The Feeding Value of Conserved Whole-Crop Wheat and Forage Maize Relative to Grass Silage and \u3ci\u3eAd-Libitum\u3c/i\u3e Concentrates for Beef Cattle

Grass is the predominant forage ensiled in Ireland. However, the relatively modest yields achieved in a single harvest allied to variability in digestibility and ensilability (and thus in intake and animal performance response) and the likelihood of effluent production create disadvantages for grass silage compared to the potential of some alternative forage crops. Thus, alternative forages are worthy of consideration on many farms. The objectives of this study were to quantify the relative intake, digestibility and performance of beef cattle offered grass silage, forage maize silage and whole-crop wheat (fermented or urea-treated), rank these relative to cattle offered an ad libitum concentrate-based diet and compare the “alkalage” system of urea-treated processed whole-crop wheat with whole-crop wheat silage