EVALUATION OF BERMUDAGRASS (CYNODON-DACTYLON) AND JOHNSONGRASS (SORGHUM-HALEPENSE) AS ALTERNATIVES TO CORN FORAGE (ZEA-MAYS) FOR ENSILING WITH POULTRY LITTER

Two trials were conducted to determine the potential for ensiling vari ous forages with poultry litter (PL). In Trial 1, corn forage (CF; Zea mays), johnsongrass (JG; Sorghum halepense) and bermudagrass (BG; Cyn odon dactylon) were ensiled with 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30% PL. Grou nd corn was added to BG mixes at 0, 5 and 10%. Silos consisted of 3.8 1 plastic bags, heat sealed and placed in a second air-tight bag, main tained at 21 degrees C for 10 days after which pH and DM were determin ed. In trial 2, JG and CF were harvested at 35% DM and ensiled with 10 and 20% added PL (as-is basis). Sixteen lambs (29 +/- 6.6 kg BW) were fed the four resulting silages while housed in individual metabolism crates for 14 days. In Trial 1, DM and pH both increased (P< 0.01) as the percentage of PL increased. In Trial 2, lambs fed CF silages had g reater DM intake (P< 0.05) than those fed the JG silages. Water intake paralleled DM intake. Gains of lambs fed CF10 and JG20 were faster (P < 0.05) than that for JG10, with CF20 being intermediate. Digestibilit ies of DM, OM, GE and NDF were greater (Pi 0.01) for the CF silages th an for JG. Digestibility of ADF was increased (P< 0.01) in the lambs f ed the JG silages compared with the CF silages. Nitrogen retention was greater (P< 0.01) for the CF diets than for the JG diets. Poultry lit ter only affected hemicellulose digestibility, which was higher (P(0.0 5) for the CF silages than for JG10, with JG10 being intermediate. Ene rgy balance was greatest (P< 0.05 ) for CF10 and least for JG10, with CF20 and JG20 being intermediate. Results indicate that JG was not equ al to CF; however, JG was palatable, digestible and supported BW gain in Iambs when ensiled with up to 20% PL.