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Microbial Inoculation of Alfalfa Haylage: Ensiling Characteristics and Milk Production Response When Fed to Early Lactation Dairy Cows¹

Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan 84322-4815

ABSTRACT

Third-cutting alfalfa hay harvested at bud stage and wilted to approximately 65% moisture was treated with a live bacterial inoculant at the rate of 300,000 cfu/g fresh alfalfa. Treated alfalfa was packed in polyethylene bags. Samples were taken at time of ensiling and d 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 28 postensiling. Mean pH was lower in the treated haylage (5.09 and 5.71 for treatment and control, respectively). Mean temperatures were higher in the treated haylage (30.0 and 28.0°C for treatment and control, respectively). Mold count, water-soluble carbohydrate, alpha amino nitrogen, CP, and ADF were not affected by treatment. Regardless of treatment, pH, mold counts, and water-soluble carbohydrates declined with time. There was no significant difference between treatments for DM intake, milk production, and milk composition.

¹ Supported in part by a grant from Quali Tech, Inc.

² Reprint requests should be sent to this author. This paper is published with the approval of the Director, Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, as Journal Paper Number 3694.