Silage as feed for dairy cows. I. Survey of the literature and feeding experiments with good quality silage

Wallin, O.; Wallin, O

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Silage as feed for dairy cows. I. Survey of the literature and feeding experiments with good quality silage

Wallin, O.

Nord. Vet Med 20: 86-102 &338

1968

Accession: 014665332

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Summary

Literature on the effect of silage on production and health was reviewed (68 references). No differences were found in general condition, ruminal digestion, alkali reserve and liver status of cows fed silage as the sole roughage during a winter housing period, cows fed hay, and cows fed both silage and hay. Hay was compared with silage after indigestion had been produced by starvation along with large doses of chlortetracycline. The ruminal flora and digestion became normal within a week in both groups. Silage spoiled by exposure to air produced moderate liver injury in cows in the form of fatty liver and raised serum bilirubin and glutamic oxal-acetic transaminase. In the following year poor quality silage produced no sign of liver injury, though changes in the ruminal microbial population were reflected in increases in aerobic bacteria, haemo-lytic bacteria, coliforms, and reproductive fungoid elements.