Comparative Feeding Value of Silages Made From Wilted and Unwilted Grass and Grass/Clover Herbage

Abstract

Silage was made from wilted and unwilted grass in May 1965, 1966 and 1967. The silage was made in sealed silos, but these were not evacuated and additives were not used. The silages were fed as follows: in 1965 to milking dairy cows and 1‐year‐old beef steers; in 1966 to steers coming into the experiment at 3, 9 and 15 months of age; in 1967 to weaned steer calves, with or without rolled barley (1 or 2 kg/head per day). In all years the silages were of high in vivo digestibility. The intake of wilted silage was higher than that of unwilted silage. There was no significant difference between the milk yields of cows fed on wilted and unwilted silage only. Liveweight gains were higher with wilted silage in 1965 and 1966, but not in 1967. In 1966 gains increased with age of animal and in 1967 gains were higher at successively higher levels of concentrate feeding.

Intake by and performance of early-weaned calves offered unwilted or wilted silage supplemented with a cereal and protein concentrate or dried grass

“…These variations were reflected also in a lack of significant difference in predicted OM digestibility between silages when offered to calves ad libitum together with supplements of cereal and protein concentrate or dried grass. Similarly, Alder et al (1969) found pre-wilting increased OM digestibility by 2-5 units (P<0-05) in one year and by 0-9 units (P>0-05) in a second year but decreased it by 3-2 units (P<0-05) in a third year. Jackson and Forbes (1970) found wilted silages were up to 5-5% lower in DM digestibility (P<0-05) than unwilted silages and Hinks, Edwards and Henderson (1976) found wilted silages were 2 to 4 percentage units lower in DM digestibility than unwilted silages, but these differences were not statistically significant.…”

“…There appears to be no consistency in the literature on the effect of pre-wilting on digestibility of resultant silages made in the United Kingdom. The effect of rapid pre-wilting on intake of silage by older calves and beef cattle is more consistent than its effect on digestibility in that it invariably leads to greater DM intakes than with silages made from unwilted herbage (Alder et al, 1969;Jackson and Forbes, 1970;Forbes and Jackson, 1971;Hinks et al, 1976). In another experiment Forbes and Jackson (1971) found pre-wilting increased slightly (0-7 units), but not significantly, DM digestibility of silage.…”

“…Jackson and Forbes (1970) found wilted silages were up to 5-5% lower in DM digestibility (P<0-05) than unwilted silages and Hinks, Edwards and Henderson (1976) found wilted silages were 2 to 4 percentage units lower in DM digestibility than unwilted silages, but these differences were not statistically significant. A greater difference in DM intake due to wilting might have been expected since Alder et al (1969) found younger animals ate proportionately more wilted than unwilted silage DM than older cattle. Similarly, Alder et al (1969) found pre-wilting increased OM digestibility by 2-5 units (P<0-05) in one year and by 0-9 units (P>0-05) in a second year but decreased it by 3-2 units (P<0-05) in a third year.…”

A survey of pasture silage making on factory supply dairy farms in the Central Waikato 1977–78

“…Unfortunately DM content of silages was not determined, but it looked to rarely exceed 25%. Dairy cows eat 19-33% more DM of wilted than nonwilted silage (Murdoch 1960: Murdoch 1962Alder et al 1969), but in the survey, pasture was never wilted specifically for this purpose and silage was never fed to appetite. Most farmers were aware that wilting was likely to improve silage quality, but did not know why or how and to what DM content pasture should be wilted.…”

Comparison of Silages Made From Grass, Grass-Legume and Corn Fed to Steers With and Without Diethylstilbestrol

“…); (2) grass-legume507o bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss), 507c alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.); and (3) corn (Z,ea The data were analyzed statistically, using standard procedures (Snedecor 1946). Comparisons among means were made using Duncan's multiple range test (Duncan 1955 Alder et al (1969) found no difference in milk yields between wilted and unwilted grass silages but found better gains by steers fed wilted silage in 2 out of 3 yr of tests.…”