EVALUATION OF WEED SILAGE IN DAIRY CATTLE FEEDING IN SMALL-SCALE DAIRY SYSTEMS
Background: The use of weeds in animal feed is a common practice in Mexico. Objective: To evaluate the ensilage of grasses as forage alternatives in the feeding of cows in small-scale milk production systems. Methodology: Two grass silages were evaluated: Slg-40 with 40% mirasol and 30% barley, and...
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Published in | Tropical and subtropical agroecosystems Vol. 26; no. 3 |
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Main Authors | , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán
01.07.2023
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Background: The use of weeds in animal feed is a common practice in Mexico. Objective: To evaluate the ensilage of grasses as forage alternatives in the feeding of cows in small-scale milk production systems. Methodology: Two grass silages were evaluated: Slg-40 with 40% mirasol and 30% barley, and Slg-60 with 60% mirasol and 40% grasses and other grasses, with corn silage (Slg-Mz), supplemented with 4.1 kg MS of commercial concentrate. In a 3X3 Latin square repeated twice with 6 cows and 14-day periods. Forage chemical composition and productive response were evaluated. Results: An average content of Neutral Detergent Fibre of 650 g/kg MS, Acid Detergent Fibre of 479 g/kg MS, and Crude Protein of 62 g/kg DM were reported in the grass silages; estimated metabolizable energy levels of 7 and 8 MJ/kg DM were reported for the SLG-40 and Slg-Mz silages, respectively. In the productive response a higher fat content is reported for the Slg-40 treatment, with respect to Slg-60, for milk yield, protein, lactose, milk urea nitrogen, dry matter intake, live weight and body condition no differences were reported (p˃0.05). Implications: This work raises the use of vetch as silage in animal feeding. Conclusion: Silage of weed proved to be a feeding alternative in the face of forage shortage scenarios. |
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ISSN: | 1870-0462 |
DOI: | 10.56369/tsaes.4900 |