<b>Intake behavior and nutrient digestion of beef cattle fed with grass silage</b> - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v31i4.5782

Abstract

The main objective was to study the effect of dry matter content, the addition of bacterial inoculant and particle size reduction on Tanzania grass (Panicum maximum) silage on digestive parameters. Seven ruminally cannulated Nellore beef steers were randomly assigned to a 7 x 7 Latin Square design. Treatments were described as follows: T1: wet forage + small particle; T2: T1 + inoculant; T4: wilting + large particle; T3: T4 + inoculant; T6: wet forage + large particle; T5: T6 + inoculant; T7: T6 + ground pearl millet grain. The ruminal passage rate of solid (2.35% h^-1) and liquid (3.17% h^-1) phases were similar across treatments. The animal intake behavior was not significantly changed by treatments, averaging 293 (minutes d^-1) and 68 (minutes DM kg^-1) for time and rate of eating, respectively. For rumination and chewing, the mean values observed were 432 (minutes d^-1), 102 (minutes DM kg^-1) and 725 (minutes d^-1), 170 (minutes DM kg^-1), respectively. No significant differences were observed for the DM (61.40%), ADF (59.69%), CP (43.93%) and NDF (60.34%) digestibilities. The mean DM intake (1.1% BW) was not different among treatments. It was concluded that the strategies adopted during the ensiling of Tanzania grass did not result in significant changes on the parameters.