Control of ensiling losses, performance and nutrient digestion of beef cattle fed with rations containing Tanzania grass silage

Author(s)

Solidete de Fátima Paziani

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Piracicaba.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC)
• Defense date: 2004-10-22

Examining board members

Luiz Gustavo Nussio; Telma Teresinha Berchielli; Odilon Gomes Pereira; Alexandre Vaz Pires; Ricardo Andrade Reis

• Advisor: Luiz Gustavo Nussio

Abstract

The present trial aimed to study the effect of dry matter content (DM), particle size and bacterial inoculant on the chemical-physical composition and conservation losses of Tanzania grass silage (Panicum maximum, Jacq. cv. Tanzânia), as well evaluated the ingestive behavior, nutrient digestion and performance of beef cattle. The experiment I analyzed the effects of treatments on silage fermentation and losses. DM recovery rate, effluent and gases losses were 90.58%; 53.66 kg.t wet forage-1 and 6.40% DM for wet silages, 93.62%; 16.81 kg.t wet forage-1 and 4.97% for millet added silages and 92.19%; 3.55 kg.t wet forage-1 and 6.16% for wilted silages, respectivelly. DM content influenced wet and dry silo bulk densities, resulting in 346 and 105 kg.m-3 for wilted silages, 454 and 144 kg.m-3 for millet aded silages and 442 and 97 kg.m-3 for wet silages, respectivelly. Bacterial inoculant led to a lower DM recovery and did not alter either CP content or the ammonia yield in the silages. Pearl millet addition determined lower fiber content in the silages (NDF, ADF, CEL and HEMI) due dilution effect. The experiment II acessed the ingestive behavior and nutrient digestion of Nellore beef steers ruminally and duodenally cannulated fed 87% silage TMR diets. The DM (61.4%), ADF (59.7%), CP (43.9%) and NDF (60.3%) total digestibilities, and the intestinal digestibilities for DM (5.9%), NDF (3.0%) and ADF (4.4%), ingestive behavior, in situ degradability, ruminal passage rate of solid and liquid phases (2,4% and 3,2% hour -1), and the mean DM intake (1,1% BW) were not significantly changed by treatments. Experiment III evaluated the effect of treatments on physical parameters and unloading losses of Tanzania grass silage, DM intake (DMI), performance (BWG) and feed conversion (FC) of Nellore heifers fed TMR containig grass silagen. By reducing the particle size no changes were observed neither in DM (DMD) and wet silo bulk (WD) nor on the unloading losses of silages (P=0.60). The forage wilting tended to reduce WD (460 kg.m-3), but did not changed the DMD, due to the compensatory higher DM content. However, wilting increased losses when compared to the addition of pearl millet (29.1 vs 17.9%). The addition of bacterial inoculant showed a trend (P=0.09) for increased losses. No significantlly differences were observed for the treatments in the DMI (2.4% BW), BWG (1.03 kg.animal.d-1) and FC (7.91 kg DM.kg BWG-1). The ensiling strategies established in Tanzânia grass silages did not result in significant changes neither in DMR nor in ingestive, digestive and animal performance parameters. According to the observed trend it might be concluded that the strategies adopted during the ensiling of Tanzania grass will be dependent on operational and costs restrictions. Some of these data are in conflict with the updated literature and because of this it might be suggested a decision based on the overall control of losses from the forage harvesting stage through the animal performance. (AU)