Effects of timing of corn silage supplementation on digestion, fermentation pattern, and nutrient flow during continuous culture fermentation of a short and intensive orchardgrass meal

Using a dual-flow continuous culture fermenter system, this study evaluated the effect of timing of corn silage supplementation on ruminal digestion and nutrient flows following a short and intensive orchardgrass herbage meal. Treatments included 28 g dry matter (DM) of corn silage added either 9 h (9BH; 0700 h) or 1 h (1BH; 1500 h) before adding 42 g DM orchardgrass herbage or no corn silage (control; 70 g DM herbage). Herbage was fed as follows: 66% of the total herbage meal at 1600 h, 22% at 1720 h, and the remaining 12% at 1840 h. Effluent was analyzed for organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). Purine concentrations in effluent and bacterial isolates were used to estimate the partition of effluent N flow into bacterial and nonbacterial fractions, and to calculate true OM digestibility. Fermenters were sampled for pH, volatile fatty acids (VFA), and NH3-N at 0730, 1100, 1530, 1600, 1720, 1840, and 2000 h on d 10. Data were analyzed as a 3 × 4 Latin square experimental design. True digestibilities for OM (average of 78.5%) and CP (average of 84.6%), and apparent NDF digestibility (average of 82.7%) were not affected by treatment. Mean ruminal pH was lower for 9BH than for 1BH, averaging 5.6 and 6.5, respectively. Molar proportions of acetate were not affected by treatment. Propionate concentration was greater for 9BH than for 1BH, averaging 20.5 and 18.1 mM, respectively. Diurnal patterns of pH, NH3-N, and acetate:propionate ratio were affected by treatment: 9BH had the lowest values for all measurements as the day progressed. The NH3-N concentration and effluent NH3-N flow were higher for 1BH (11.4 mg/100 mL and 0.26 g/d, respectively) than for 9BH (8.8 mg/100 mL and 0.20 g/d, respectively). Effluent NH3-N flow (as a % of total N flow) was the lowest for 9BH. Bacterial efficiency was not affected by treatments, with a mean of 10.5 g of N/kg of OM truly digested. Under the same resource allocation (pasture plus supplement), a simple change in timing of corn silage feeding (9 rather than 1 h before an orchardgrass herbage meal) may alter ruminal fermentation pattern. These changes could increase the glucogenic nutrient supply and improve N utilization by reducing ammonia N losses.