China Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Medicine ›› 2026, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (1): 212-223.doi: 10.16431/j.cnki.1671-7236.2026.01.019

• Nutrition and Feed • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Study of Fermentation Quality and in vitro Ruminal Fermentation Characteristics of Mixed Silage with Different Ratios of Fresh Alfalfa and Oat Hay

YANG Jiayu1,2(), HE Keke2,3, JIAO Kerui1,2, LIANG Yunyi2, CHEN Yakun2, YIN Shuangshuang2, YANG Pengbiao4, BU Dengpan2, ZHANG Yuanqing1(), ZHAO Liansheng2()   

  1. 1.College of Animal Science and Technology,Shanxi Agricultural University,Taigu 030801,China
    2.National Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding,Institute of Animal Science of CAAS,Beijing 100193,China
    3.Xinjiang Agricultural University,Urumqi 830052,China
    4.Shanghai Mugao Biotechnology Co. ,Ltd. ,Shanghai 201306,China
  • Received:2025-05-19 Online:2026-01-05 Published:2025-12-26
  • Contact: ZHANG Yuanqing, ZHAO Liansheng E-mail:yjy990407@163.com;yuanqing_zhang@163.com;aaronann@163.com

Abstract:

Objective This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of different mixing ratios of fresh alfalfa and oat hay on fermentation quality and in vitro rumenfermentation characteristics when used for mixed silage. Method Fresh alfalfa and oat hay were uniformly mixed at fresh weight ratios of 8∶2 (AO1), 7∶3 (AO2), and 6∶4 (AO3), and ensiled for 60 days. The silage effects were analyzed through sensory evaluation, and measurement of composition, fermentation quality, aerobic stability, and in vitro rumen fermentation parameters. Result ①The sensory evaluation score of the AO2 mixed silage reached 18.87, was significantly higher than that of AO1 and AO3 groups (P<0.05).②AO1 silage had the highest contents of crude protein (CP ) and ether extract (EE), and the lowest contents of acid detergent fiber (ADF), Ash, and water soluble carbohydrates (WSC). There were no significant differences in neutral detergent fiber (NDF) among the groups (P>0.05). The forage quality scores of AO1 and AO2 groups were significantly higher than that of AO3 group (P<0.05), with AO1 silage having the highest score of 60.39. Aerobic stability results showed that the AO2 silage maintained stability for the longest time under aerobic exposure (204.5 h), followed by AO3 (166.45 h), and AO1 had the shortest stability time (133.17 h).③The lactic acid content in the mixed silage of both AO1 and AO2 groups were significantly higher than that of AO3 group (P<0.05).④The gas production of AO3 group was higher than the other treatment groups at all time points. The dry matter degradation rate (DMD) and crude protein degradation rate (CPD) of AO1 group were significantly higher than those of AO2 and AO3 groups (P<0.05).As the proportion of fresh alfalfa decreases,the neutral detergent fiber degradation rate (NDFD) showed a decreasing trend among treatments (P=0.07), while no significant difference was found in acid detergent fiber degradation rate (ADFD) among groups (P>0.05). The total volatile fatty acid (TVFA), butyrate, and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) concentrations in AO1 group were significantly higher than those in AO2 and AO3 groups. Conclusion When the mixing ratio of fresh alfalfa to oat hay was controlled at 8∶2 and 7∶3, the silage fermentation quality was optimal, and the in vitro digestibility was high. It could provide a reference for producing mixed silage of fresh alfalfa and oat hay in Northeast China.

Key words: fresh alfalfa; oat hay; mixed silage; in vitro fermentation characteristics

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