Feeding Value for Fattening Cattle of Corn Silages Treated to Increase their Content of Organic Acids

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Abstract
The addition of approximately 0.5% each of high calcium, ground limestone and urea to whole-plant chopped corn at the time of ensiling increased the lactic acid content of the resultant silage by 78% on a dry basis. Treated and untreated silages were fed with soybean oil meal, alfalfa hay, minerals and dry, ground ear-corn to triplicate lots of growing-fattening heifers for 224 days. Heifers fed the treated silage gained significantly faster and required significantly less feed per cwt. gain than those fed the untreated silage. Ear-corn, 40.6% moisture, was artificially dried, ensiled without treatment or ensiled with 1% high calcium, ground limestone and approximately 6% additional water. When fed, the treated silage contained 125% more lactic acid than the control silage. The two silages and dry corn were fed to triplicate lots of growing, fattening steers for 224 days. Steers fed the treated silage gained at a faster rate, required less feed per cwt. gain, had a higher dressing percentage and graded higher than steers fed the untreated silage or dry ear-corn. These differences were all statistically significant. Dry matter losses during storage and feeding were 16.8, 16.5 and 12.6% for the treated silage, untreated silage and dry ear-corn, respectively. Copyright © . .

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