Investigations into the Intensive System of Grassland Management. By the Agricultural Research Staff of Imperial Chemical Industries, Limited. VII. The Digestibility and Feeding Value of Grass Silage Made in a Pit

Extract

Silage has been made satisfactorily in a pit from grass cut at the flowering stage when it was impossible to make hay. The digestibilities of all the constituents compare favourably with meadow hay with the exception of the protein which shows a depression.

The silage is richer in starch equivalent than meadow hay, if compared on a dry matter basis, and equal in digestible protein content to poor meadow hay though not to good meadow hay. It is therefore better to make grass silage when weather conditions are bad rather than attempt to make hay which, under such conditions, would be of poor quality.

The silage was used within four weeks of being made and was eaten readily by dairy cows on grass.