The fermentation of rehydrated corn grain influenced by additives application: aspects of conservation and nutritive value for cows

Abstract

Rehydrated corn grain silage may be an attractive and cost-effective storage strategy, and provide gains in starch digestibility. Most of the scientific reports on this technique focuses exclusively as a grain processing method, so that basic aspects of the fermentation process, the application of additives and responses in animal performance need to be studied interconnected to a better characterization of this feed. The main of this work is to determine: i. The effect of non-application of additives on the rehydrated corn silage, compared to the use of Lactobacillus buchneri at a dose of 5 × 105 cfu / g of fresh matter (FM), Lactobacillus plantarum at a dose of 5 × 105 cfu / g FM, L . + buchneri, L. plantarum (Combo) both at the dose of 5 × 105 cfu / g FM, L. buchneri plus sodium nitrite (1.5 g / kg FM) and sodium benzoate at a dose 2.0 g / kg FM, about aspects of fermentation and aerobic stability of experimental silages. ii. Assess the nutritional value of rehydrated corn grain silages with or without the additive that showed the best performance in the previous phase for confined dairy cows . As experimental silos will be used plastic buckets with capacity of 6 L and the treatments wil be analyzed in a randomized escheme with 4 replications. To study the animal performance , silages with or without additive will be produced in drums with capacity of 200 L and their nutritional value contrasted with dry ground corn (the same grain origin), using 18 lactating Holstein dairy cows (average of 30 kg milk / day) allocated in six Latin squares 3 × 3. The intake, feeding behavior, production and milk composition will be evaluated.