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Ensiling Cattle Waste with Rye Straw as a Diet Supplement for Ruminants

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University^3,4,, Blacksburg 24061

Abstract

A small silo study was conducted to determine the ensiling time and the proportion of cattle waste to rye straw necessary for optimum fermentation. Feces and urine (waste) collected from cattle fed a high concentrate diet were ensiled with ground rye straw in the following proportions, wet basis; 30:70, 40:60, 50:50, 60:40 and 70:30. No reductions in soluble carbohydrate content or changes in pH and lactic acid were noted after the first week of ensiling, indicating that ensiling was complete. All total and fecal coliforms, and salmonella, shigella and proteus were destroyed in all the mixtures after 1 week of ensiling. Lactic acid content tended to increase as level of waste increased, but pH values were similar for all silages. Water soluble carbohydrate content increased with increasing levels of waste. In vitro dry matter digestibility increased linearly (P<.05) with increasing levels of cattle waste. Six diet treatments (1) basal diet, (2) 50% basal diet plus 50% ensited straw and (3-6) 50% basal diet plus 50% of four of the five mixtures of cattle waste-rye straw silages (30:70 mixture excluded) were evaluated in a sheep metabolism trial. Dry matter digestibility was higher (P<.05) for the diets containing the cattle waste-rye straw silage than for the diet containing ensiled rye straw, but lower (P<.05) than that for the basal diet. Dry matter digestibility did not differ (P>.05) among the waste silages, when calculated by difference, but was higher (P<.05) than that for the ensiled rye straw alone. N retention was negative for all sheep except those fed the basal diet.

¹ Present address: R. D. #2, Spring Mills, PA 16875.

² Present address: Dept. of Anim. Sci., Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins 80523.

³ Dept. of Anim. Sci.

⁴ Supported by a grant-in-aid from the John Lee Pratt Animal Nutrition Program at Virginia Polytechnic Inst, and State Univ., Blacksburg 24061.