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Oatlage versus Oats, Barley, and Wheat Combination Silages for Dairy Cattle¹

Dairy Science Department, South Dakota State University, Brookings 57007

ABSTRACT

Oats and a mixture of oats, barley, and wheat were grown on comparable plots and harvested in early dough stage as silage in each of 2 yr. Low moisture oat silage (oatlage) yielded 8533 and 7490 kg dry matter per ha in 2 yr compared to 9206 and 8004 kg for oats, barley, and wheat silage. Chemical composition of oatlage and silage were similar despite yearly variations. The silages were fed to 16 and 20 lactating cows in yr 1 and 2, respectively, to four steers for a digestion trial in year 1, and to 20 heifers in yr 2. Cows and heifers consumed more dry matter from silage than from oatlage. Milk production was higher when cows were fed silage than when they were fed oatlage in yr 1 (18.5 versus 19.3 kg/day) but was not different in yr 2 (19.9 versus 19.9 kg/day). Milk composition was not affected in either year. Digestibilities by steers and growth rates by heifers were similar when they were fed either oatlage or mixed silage.

¹ Published with approval of the Director, South Dakota State Agricultural Experiment Station as Pub. No. 1472 of Journal Series.

² Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs 06268.