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The Feeding Value of Grass Silage in the Ration for Dairy Cows

Department of Animal Husbandry, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

ABSTRACT

Various combinations of molasses silage (grass, clover and alfalfa), corn silage and dry hay were fed to three groups of cows over a fifteen-week period. There was no significant difference in the production of the animals in the various groups, providing the total nutrient intake remained constant.

Molasses silage (grass, clover and alfalfa) was fed as the only roughage to eleven milking cows for twelve weeks. They maintained normal milk production and body weight. However, many of the animals were unable to consume the normal roughage nutrient intake on this diet. The decrease in nutrient consumption was compensated for by an increase in the amount of grain.

In a ten-week single reversal feeding trial, phosphoric acid silage (grass, clover and alfalfa) was found to be equal in feeding value for milk production and maintenance of body weight to molasses silage (grass, clover and alfalfa).when the grass silages were used to replace corn silage in a normal ration of corn silage, mixed hay and grain.