In Situ Ruminal Digestion, Fermentation Parameters, and Forage Nutritive Value of Cool-Season Baleage Ensiled under Contrasting Inoculant Strategies

SIMPLE SUMMARY: In southeastern USA, the most common method of preserving forages for the winter months is employing dry hay, but spring rains can make it difficult to dry high-moisture forages without there being large dry matter losses. Baleage is a high-moisture feed that is similar to silage that can offer more flexibility for forage producers. However, little is known about the forage quality of different cool-season annual forage mixtures when they are harvested and stored as baleage. A study was conducted to determine the nutritive value and ruminal digestion of cool-season annual mixtures that are ensiled as baleage with and without silage inoculants. Baleage was sampled at 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 45, 60, and 120 d and it was analyzed for nutritive value and fermentation parameters. Wheat + brassica ensiled at the lowest pH, while the annual ryegrass + oats + crimson clover did not reach a pH that was below 5.0. The DM disappearance of all of the mixtures was greatest in the first 12 h. The effectiveness of the silage inoculant used was inconsistent across the forage treatments. There is no advantage from the use of silage inoculant in these cool-season annual mixtures; however, all of the mixtures had a sufficient nutritive value to meet the nutrition requirements of growing beef cattle. ABSTRACT: In southeastern USA, the use of baleage has increased as an alternative technology to hay production, thereby allowing for a timelier harvest of the conserved forage. A series of studies were conducted to determine the nutritive value, fermentation parameters, and in situ disappearance of the cool-season annual forage mixtures that were ensiled with or without silage inoculant for up to 120 d. The forage mixtures were wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) + brassica hybrid (Brassica rapa L. × napus L.) (WB), wheat + crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) (WC), and annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) + oat (Avena sativa L.) + crimson clover (ROC). The inoculant strategy affected the CP concentration (p < 0.05), with it increasing in WB and decreasing in ROC. Among the mixtures, the DM concentration decreased by up to 5%, and the NDF and ADF concentrations decreased by up to 10% during the ensiling period. The pH averaged 5.0, 5.0, and 5.5 for the WC, WB, and ROC mixtures, respectively. Based on our results, the baleage of the cool-season annual forage mixtures may provide a viable high-quality option to sustain animal growth and performance.