for cows fed hybrid Quanta corn silage-based diets. Microbial nitrogen flow was lower and feed nitrogen flow was greater for cows fed diets containing hybrid Quanta corn silage. The lower microbial nitrogen flow was due to lower microbial nitrogen concentration and nonammonia nitrogen flow to the duodenum. Milk fat and protein concentrations had a strong quadratic relationship with forage NDF intake as a percentage of body weight. When forage NDF intake as a percentage of body weight dropped below 0.70%, there was a rapid decline in milk fat and protein concentrations.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Corn silage management: effects of hybrid, maturity, chop length, and mechanical processing on rate and extent of digestion.

Five experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of hybrid, chop length, maturity, and mechanical processing of corn silage on dry matter and nutrient disappearance in the rumen. Corn silage that had not been dried or ground was incubated in macro in situ bags (30 x 35 cm) for 8, 16, 24,48, and 96 h. Experiments la and 2 evaluated the effects of maturity and mechanical processing for two corn silage hybrids harvested at two theoretical lengths-of-cut. Experiments 3 through 5 evaluated the effects of chop length and mechanical processing for two corn silage hybrids harvested at two-thirds milkline. The hybrid with low neutral fiber (NDF) concentrations had greater dry matter and starch disappearance than the hybrid with high NDF concentrations. The effect of chop length on nutrient disappearance was variable across experiments 3 through 5. Processing improved dry matter disappearance in experiments la, 2 (two-thirds milkline and blackline), 3, 4, and 5 at the majority of ruminal incubation timepoints. Starch disappearance was greater for unprocessed corn silage in experiment la (hard dough and two-thirds milkline) and was greater for processed corn silage in experiments 2 and 5. However, there was no consistent trend in starch disappearance between processed and unprocessed corn silage in experiments 3 and 4. This can be partially explained by the high disappearance of starch (experiment 3, > or = 98% and experiment 4, > or = 94%) by 24 h of ruminal incubation. Minimal differences were detected in NDF disappearance between processed and unprocessed corn silage across maturities. In experiments 2 and 5, crude protein disappearance was improved due to processing at some incubation timepoints. Rate of dry matter, starch (one-third milkline and two-thirds milkline), and NDF disappearance tended to increase when corn silage was mechanically processed in experiment 2. Dry matter, starch, and crude protein disappearance tended to be greater for corn silage harvested at the early maturity (one-third milkline) in experiment 2 compared with advanced maturities (two-thirds milkline and blackline). Disappearance of NDF was greater at early maturities compared with advanced maturities in experiments 1a and 2. Rate of dry matter (hybrid 3845), starch, and NDF (hybrid 3845) disappearance tended to decrease as maturity advanced from one-third milkline to blackline in experiment 2. These results suggest that the macro in situ method can be used to evaluate nutrient disappearance in the rumen.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Effects of silage species and supplemental vitamin E on the oxidative stability of milk.

Two experiments were conducted to study the effects of feeding legume silages and providing supplemental vitamin E in concentrates on the oxidative stability of milk. In experiment 1, six multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows were offered 1 of 6 silage treatments in a cyclical changeover-design experiment, with four 4-wk periods. The silages were grass, red clover, white clover, alfalfa, grass and red clover mixture (50:50 on a DM basis), and grass and white clover mixture (50:50 on a DM basis). In experiment 2, 8 cows were used in a changeover-design experiment with three 4-wk periods. The 4 treatments were a factorial combination of forages (grass silage or red clover silage) and supplemental vitamin E in the form of all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (29 or 290 IU/kg of DM in the concentrate). All forages were offered ad libitum and a flat rate of concentrates (8 kg/d) was fed in both experiments. Red clover silage led to significantly higher forage intakes, milk yields, and milk protein percentage in experiment 2, which was in agreement with results from experiment 1. There was no effect of vitamin E on feed intake, milk production, or milk fat and protein percentage. Red clover silage also led to significant changes in milk fatty acid profiles, particularly increased levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Milk samples were stored at 4 degrees C and 20 degrees C and analyzed for alpha-tocopherol and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances at intervals to determine oxidative stability. Diets based on red clover and alfalfa silages were associated with more rapid loss of alpha-tocopherol and increased production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances during the storage of milk in comparison with diets based on grass silage. The increased oxidative deterioration of milk produced from cows fed red clover silage was avoided by vitamin E supplementation.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed2004

The passage of lactic acid bacteria from silage into rumen fluid, in vitro studies.

