Abstract
Total mixed rations (TMR) based on grass silage (GS), triticale silage (TS), mixture of GS and TS, barley silage (BS) and mixture of GS and BS were fed to fifty Hereford (HF) and fifty Charolais (CH) bulls. The proportion (g kg-1 dry matter [DM]) of the silages in the TMRs were as follows: (1) GS (600); (2) TS (600); (3) GS (300) and TS (300); (4) BS (600); (5) GS (300) and BS (300). Concentrate proportion was 400 g kg-1 DM. According to feed analyses, the GS had 15 and 8% higher metabolizable energy (ME) concentration as well as 51 and 49% higher crude protein (CP) concentration compared to TS and BS, respectively. Average DM intake (DMI) on TS and BS containing diets was higher compared to GS as a sole forage (p=0.001). Compared to the TS based rations the use of BS rations increased daily DMI by 5% (p<0.05). In CH bulls, DMI decreased 0.8 kg d-1when GS partially replaced TS or BS while in HF bulls the use of silage mixtures slightly increased DMI (0.23 kg d-1). The live weight gain (LWG) and carcass gain of the CH bulls were 5 and 26% higher, respectively, compared to the HF bulls. Inclusion of GS in the diet increased LWG and carcass gain with TS but decreased them with BS (interaction p<0.01). The experiment demonstrated lower feeding value of TS compared to BS in the diet of the bulls. Whole crop silage based rations increased DMI compared to GS as a sole forage in the TMR. When GS partially replaced TS or BS, interactions in LWG and carcass gain results demonstrated higher feeding value for BS and lower for TS compared to GS. Feeding treatments had only minor effects on carcass traits of the bulls.
Highlights
In Nordic countries most of the forages fed to growing and finishing cattle are traditionally based on ensiled mixtures of different grasses and red clover (Trifolium pratense) (Pesonen et al 2014)
The grass silage (GS) had 15 and 8% higher metabolizable energy (ME) concentration as well as 13 and 7% higher MP concentration compared to triticale silage (TS) and barley silage (BS), respectively
dry matter (DM) intake (DMI) of the CH bulls decreased when GS partly replaced whole crop silage while in HF bulls the use of silage mixtures slightly increased DMI compared to whole crop silages as a sole forage
Summary
In Nordic countries most of the forages fed to growing and finishing cattle are traditionally based on ensiled mixtures of different grasses and red clover (Trifolium pratense) (Pesonen et al 2014). Small grain cereal based whole crop silages provide an opportunity to improve efficiency of forage production for ruminants under Nordic conditions (Rustas 2009, Huuskonen and Joki-Tokola 2010, Huuskonen et al 2016). High dry matter (DM) yields at a single harvest and the potential to reduce production costs have increased the interest in using whole crop silages in cattle feeding. In Finland, barley (Hordeum vulgare) has been the dominant small grain species utilized for whole crop silage production, but oats (Avena sativa) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) are used (Huuskonen et al 2017). In a review of four experiments with finishing cattle Keady (2005) concluded that the inclusion of whole crop wheat silage in GS based diets increased forage intake by 1.4 kg DM d-1, but did not affect animal performance. On the contrary, Huuskonen (2013) reported no treatment differences in daily DMI when GS was completely replaced by whole crop barley silage
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