Symposium on Forage Utilization: Nutritive Value of Forage as Affected by Physical Form. Part II. Beef Cattle and Sheep Studies

The value of a forage to an anilmal is influenced by the physical form in which it is fed. Measured in terms of animal performance, long or chopped hay can be improved by grinding and pelleting. Much of this improvement appears to be due to grinding. By grinding and pelleting an ordinary quality forage, feed intake may be increased by as much as 25%, daily gain by 100% and feed efficiency by 35%. The digestibility of individual nutrients in forages may be altered slightly by changing the physical form but the net effect is small. Grinding and pelleting a forage reduces the digestibility of the crude fiber. Harvesting forage and feeding as soilage, silage or hay may increase animal gain or production per acre, but not per animal. Various factors, such as stage of maturity, weather conditions, equipment used, and storage facilities, attending the process often have more influence on the feeding value of a forage than the particular method of harvesting and storing used.