Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-9pm4c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-27T13:16:50.754Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of formic acid and a formalin and sulphuric acid mixture on the intake and digestibility of grass silage

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

W. A. McIlmoyle  and
J. C. Murdoch
W. A. McIlmoyle
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down
J. C. Murdoch
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down
Get access

Abstract

In two experiments of Latin square design the effect of additives on the ad libitum intake of direct-cut perennial ryegrass silage and its digestibility by steers was determined. The diets were offered to British Friesian castrated male cattle, mean initial live weights 386 and 368 kg for Experiments 1 and 2 respectively. In Experiment 1, untreated silage was compared with silage treated with either formic acid (‘Add-F’) or a formalin and sulphuric acid mixture (‘Sylade’) each applied at the rate of 4·5 1/tonne of fresh herbage. The silages were offered either with or without 5 kg of supplement per day. In Experiment 2, silages treated with 4·5 and 9·0 1/tonne of the formalin and sulphuric acid mixture were compared. Silage treated with 4·5 1/tonne was offered either with or without 5 kg supplement/day. In Experiment 1, the application of an additive had no significant effect on silage digestibility. Although differences were not significant, the intake of silage dry matter was higher from additive-treated silage (91·2 and 80·6 g/kg W0·73 for the formalin and sulphuric acid mixture and the formic acid respectively) than from untreated silage (78·0 g/kg W0·73). Supplementation significantly reduced (P<0·05) silage dry-matter intake and crude fibre digestibility and significantly increased (P<0·05) total dry matter and digestible energy intake. Digestible energy intake from the formalin and sulphuric acid treated silage was significantly higher (P<0·05) than that from untreated silage but differences between the additive-treated silages were not significant.

In Experiment 2, neither rate of application of the formalin and sulphuric acid mixture nor supplementation had any significant effect on intake.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 28 , Issue 2 , April 1979 , pp. 223 - 229
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1979

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Barry, T. N. and Fennessy, P. F. 1972. The effect of formaldehyde treatment on the chemical composition and nutritive value of silage. I. Chemical composition. N.Z. Jl. agric. Res. 15: 712–722.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barry, T. N. and Fennessy, P. F. 1973. Effect of formaldehyde treatment on the chemical composition and nutritive value of silage. II. Digestibility of the silages and the chemical composition of rumen fluid in sheep supplemented or not supplemented with D-L methionine. N.Z. Jl agric. Res. 16: 59–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campling, R. C. and Murdoch, J. C. 1966. The effect of concentrates on the voluntary intake of roughages by cows. J. Dairy Res. 33: 1–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Castle, M. E. and Watson, J. N. 1970. Silage and milk production, a comparison between grass silages made with and without formic acid. J. Br. Grassld Soc. 25: 65–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dewar, W. A. and McDonald, P. 1961. Determination of dry matter in silage by distillation with toluene. J. Set. Fd Agric. 12: 790–795.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ferguson, K. A., Hemsley, J. A. and Reis, P. J. 1967. The effect of protecting dietary protein from microbial degradation in the rumen. Aust. J. Sci. 30: 215–217.Google Scholar
Jackson, N. and Forbes, T. J. 1970. The voluntary intake by cattle of four silages differing in dry-matter content. Aram. Prod. 12: 591–599.Google Scholar
McIlmoyle, W. A. 1976. Effect of silage additives on the intake and performance of male calves and steers. Anim. Prod. 22: 321–328.Google Scholar
McIlmoyle, W. A. and Murdoch, J. C. 1977. The effect of dried grass and cereal-based concentrate on the voluntary intake of unwilted grass silage. Anim. Prod. 24: 227–235.Google Scholar
McLeod, D. S., Wilkins, R. J. and Raymond, W. F. 1970. The voluntary intake by sheep and cattle of silages differing in free-acid content. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 75: 311–319.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murdoch, J. C. and Rook, J. A. F. 1963. A comparison of hay and silage for milk production. J. Dairy Res. 30: 391–397.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Patterson, H. D. and Lucas, H. L. 1962. Change-over designs. Tech. Bull. N. Carol. agric. Exp. Stn, No. 147.Google Scholar
Watson, S. J. and Nash, M. J. 1960. The Conservation of Grass and Forage Crops, 2nd ed. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Wilkins, R. J., Wilson, R. F. and Cook, J. E. 1974. Restriction of fermentation during ensilage: the nutritive value of silages made with the addition of formaldehyde. Proc. 12th int. Grassld Congr., Moscow, pp. 237–253.Google Scholar
Wilkins, R. J., Wilson, R. F. and Woolford, M. K. 1974. The effects of formaldehyde on the silage fermentation. Proc. 5th Gen. Meet. European Grassld Fed., Uppsala, p. 197.Google Scholar
Wilkinson, J. M., Wilson, R. F. and Barry, T. N. 1976. Factors affecting the nutritive value of silage. Outl. Agric. 9: 3–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, R. F. and Wilkins, R. J. 1973. Formic acid as a silage additive for wet crops of cocksfoot and lucerne. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 80: 225–231.CrossRefGoogle Scholar