The Quality, Intake, and Digestibility of Virginia Fanpetals (<i>Sida</i> <i>hermaphrodita</i> L. Rusby) Silage Produced under Different Technologies and Its Effect on the Performance of Young Cattle
Cezary Purwin,
Maciej Starczewski,
Marta Borsuk,
Zenon Nogalski,
Paulina M. Opyd,
Magdalena Mazur-Kuśnirek,
Ireneusz Białobrzewski
Affiliations
Cezary Purwin
Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 5, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Maciej Starczewski
Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 5, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Marta Borsuk
Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 5, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Zenon Nogalski
Department of Cattle Breeding and Milk Evaluation, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 5, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Paulina M. Opyd
Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 5, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Magdalena Mazur-Kuśnirek
Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 5, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Ireneusz Białobrzewski
Department of Systems Engineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Heweliusza 14, 10-718 Olsztyn, Poland
Different harvesting and preservation methods of Virginia fanpetals herbage were evaluated, based on the chemical composition and digestible organic matter (OM) content (D-value) of silage fed to adult sheep, the intake and digestibility of silage, and the performance of young cattle. The following harvesting methods were compared: direct-cut harvesting with a precision-cut forage harvester (DC), harvesting after field wilting with a precision-cut forage harvester (WC) or a round baler (WRB). The silage was fed for 81 days to 24 Polish Holstein Friesian (HF) bulls, as the sole forage supplemented with 3.0 kg of concentrate/head/day. Harvesting methods affected the density (p p = 0.047). Differences were found among the groups in the digestibility coefficients of OM (DC-73.7, WC-78.9, WRB-79.9%) (p = 0.007), and crude protein (CP) (69.8%, 77.1%, 78.5%, respectively) (p p p = 0.08). The highest-quality silage was produced in group WC, and it could be successfully fed to growing bulls as the sole forage.
