Energy supplementation of maize silage harvested at different maturity stages

Abstract

Trials were carried out in order to define the most convenient harvest stage for maize silage and high moisture grain used in the fattening of young bulls. The best results were obtained with the riper forage (harvested at 39% DM content) in an all-maize silage ration, i.e. without the addition of concentrates. Earlier harvests (24% and 28% DM) gave rations with a higher feed efficiency of the DM but were not feasible because of the lower crop yield and the higher feeding costs. This trend proves that, within the limits of the maturity stages considered in our trials, the crop yield is the most important factor. The addition of concentrates (1% LW per day) improved the animals' performance (daily gain, dressing %, feed efficiency), but increased the ration's cost and reduced the number of head/ha which could be fed. On the whole, the effect of concentrates was indirectly correlated with the stage of maturity of the crop, improving the technical results obtained with early and regular maize silage and reducing those obtained with ripe forage. The comparison between dry maize meal and high moisture grain shows similar technical results for these two forms of supplement.