Inoculated silages sometimes improve cattle performance, possibly because of probiotic effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) silage inoculants. The cause of improved animal performance following feeding with inoculated silage is unclear. One issue in studying this phenomenon is to find out whether LAB pass from silage into the rumen fluid and survive in it. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether LAB from inoculated and uninoculated silages pass into the rumen fluid in vitro. Wheat and corn silages, uninoculated or inoculated with 1 of 10 commercial silage inoculant LAB, were prepared in glass jars. After ensiling, a 2.5-g silage sample was added to 25 mL of heat-sterilized or strained rumen fluid together with 5 g/L glucose, and incubated for 48 h at 39 degrees C. Analysis of the incubated rumen fluid included pH measurement, enumeration of LAB, and determination of lactic acid and volatile fatty acids (VFA). The pH of the rumen fluid decreased during incubation; both heat-sterilized and strained rumen fluid contained large numbers of LAB. The heat-sterilized rumen fluid contained lactic acid in addition to VFA, whereas the strained rumen fluid contained only VFA. The results indicate that LAB pass from silage samples into the rumen fluid in vitro and survive there. Their interactions with rumen microorganisms should be studied further to understand how some silage inoculant LAB exhibit probiotic effects in dairy cattle.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Corn grain endosperm type and brown midrib 3 corn silage: feeding behavior and milk yield of lactating cows.

Interactions of endosperm type of corn grain and the brown midrib 3 mutation (bm3) in corn silage on feeding behavior, productivity, energy balance, and plasma metabolites of lactating dairy cows were evaluated. Eight ruminally and duodenally cannulated cows (72 +/- 8 d in milk; mean +/- SD) were used in a duplicated 4 x 4 Latin square design experiment with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Treatments were corn grain endosperm type (floury or vitreous), and corn silage type (bm3 or isogenic control). Diets contained 26% neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and 30% starch. Floury endosperm grain decreased dry matter intake (DMI) 1.9 kg/ d compared with vitreous grain when combined with control corn silage but did not affect DMI when combined with bm3 corn silage. This interaction of treatments occurred because of changes in meal size; floury endosperm grain decreased meal size in control silage diets but increased meal size in bm3 corn silage diets. Ruminal pool sizes reflected DMI differences among diets, suggesting that ruminal fill was not the primary limitation on intake. Brown midrib 3 corn silage reduced rumination time per day and number of rumination bouts per day. Floury endosperm grain decreased 3.5% fat-corrected milk by 1.2 kg/d when combined with control silage but increased 3.5% fat-corrected milk by 2.1 kg/d when combined with bm3 corn silage. Starch and fiber digestibility interact to affect feeding behavior and milk production and production response to bm3 corn silage depends on the grain source that is fed.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Performance of lactating dairy cows fed silage from corn of varying maturities.

The deleterious effect of frost on corn harvested for silage was investigated with 30 lactating Holstein cows fed silages from corn harvested at the milk or dough stage, or after one, two, or five frosts. The fibrous components of the corn plant increased as maturity and dry matter content increased, whereas the mineral content tended to decrease. Dry matter intake and 4% fat-corrected milk increased as maturity of the silage increased up to the silage harvested after two frosts and then declined for the silage harvested after five frosts. Gross energy apparent digestibility decreased from 64.9% for milk stage silage to 60.6% for silage from corn harvested after five frosts. Partitioning of gross energy, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium provided similar increasing trends in feed intake, utilization, and milk production from milk stage silage to that harvested after two frosts, then a decline of all measurements occurred with silage harvested after five frosts. Net energy for lactation was calculated for each silage from the observed digestible energy, from a regression equation used by the provincial feed evaluation laboratories, and from a recently published summative equation; the latter method appeared best.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1989

Ammonia-treated alfalfa silage for lactating dairy cows.

