Evaluation of whole corn silage for feeding lactating Saaidy ewes

Abstract EN

At Sids experimental station of ARC, 24 Saaidy ewes with average body weight of 50 + 1.0 kg, in the third suckling season were used.

Ewes were divided into four similar groups and assigned randomly in respective order to four different dietary treatments: 50% concentrate mixture (CM) + berseem hay (control ration, R1), 50% CM + 50% corn silage (CS, R2), 25% CM + 75% CS, (R3) and 100% CS, (R4).

Data revealed that as the level of corn silage increased in the ration as CP and CF contents and CP digestibility decreased and as the other nutrients contents and digestibilities increased.

Introducing corn silage in the diets improved energy values and reduced dietary protein.

The effect on milk yield and its components were not affected.

The only exception that such parameters decreased with the diet contained 50 % CM and 50 % CS.

Feed intake values was affected by feeding allowances used.

The economical evaluation tended to improve by increasing corn silage level in the ration.

In other words the use of corn silage as a sole feed is better than the other rations that contained the CM.