Intake, rumen fermentation and plasma metabolites in beef cattle offered grass silage, maize silage, fermented whole crop wheat and alkalage

Extract

Grass silage can be less attractive as a ruminant feedstuff when compared to alternative forages due to relatively modest yields obtained in a single harvest, variability in digestibility and ensilability, coupled with ever increasing costs of production and effluent management. The composition of feeds consumed differs markedly from the nutrients available for metabolism due to the modifications caused by microbial fermentation in the rumen. Volatile fatty acids produced in the rumen as a result of the fermentation of feed are the major source of energy supplied to the ruminant. The objectives of this experiment were to determine the effect of alternative forages on intake, rumen fermentation and plasma metabolites in beef cattle.