Alfalfa was treated (3.3% of forage wet weight) with an aqua-NH3 (14% N) mix prior to ensiling in 2 consecutive yr. In the 1st yr, NH3-treated silage containing 30.5% DM was higher in pH, N, NH3N, acetic acid and butyric acid contents, and lower in amino acids, soluble carbohydrates, and lactic acid than two untreated silages having 32.8 and 47.5% DM. Milk composition and DM intake did not differ among treatments when these silages constituted 50% of the dietary DM and were fed to lactating cows. In situ and in vitro, but not in vivo, digestion of NDF was greater for NH3 silage. Dry matter content of NH3-treated silage in the 2nd yr was 36.1% and that of the two untreated silages was 37.8 and 54.9%. Silage N, NH3N, and acetic acid content were greater in treated silage. However, pH and butyric acid content were similar among treatments and lactic acid was greater for treated silage. Similar to findings in the 1st yr, milk production and DM intake were not different among treatments. Adding NH3 to alfalfa decreased proteolysis; however, when DM was low (30.5%), the buffering effect of NH3 apparently resulted in increased clostridial fermentation. This did not occur when silage DM was increased to 36.1%, presumably due to higher osmotic pressure. Ammonia addition enhanced fiber digestibility but had no effect on milk production.

Ammonia↗
PubMed1992

Effect of formic acid or formaldehyde treatment of alfalfa silage on nutrient utilization by dairy cows.

Third-cutting alfalfa with 37% DM was ensiled untreated or treated with either 2.8 g of formic acid/100 g of DM or .31 g of formaldehyde/100 g of DM and fed to lactating dairy cows in two experiments. Silage treated with formic acid had the lowest pH and concentrations of NPN, NH3, and total free AA. Both treatments decreased rumen in vitro protein degradability but did not affect in vitro rumen plus pepsin digestibility. In trial 1, part 1, 22 Holstein cows received a standard diet for 18 d postpartum and then were fed for 6 wk one of three diets containing 98% alfalfa silage DM. Although DMI was comparable, yields of milk, SCM, fat, protein, lactose, and SNF were higher when treated silages were fed. Plasma concentrations of branched-chain, essential, and total AA increased when formic acid-treated silage was fed. Rumen pH and concentrations of NH3 and VFA were similar for all diets. Rumen escape protein, estimated using 15N as a microbial protein marker, was increased more by formic acid than by formaldehyde treatment. In trial 1, part 2, supplementation with 4.8% fish meal increased concentration of milk protein and yields of milk, protein, lactose, and SNF. Milk urea concentration was higher on the untreated silage diet. Total tract apparent DM and N digestibilities were not affected by silage treatment, although fish meal decreased apparent DM digestibility. In trial 2, 80:20 alfalfa silage:ground corn diets were fed to 12 midlactation cows in a 3 x 3 Latin square study. Milk production was unaffected, but milk protein concentration and DMI were higher when treated silages were fed. Feeding treated silages increased plasma concentrations of branched-chain AA, essential AA, and total AA. Formaldehyde and especially formic acid treatment effectively improved utilization of nutrients in alfalfa silage by lactating dairy cows.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1994

Juice-extracted grass pellets and sodium bicarbonate for cows in midlactation fed timothy grass silage.

Eighteen midlactation Holstein cows, averaging 80 to 125 d of lactation, were used in a trial of switchback design to evaluate two timothy silages, wilted or direct-cut and treated with formic acid, and three treatments, control, NaHCO3 added at 2% of DM, or juice-extracted grass pellets replacing 30% silage DM. Cows fed direct-cut silage that had been treated with formic acid consumed more DM (19.8 vs. 18.6 kg/d) than those fed wilted silage. The DMI was also increased with NaHCO3 and grass pellet treatments. However, NaHCO3 reduced digestibility of most nutrients without affecting pH of rumen fluid or degradation of DM and NDF. Compared with wilted silage, direct-cut silage that had been treated with formic acid contained more degradable NDF (86 vs. 84.5%). Milk yield (24.9 vs. 23.6 kg/d) was higher for cows fed direct-cut than wilted silage, but 4% FCM yield remained unchanged. Addition of NaHCO3 tended to increase yields of milk and 4% FCM. Treatments did not affect milk composition. Serum urea N was higher for cows fed the direct-cut silage than for cows fed wilted silage. Silage type had more impact on feed intake and performance than did NaHCO3 or juice-extracted grass pellets.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Digestibility by dairy cows of monosaccharide components in diets containing wheat or ryegrass silages.

