Productive performance and milk composition of dairy ewes supplemented with corn silage (Zea mays L.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus) silage and their mixture

Abstract The work reported in the Research Communication investigated in vitro rumen gas kinetics and fermentation profile as well as in vivo performance of lactating ewes fed corn silage (CS), sunflower silage (SFS) and their 50 : 50 mixture (CS-SFS). For the in vivo experiment, nine early-lactation Suffolk × Texel ewes were grouped in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design of three 21-d periods. Treatments were based on ad libitum CS, SFS, and CS-SFS supplemented with concentrate at 48 g/kg LW 0.75 . In vitro results showed that the CS had the highest dry matter degraded substrate and microbial crude protein production followed by CS-SFS. The in vivo data showed that animals fed on CS had higher digestibility of dry matter and organic matter than CS-SFS, while SFS were intermediate. Nitrogen (N) intake, fecal N excretion, and urine N excretion were similar between groups, however, milk N excretion was lower in SFS than CS. Milk yield was higher for CS and CS-SFS than SFS group, however, SFS-fed ewes had higher milk fat content than either CS or CS-SFS (all differences reported here were significant, P < 0.05 or better). Overall, CS-SFS could be used as dietary roughage for dairy ewes without deleterious effects on nutrient intake, N-balance and milk yield whilst potentially offering a more sustainable alternative to CS.