What to consider to improve a dairy cow’s silage intake

This article examines some of the nutrition, disease and production problems associated with silage feeding. The strategies to be adopted for improved utilisation of the silage are also discussed. The intake of silage dry matter is usually lower than that of the corresponding fresh crop (i.e., silage intake is about 27% less than intake of the same forage fed without ensiling). The presence of fermentation end-products, such as organic acids, ammonia and amides, may limit the intake of silage