Comparison of Feeding Value of Corn and Grain Sorghum Silages on the Basis of Milk Production and Digestibility

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Abstract
Eighteen dairy cows were used to compare the feeding value of three silages, a combine-type (RS610), a forage-type (Regular Hegari) grain sorghum, and corn. The average daily silage dry matter consumption was significantly greater for RS610 than for corn or Hegari. There was no significant difference in average daily 4% fat-corrected-milk production between cows fed Rs610 and corn. Both supported a higher level of production than Hegari. The cows fed RS610 and those fed corn silage increased in body weight during the trial. The difference was significant in favor of the RS610-fed cows. The cows fed Hegari had a slight dally body weight loss. The digestion coefficients for dry matter and gross energy were greater for the corn silage than for either of the sorghum silages. The crude protein of the corn and RS610 silages was more digestible than that of the Hegari. This study agrees with previous work indicating that forage-type grain sorghums do not support as high a level of milk production as excellent corn silage. The study also indicates that combine-type grain sorghum RS610 was not significantly different from excellent corn silage in supporting milk production.