Digestibility by dairy cows of monosaccharide constituents in rations based on wheat or ryegrass silage as the sole roughage component was examined in this study. Six cows in early lactation were divided into two groups with similar performance data at the onset of the experiment and fed for ad libitum intake for two 28-d periods in a change-over design. Cows were fed a TMR of concentrate plus either wheat or ryegrass silage, contributing 19% of silage NDF in the TMR. Digestibilities of ration DM and total carbohydrate were 3.3 and 3.1 percentage units higher, respectively, for ryegrass than for the wheat silage. The digestibility of ration NDF was 64.1% in ryegrass silage and 49.6% in wheat silage. The trend was similar for digestibilities of NDF monosaccharide components. Ration NDF carbohydrate digestibility was 74.8% for ryegrass silage versus 59.7% for wheat silage. For both TMR, the digestibility of NDF xylose was lower than that for NDF glucose and arabinose. Based on carbohydrate digestibility, ryegrass silage can be considered to be a successful roughage alternative for wheat silage in TMR for lactating cows.

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗
PubMed1995

High oil corn as silage or grain for dairy cows during an entire lactation.

Forty-five multiparous Holstein cows were used to compare the effects of diets that contained high oil corn grain, high oil corn silage, or a combination of both. At wk 4 after calving, cows were assigned to one of four treatment in a 2 (silage type) x 2 (grain type) factorial arrangement: 1) control silage and control grain, 2) high oil silage and control grain, 3) control silage and high oil grain, or 4) high oil silage and high oil grain. Diets contained haylage, corn silage, and concentrate (25:25:50, DM basis); corn grain was 27% of dietary DM. Data were analyzed for wk 4 to 17 and wk 4 to 43 of lactation and adjusted for covariate measurements made during wk 3. During wk 4 to 43, DMI increased when high oil grain was included in the diet, but was unaffected by type of silage. During wk 4 to 43 of lactation, yields of milk, CP, and fat; percentages and yields of N components in milk; body condition score; BW; and concentrations of NEFA, glucose, BHBA, and urea N in plasma were not affected by type of silage or corn grain fed. Results were similar for wk 4 to 17, except that milk yield tended to be higher for cows fed the high oil grain, and CP content of milk was lower when high oil corn silage was in the diet. Compared with corn grain from typical hybrids, high oil grain may improve DMI and milk yield of dairy cows during early lactation.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗
PubMed1998

Effects of fiber from tropical corn and forage sorghum silages on intake, digestion, and performance of lactating dairy cows.

Tropical corn silage was compared with sorghum silage as a basal forage in the diets of high producing dairy cows. Sorghum and tropical corn silages were each included in place of ground corn at incremental concentrations in the experimental diets. Eight separate diets were fed, four diets containing each silage ranging in forage neutral detergent fiber (NDF) from approximately 25 to 31% and ranging in total NDF from approximately 41 to 45%. Diets were arranged in a 2 x 4 factorial design and were fed to lactating cows (n = 24; pretrial mean milk production = 39 kg/d; body weight = 656 kg; and days in milk = 81). As concentrations of dietary NDF increased, intake and milk production decreased linearly. The impact of dietary NDF on intake was greater for diets based on tropical corn silage than for diets based on sorghum silage. Energy intake and milk production were reduced, but cows consumed more fiber when challenged with higher dietary concentrations of fiber. The in vitro rate and extent of digestion of dietary samples were correlated with intake response. The rate of in vitro fiber digestion was slower for samples that contained tropical corn silage than for samples that contained sorghum silage. In vivo digestibility measurements were influenced by intake and dietary composition. Results of this trial indicated that sorghum silage can have equal or slightly greater nutritional value than tropical corn silage when these forages are fed at equal concentrations of dietary fiber.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1998

Biogenic amines in silage, apparent postruminal passage, and the relationship between biogenic amines and digestive function and intake by steers.

