Year: 1973
Type: article
Abstract: First growth direct-cut grass-legttme forage from a common source was ensiled without treatment or with .12%formaldehyde plus .14%formic acid.The two si-]ages were fed ad libitum as the sole ration for 74 days to 30 dairy heifers paired by body weight.Digestibilities and nitrogen balance were determined with four other heifers fed in a 4 X 4 Latin square with each silage fed ad libitum and near maintenance.Energy recovery from storage was improved by treatment (90 versus 85%).Treatment improved hot water insoluble nitrogen recovery from storage (94 versus 68%) but allowed nearly as much total acid production (10.1 versus 11.2% dry matter) as control stage.Nitrogen digestibility was slightly depressed (63.1 versus 65.1%) by treating, but daily nitrogen retention was significantly increased (31.3 versus 25.7 grams).Daily digestible energy intakes were improved by treatment (285 versus 256 kilocalories per ldlogramsa/~) as were daily gains (750 versus 643 grams).Formaldehyde at this concentration almost stopped nitrogen degradation in silage fermentation and aided protein by-pass through the rumen to produce more nitrogen retention.In our first experiment, a treatment costing about $5 per ton of dry matter produced results as good as the average for 10 experiments applying formic acid costing about $10 per ton.
Source: Journal of Dairy Science
Authors: D.R. Waldo, J.E. Keys, C.H. Gordon
Language: English
Subfield: Animal Science and Zoology
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2017729496