Effects of Broussonetia papyrifera silage on rumen fermentation parameters and microbes of Holstein heifers

The structure and types of rumen microbes are closely related to host health. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Broussonetia papyrifera silage ( BPS ) gradually replacing the whole crop maize silage (WCMS) on total tract digestibility, rumen fermentation parameters, serum biochemical indicators, and rumen microbes of Holstein heifers. The diet treatment consisted of four proportions of BPS (0%, 25%, 50% and 75%) as substitute for WCMS (designated as T0, T25, T50 and T75, respectively). Twenty heifers (body weight = 245 ± 24 kg) were randomly divided into four groups of five heifers, and randomly received one diet. The feeding adaption period was 7 days, and the experiment period was 30 days. Our findings suggested that the digestibility of neutral detergent fiber and crude protein increased linearly with the increased in BPS ( P