The effects of forage maize and wheat and triticale whole crop silages on the performance of lactating dairy cows

Abstract
Pattersonet al. (2004, 2005) obtained positive intake and milk production responses to the inclusion of maize silage in grass silage-based diets under Northern Ireland conditions. However, fermented whole crop and high dry matter (DM) milled urea/urease-treated whole crop wheats both increased forage intake, but had no significant effect on milk production. The aim of the present study was to further investigate the milk production potential of milled high DM whole crop wheat, in both urea-treated and ‘fermented’ forms, and fermented triticale whole crop, as a partial replacement for grass silage.