The effect of date of cut and barley substitution on gain and on the efficiency of utilization of grass silage by growing cattle

• Published in: British journal of nutrition 1988-09, Vol.60 (2), p.297-306
• Main Authors: Thomas, C., Gibbs, B. G., Beever, D. E., Thurnham, B. R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: General Nutrition papers
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1079/BJN19880101

1. A primary growth of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) was cut early or late to produce silages of high and low digestibility. The crops were wilted for 2–4 h and preserved with formic acid at 2.4 litres/t fresh weight. The resulting silages were well preserved with a pH of 3.9 and 3.8, lactic acid content of 108 and 73 g/kg dry matter (DM) and total nitrogen content of 24.6 and 18.4 g/kg DM for early- and late-cut silage respectively. 2. Forty-two British Friesian male castrates (steers) initially 12 months of age and 305 kg live weight (LW) were used, of which ten were slaughtered at the start of the experiment. The remaining steers were divided into four groups of eight animals and were given the early-cut silage alone (H) or the late-cut silage alone (L) or with barley at either 280 (LCI) or 560 (LC2) g DM/kg total DM. The intake of total DM was restricted to a daily allowance of 18 g DM/kg LW and the steers were slaughtered in two groups after 119 and 140 d on experiment. 3. Both earlier cutting of herbage and substitution of late-cut silage with barley significantly (P