Evaluation of formic acid as an additive for lucerne silage

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Abstract
Pairs of lucerne silage stacks were made on six occasions starting spring 1970. One of each pair received formic acid at about 4 1/t. The other was untreated. The effects of formic acid on the resultant silage were assessed in terms of chemical analysis, digestibility, voluntary intake by sheep, and live-weight gain by sheep and cattle fed the silages as sole diets. Formic acid silages contained more organic matter (85.7 v. 82.6%) and digestible organic matter (56.4 v. 48.7%) and less fibre (35.9 v. 40.4%) than untreated silages, but had lower levels of ammonia (9.4 v. 24.2%), pH (4.36 v. 5.22), and total volatile fatty acids (3.1 v. 7.6%). Daily dry matter intake was: formic acid silage 62.6 and untreated silage 45.6 g/LW0.75. Daily live-weight gains on formic and untreated silages respectively were: sheep 18.8 and — 32.4 g; cattle 442 and 60 g.