Farm production experiments comparing formalin-treated silage with conventional foods for wintering yearling beef cattle

摘要

Abstract Ryegrass-clover herbage was ensiled using a flail-type harvester. After 5 months' storage the silages were self-fed ad lib. by young cattle and their performance compared with that of animals wintered on conventional feeds. In Experiment 1 animals fed on untreated silage and on silage treated with a mixture of formalin + formic acid gained at 0.23 and 0.66 kg live weight per day respectively. During the subsequent 203-day post-treatment period at pasture the animals wintered on untreated silage compensated 38.6% of the winter weight gain advantage built up by the group wintered on treated silage. In Experiment 2 animals wintered on ad lib. hay, ad lib. formalin-treated silage, and restricted autumn saved pasture (ASP) gained at 0.41, 0.41, and 0.30 kg live weight per day respectively. During the following 63-day period at pasture, the animals which had been wintered on hay or silage showed a substantial reduction in live-weight gain relative to those wintered on ASP. This was no longer evident du...