Twelve non pregnant dry cows (640 kg LW) were assigned to a randomized block design, provided that the treatments were alfalfa haylage (60.0% DM and 19.5% CP) control or inoculated with Silobac® product (Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus), with the objective to evaluate the effects of microbial inoculation of alfalfa silage on ruminal and total digestibility in bovines. Experimental diet was composing by 50% of alfalfa silage and 50% of concentrate as dry matter basis. The experimental period had duration of 21 days, the last ten was used for chromic oxide addition and the last five was used for feces sampling and nylon bags incubation. Inoculation of Alfalfa silage did not influence the total digestibility of DM (inoculated = 70.0% vs. control = 71.2%), CP (72.3% vs. 73.0%), EE (77.0% vs. 76.8%), NDF (61.2% vs. 55.9%), ADF (66.8% vs. 61.8%), GE (72.5% vs. 73.7%) or TDN (70.6% vs. 71.8%) of diet. Also, did not influence digestible DM intake (12.2 vs. 11.4 kg/anim./day or 1.7% vs. 1.8% LW) or TDN intake (12.4 vs. 11.4 kg/anim./day or 1.8% vs. 1.8% LW). However, inoculation decreased the effective degradability of alfalfa silage DM for passage rate of 2%/h (61.2% vs. 65.1%), 5%/h (54.1% vs. 58.6%) and 8%/h (50.0% vs. 54.4%), and effective degradability of alfalfa silage CP for passage rate of 2%/h (84.8% vs. 86.8%) and 5%/h (79.9% vs. 82.5%).
bovines; digestion; ensiling; lactic acid bacteria; Medicago sativa
