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Silage-maize for cattle fattening: Everything depends on the starch! |
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For cattle fattening maize silages are needed, that allow high and stable weight gain with a low pellet input. Hence, those silages must possess a high energetic fodder value and a good flavour. How can this type of silage be produced? You will find a description in the following article. Choose a variety promising a high starch content, early maturing in the concerned area and that stay green for a long time. Timely sowings, correct sowing quantities and a cautious nitrogen fertilization ensure the best exploitation of the genetic potential regarding an elevated corn content. Although the cell wall digestibility is relevant for the fodder value of maize silages, the starch content is even more fundamental for cattle fattening. The starch digestibility is better than that of the cell walls. This is why energy density and digestibility of the silage rise with a higher concentration of starch. Besides, starch has a higher energetic efficiency that a cell wall. When digestibility and energy density are at the same level, maize silage with a richer starch content obtains a better weight gain. The evaluation of varieties does not take this effect into account, so their starch content always has to be considered as well. In order to take benefit of the whole genetic potential of those varieties, the maize should only be harvested after the starch inclusion has been terminated. High cutting of maize can also lift up the starch content of maize, but exclusively when the rearrangement of the carbohydrates is close to finishing. This is given when the dry matter of the grain reaches 63%. The harvest and ensilaging of maize with well-matured grains require special measures. The grains need to be crushed completely, in order to let the animals digest the total amount of contained starch. For a good silo-compression, the length of the chaff should not exceed 4 to 6 mm. When harvesting the maize at this stage of maturity, especially in combination with high cutting, the recommended limit for dry matter of 35% might be exceeded. You can contribute to the reduction of this problem, choosing varieties with a “stay green” effect. SAATEN-UNION varieties with high starch content and good “stay green“ characteristics: FURIOSO |
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