Abstract
Feeding value of cool season (oatlage, barley/pea, pea, oat/pea) and warm season (pearl millet and sorghum) silages for dairy heifers was determined utilizing a double cropping forage system. Cell wall and crude protein concentrations were inverse due to delayed harvesting of cool season forages. Cell wall content increased 20.6 percentage units and crude protein decreased 7.0 percentage units between June 22 and July 6, 1983, as oat/pea silage advanced from early head to early dough stage. Average dry matter yield was lowest for sorghum and highest for oat/pea silage. Holstein heifers offered pea silage had greater dry matter consumption (2.6% of body weight) and higher dry matter digestibility (64.8%) than from the other silages. However, heifers consumed more dry matter of warm season forages.Acid detergent lignin concentrations in double crop forages had a higher correlation with dry matter digestibility than dry matter intake while neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and crude protein content were better correlated with dry matter intake than dry matter digestibility. Heifers fed warm season forages had higher molar percentages of acetate but had lower molar percentages of propionate, butyrate, and valerate compared with cool season forages. Acetate-to-propionate ratio was similar between pearl millet and sorghum silage.
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