THE EFFECT OF THE ADDITIVE "SILOGEN" ON THE INTAKE AND DIGESTIBILITY OF GRASS SILAGE

Abstract

A silage additive (Silogen) consisting of a dried culture of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Aspergillus oryzae was tested in a feeding trial with lactating cows and a digestibility trial with sheep, as a means of improving the conservation of nutrients during the ensiling of an orchardgrass-white clover forage. The additive did not influence the composition of the effluent nor the silage with the exception that ADIN/N was 5.4% for the treated compared to 9.0% for the control silage. Lactating cows consumed significantly (P < 0.05) less of the treated silage (10.70 vs. 12.95 kg DM/day) but produced the same amount of milk (25.2 vs. 25.0 kg/day) as the cows fed the control silage, indicative of a greater efficiency of utilization. The silage treated with the additive had a significantly higher (P < 0.05) digestibility of organic matter, acid detergent fiber and nitrogen compared to the control silage. It was concluded that the additive was effective in preserving a greater proportion of forage nutrients for utilization by the lactating cow. Key words: Silage additives, intake, digestibility, lactating cows, sheep