Influence of lactic acid bacteria as inoculant in corn silage on digestibility of crude nutrients and performance of dairy cows

Corn of the variety Noveta was harvested with a dry matter content of about 33% and ensiled without or with lactic acid bacteria (10(5) cfu Lactobacillus plantarum per g fresh matter). Digestibility and energy concentration of both silages were determined in digestion experiments with four male castrated sheep each. 30 lactating cows (lactation stage: 50 days on average; initial body weight: 630 kg per animal) consumed untreated and treated silage ad lib. apart from concentrates for 112 days. Silage additive did not significantly influence digestibility of organic matter (73.8 and 73.1%), crude nutrients and energy concentration (6.5 and 6.4 MJ NEL/kg DM for untreated respectively treated silage). There were no differences in dry matter intake of cows (total: 20.83 and 20.82 kg per day; corn silage: 13.09 and 13.05 kg per day), daily milk performance (27.3 kg each) and in milk composition (fat: 4.33 and 4.39%; protein: 3.42 and 3.39% for untreated and treated silage). In consequence of the high dry matter and energy intake cows consumed to much energy and gained 534 and 572 g per day (untreated and treated silage). Fertility of cows was not influenced (p > 0.05), but energy over consumption of cows must be avoided.