Silage, aspen

Figure 2 shows that much larger amounts of digestible dry matter of the aspen silage were fermented with the hay inoculum than with the aspen silage inoculum. When a small amount of hay (50 grams/animal/ day) was added to the aspen silage diet the cellulolytic activity of the... 

The inoculum donor goats could be maintained on aspen silage as the sole diet for only 3-4 weeks after which the animals began to go off feed and eventually refused to eat. With 50 grams hay/day supplement they continued to eat the aspen silage over extended periods. 

Figure 2. Effect of activity of rumen inoculum on digestion ceilings of aspen silage...

Inoculum—hay fed goats A Inoculum—aspen silage and hay fed goats Inoculum—aspen silage fed goats... 

The aspen silage was extremely low in nitrogen (0.1% DM basis) so that nitrogen deficiency in the inoculum from animals fed this material was probably a major factor in reducing the cellulolytic activity of the rumen microflora. 

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