A comparison of pasture conserved as hay or as silage for feeding sheep

Abstract

Equal areas of the same clover-grass pasture were cut at the same time and conserved as hay or silage. The hay and silage were compared by feeding as a sole ration to groups of adult dry sheep. In two of the three years of the experiment sheep performance as measured by liveweight was significantly (P<0.05) better in the hay treatment. In the third year liveweight changes were not significantly different. In two years 15 per cent and 25 per cent of the hay remained unused when all the silage was finished, and in all years the sheep fed hay obtained a higher recovery of nutrients in terms of dry matter intake per unit area conserved. In the two years in which it was measured there was less wastage of hay than of silage.