Title: All Silage Forage Programs for Dairy Cattle. I. Heifer Performance from Birth to Eighteen Months of Age
Abstract: Corn silage, blended corn silage, and hay crop silage (60:40 dry matter) or blended corn silage and chopped hay (60:40 dry matter) were each fed ad libitum as the sole forage to 15 Holstein-Friesian calves from birth.Calves were fed 150 kg whole milk and an average of I50 kg calf starter during the initial 16 wk individual feeding.After 16 wk, heifers were fed by age group and treatment.Animals on corn silage treatment received .5 kg per head per day of protein supplement, and all treatments received additional concentrate according to body weight.Breeding commenced at the first estrus after 13 mo and 350 kg bodyweight.No differences in intakes of forage or total dry matter, growth, age at first breeding, or conception occurred between treatments up to 18 mo.Dairy heifers can be raised as successfully to 18 mo on corn silage as the only forage as compared to combinations of corn and hay crop silages or corn silage and hay.three lactations compared to eight of ten on the forage combination.In two earlier studies, cows were raised from birth through two or more lactations with corn silage as the only forage.In one of these (9), heifers were fed either corn silage or corn silage plus hay.Milk yield during each of the first two lactations was higher for corn silage fed cows.Both groups, however, were pastured during the summer.In the second experiment (2), eight cows were fed corn silage from birth for 12 yr with favorable results although the study was not controlled and intakes of corn silage were relatively low.Because of limited data on silage feeding programs over the lifetime of a dairy animal, the present experiment was undertaken with the objectives: first, to determine if dry hay is necessary as a part of the forage program of dairy animals from birth through three lactations; and second to compare two silage programs (corn and corn plus hay crop) for growth and performance of dairy animals.This paper will report on heifer performance to 18 mo of age including reproductive efficiency at first pregnancy.