Forage characteristics of grass silage made from orchardgrass and perennial ryegrass mixed meadow, harvested early and at short intervals in Hokkaido

We investigated the water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) concentrations of forages and the chemical composition, the fermentation quality, and the nutritive value of silage made from orchardgrass-perennial ryegrass (OG-PR) mixed meadow, harvested early and three times a year at short intervals, compared to those made from timothy (TY) meadow, harvested twice a year in Hokkaido. The WSC concentration of OG-PR first cut forage was higher than those of other forages. OG-PR first cut silage showed good fermentation quality with high lactate acid content. OG-PR silage contained more crude protein and total digestive nutrients estimated by total fecal collection method using wether, and less fiber than TY silage. These results indicated that grass silage made from OG-PR mixed meadow, harvested early and at short intervals, has advantages in improving the fermentation quality and the nutritive value.