A 4 x 4 Latin square experiment was conducted to examine abomasal passage of biogenic amines in steers fed silage and their related effects on intake, digestibility, and digestive function. Thirty percent of the dry matter (DM) in the diets consisted of alfalfa forage, which was fed as either hay or silage. The DM from alfalfa silage DM was substituted at 0, 33, 67, and 100% for DM from alfalfa hay and was fed to four ruminally and abomasally cannulated steers. The roughage component of the diet constituted 50% of the DM and consisted of 60% alfalfa silage or hay and 40% tropical corn silage. The concentrate was composed mainly of ground corn. The concentrations of putrescine and cadaverine in abomasal digesta increased as alfalfa silage in the diet increased. Abomasal recovery of biogenic amines, a product of their concentration in abomasal digesta and the passage of DM through the abomasum, was negatively correlated with intake. Abomasal recovery of most amines was 5 to 20% of intake. Abomasal recovery of cadaverine was correlated with depressed intake. Total DM intake was reduced 8.3 to 25.8% as the proportion of alfalfa silage in the diet increased. Frequency of reticular contractions, intake, ruminal DM digestibility, ruminal outflow, volatile fatty acids, and total tract DM digestibility decreased in steers fed diets that contained more alfalfa silage. Ruminal fluid pH and NH3 concentration increased in steers fed more alfalfa silage; however, mass and the DM percentage of ruminal contents decreased linearly. Postprandial insulin concentrations were quadratically related to the proportion of alfalfa hay or silage in the diet. Intraruminal metabolism of biogenic amines is extensive based on the relatively low quantities recovered in abomasal digesta; however, the amounts recovered in abomasal digesta were related to intake depression and associated physiological effects.

Abomasum↗
PubMed1999

Predicting the effect of proteolysis on ruminal crude protein degradation of legume and grass silages using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy.

Two studies were conducted to assess whether routine applications of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy could predict the effects of silage proteolysis on ruminal crude protein (CP) degradation of legume and grass silages. A preliminary study was conducted to assess the effect of laboratory drying method on ruminal CP degradation of silages. Thirty legume and grass silages were freeze-, oven-, or microwave-dried and incubated in situ in the ventral rumen of three ruminally cannulated cows for 24 h. Freeze-drying was considered least likely to alter ruminal CP degradation of the silages; therefore, oven- and microwave-drying were compared using first-order regression with freeze-drying. Oven-drying for 48 h at 55 degrees C compared favorably (R2 = 0.84) with freeze-drying. Microwave-drying resulted in a large bias (2.84 g/10(-1) kg of CP) and was poorly related (R2 = 0.48) to freeze-drying. In a second study, alfalfa and timothy were cut at three maturities and allowed to wilt for 0, 10, 24, 32, 48, and 54 h. Forages were ensiled in triplicate cylindrical mini silos and allowed to ferment for 120 d. After fermentation, silages were oven-dried, ground, and scanned on a near-infrared reflectance spectrophotometer. Duplicate, dried, 2-mm ground silage samples were incubated in the ventral rumen of three ruminally cannulated cows for 24 h. Forage species, maturity, and wilting time significantly affected 24-h ruminal CP degradation of the silages. Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy accurately predicted (R2 = 0.91) 24-h ruminal CP degradation of silages. Data suggest near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy can accurately assess the effects of forage species, maturity, and wilting time (proteolysis) on 24-h ruminal CP degradation of legume and grass silages.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Identification and characterization of Enterococcus species isolated from forage crops and their influence on silage fermentation.

Forty-eight strains of lactic acid bacteria were isolated from forage crops, and their identification, characterization and influence on silage fermentation were studied. All isolates were Gram-positive, short-chain-forming, catalase-negative, and facultatively anaerobic cocci that did not produce gas from glucose, only formed L-lactic acid, and were able to grow at pH 9.6%, in 6.5% NaCl, or with 40% bile, but not below pH 4.5. These isolates were commonly isolated from forage crops, and they were divided into four groups (A, B, C, and D) according to sugar fermentation characteristics. Selected strains of FA 5, FA 27, FA 45, and FA 57 were identified as Enterococcus hirae, E. faecalis, E. casseliflavus, and E. mundtii, respectively, on the basis of DNA-DNA homology, Strains FA 5, FA 27, FA 45, and FA 57 and two strains from commercial inoculants, LC 10 (Lactobacillus casei) and LP 15 (L. plantarum), were used as additives to alfalfa and guinea grass silages. Alphalfa and guinea grass silages inoculated with LC 10, LP 15, FA 5 + LC 10, and FA 5 + LP 15-treatments in alfalfa and guinea grass silages had significantly lower pH values, contents of butyric acid and ammonia nitrogen, gas production, and dry matter losses compared with the control silage after 60 d of fermentation. However, the E. hirae FA 5, E. faecalis FA 27, E. casseliflavus FA 45, and E. mundtii FA 57-inoculated silages gave similar values to the control in both types of silage. The FA 27 + LC 10 and FA 27 + LP 15-inoculated silages did not differ in fermentation quality from LC 10 and LP 15-inoculated silages alone. The results confirmed that Enterococcus species were not able to improve silage quality.

