THE EFFECT OF ENSILING ON CROP DIGESTIBILITY

Abstract

The digestibilities of 22 herbages, and of the silages made from them, were measured with sheep: in two experiments batches of the same herbage were ensiled by several different methods. In every case the digestibilities of herbage and of the corresponding silages were found to be very similar, and no significant effect of method of ensilage on digestibility was found. The importance of using the true dry‐matter content of silages (i.e. corrected for losses of volatile constituents during drying) is emphasized; a depression in the digestibility of herbage during ensilage is likely to be estimated unless this correction is made. These experiments have shown that silage of high digestibility (>80%) can be made from highly digestible herbage; however the intakes, both of dry matter and of digestible dry matter, from such silages were found to be much lower than expected. If the potential for animal production of high digestibility in silage is to be exploited, intakes must be in‐creased; two possible measures, viz. the wilting of herbage before ensilage, and the use of high‐digestibility forages of high soluble carbohydrate contents, are discussed.