A COMPARISON OF ADDITIVES FOR SILAGE FOR DAIRY COWS

Derasyl (a dried preparation of lactobacilli, amylase and cellulose enzymes) plus milled barley was compared with 85% formic acid as an additive for silage for dairy cows. An unwilted silage ensiled without an additive was used as a control. The silages were fed to 3 groups of 11 spring-calving cows in early lactation, supplemented with 5 kg of a barley soyabean meal concentrate per day. The quality of preservation in the silages was as follows: Control: pH, 4.76; VN-% TN, 24.7; Derasyl: pH, 4.40; VN-Vo TN, 16.8; Formic acid: pH, 3.91; VN-% TN, 9.7. Silage dry-matter intake was highest on the formic-acid silage (8.63 kg/d) but was not significantly different between treatments (7.95 kg/d for control and 7.88 kg/d for Derasyl). The formic-acid silage resulted in a significantly higher milk yield (18.5 kg/d) tfian the control silage (17.3 kg/d). The Derasyl silage had an intermediate milk yield (18.1 kg/d) which was not significantly different from either of the other treatments. Milk composition was similar on all treatments.