The effects of the forage preservation methods on fermentation parameters in ruminal fluid of fattening bulls

Abstract

Treatment F (inoculant) produced more and treatment A (chemical additive) produced less fermentation products compared with untreated (C) silage. Treatment A preserved more WSC and treatment F produced more lactic acid. Fattening bulls were offered silages ad libitum. When ruminal fl uid samples were analysed the number of protozoa tended to be higher with A treated silage. Rumen pH, ammonia-N, total VFA did not differ between the diets in mean values, but the proportion of acetate was signifi cantly lower (P<0.05) with F treated silage and the proportion of propionate was signifi cantly higher (P<0.01) when F and A silages were fed compared with C silage.