Effect of Dried Poultry Excreta on Growth, Intake, and Digestion of Corn Stover Silage Diets by Yearling Dairy Heifers

Abstract

Four complete diets, 1) 88.4% whole corn plant and 11.6% dried poultry excreta, 2) 71.6% whole corn plant and 28.4% dried poultry excreta, 3) 61.0% whole corn plant, 27.9% corn stover, and 11.1% dried poultry excreta; and 4) 49.7% whole corn plant, 25.0% corn stover, and 25.3% dried poultry excreta, were stored for 45 days above ground in sealed .02cm plastic bag silos 2.4m wide×16.8m long. Resulting silages were fed ad libitum to four groups of 7 yearling Holstein heifers for 140 days. Heifers were housed in an open free stall shed and fed individually via electronic feed-gates. Average daily intakes of dry matter and body weight gains (kg) by the growth trial heifers were: 8.85, .81; 8.95, .73; 8.99, .72; and 9.58, .69, respectively. Four additional heifers were fed diets in a 4×4 Latin square digestion trial. Dry matter, energy, and crude protein digestibilities were: 66.1, 69.2, 56.6; 62.8, 69.1, 58.8; 61.6, 70.2, 54.2; and 61.1, 71.3, 62.4%, respectively. Whole corn plant diluted with 25% corn stover provides for gains equal to all corn silage diets, and there is no advantage to adding more than 11% dried poultry excreta or that amount required to provide for 12% crude protein in silage diets from whole corn plant or from whole corn plant + 25% corn stover for growing yearling dairy heifers.