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Click on “Download PDF” for the PDF version or on the title for the HTML version. If you are not an ASABE member or if your employer has not arranged for access to the full-text, Click here for options. Optimizing Utilization of Corn Silage Nutrients Through Improved HarvestPublished by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org Citation: Paper number 051053, 2005 ASAE Annual Meeting . (doi: 10.13031/2013.18839) @2005Authors: M.J. Vassallo, D.R. Buckmaster, A.J. Heinrichs, G.I. Zanton Keywords: maize, corn, silage, whole-plant, utilization, upward cutting, shredding A corn silage-shredding harvester was modified to improve crop throughput. A new spout was constructed and several components were added throughout the harvester. A corn field was harvested using the shredding harvester and a corn chopper. Three treatments of corn silage were collected: shredded (SCS), 0.008 m (0.313 in) theoretical length of cut (TLC) chopped (CCS), and 0.019 m (0.750 in) TLC chopped with roll processing (CPS). A nine-week feeding trial was conducted with six lactating dairy cattle. Some of the results compared SCS to CCS or CPS; other comparisons were made with CCS and CPS combined (BCS). The results of the experiment show that DMI of SCS and BCS was indifferent (p < 0.05). Chewing time for cows consuming SCS increased almost 5% and long particle consumption increased 485% over BCS (p < 0.05). The variance for rumen pH was lower with SCS, but not significantly lower than the rumen pH variance for the CCS or CPS rations (p < 0.05). Finally, there was no significant difference between milk fat and protein levels for the different treatments (p < 0.05). Consequently, SCS allowed cows to eat greater amounts of long particles and increase chewing activity without sacrificing DMI, milk production, or milk quality. (Download PDF) (Export to EndNotes)
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