Bacteria, Anaerobic↗
PubMed1976

[Coffee pulp and hulls. XI. Chemical characteristics of silaged coffee pulp with Napier grass (Pennisetum purpurem) and corn plant (Zea mays)].

Various physical and chemical changes that occur during the process of preparation of coffee pulp silage with the addition of molasses and forage, were identified and measured quantitatively. Three types of silage were prepared in duplicate in laboratory concrete silos, 45 cm wide and 50 cm high. The silages contained the following components: coffee pulp (EPC), pulp and Napier grass (EPCN), and pulp with corn fodder (EPCM). On a fresh basis, the last two contained equal proportions of coffee pulp and forage. Around 16% molasses were aded to all silages. Time of ensiling was 132 to 141 days. In order to determine the physical changes, the silage was weighed at the start and end of the ensiling period; the pH was determined at the end of same, and the drained liquids were measured during the experimental period. To determine the chemical changes, analyses were carried out on the various components used and on the mixtures ensiled at the start and at the end of the experimental period. The pH of the silage was 4.5, 4.3, and 3.8, and the losses of dry matter 10.6, 25.2, and 33.3% for the three types of silages, respectively. These percentages suggest that a better fermentation took place in those silages containing forages. The better fermentation of EPCN over EPC was due to the Napier grass which provided greater amounts of chemical components susceptible of fermentation than those found in coffee pulp. The quality of EPCM was superior due not only to the presence of corn fodder, which produced an effect similar to that of Napier grass, but also due to the fact that the coffee pulp used in this case contained the greater concentrations of soluble carbohydrates and lower levels of lignin than the coffee pulp used alone or with Napier grass. As a result of the fermentation process, in all three types of silage a decrease in dry matter content, of cellular contents and soluble carbohydrates was observed, as well as an increase in cellular walls and its components, and of protein. The magnitude of these changes was found to be directly related to the losses in dry matter. From the results of this research, it was concluded that the addition of forage improves the chemical characteristics of silage prepared from coffee pulp.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1999

Silage and animal health.

The process of preserving crops by fermentation in silos is under the control of the farmer to a much lesser degree compared to the level of control by the manufacturer over the production of other fermented foods, such as cheese and yoghurt. Additives designed to direct the extent and pattern of the fermentation are relatively unpopular in most countries, and their use is not guaranteed to remove the risk of undesirable components in silage. Hazards to animal health associated with silage fall into three categories: (1) undesirable micro-organisms e.g. Listeria, enterobacteria, clostridia and moulds; (2) undesirable chemicals, e.g. mycotoxins, and (3) excess acidity and other metabolic disorders. In some regions of Europe, the production of silage is discouraged or prohibited because of the risk of undesirable microbes. The princIpal risk in these areas is that of the secondary fermentation of cheese made from milk contaminated by bacterial spores, rather than a direct hazard of contaminated silage to animal health. With the possible exception of high dry matter silage conserved in large bales, respiratory hazards to animals from moulds and their spores generally are less from silage than hay. Mycotoxins and phytoestrogens may survive the ensiling period and constitute risks to animal health. Relatively little is known about the epidemiology of diseases that may be linked to undesirable chemicals and excess acidity in silage. Therefore, research is needed to define epidemiologically and mechanistically the risks to animal health and to the human food chain from silages contaminated with pathogenic bacteria and mycotoxins, and to understand more completely the relationships between the physical and chemical compositions of silage and metabolic disorders in animals.

Animal Diseases↗