Potential of Pornunça Hay to Improve the Fermentation Profile, Yield, and Chemical Composition of Spineless Cactus‐Based Silage

This study evaluated the fermentation profile, losses, aerobic stability, microbial populations, and nutritional value of silages produced from spineless cactus forage with increasing levels of pornunça hay. A completely randomized design with five treatments (0%, 7.5%, 15.0%, 22.5%, and 30.0% pornunça hay on a natural matter basis) and five replicates was employed, totaling 25 PVC mini‐silos (10 cm diameter × 30 cm length) with a compaction density of 700 kg/m 3 and equipped with Bunsen valves. The inclusion of pornunça hay led to a linear decrease ( p < 0.05) in pH, effluent losses, and total losses, and a linear increase in acetic acid concentration and dry matter (DM) recovery. Ammoniacal nitrogen, lactic acid, gas losses, thermal amplitude, and forage losses were quadratically influenced ( p < 0.05) by hay levels. No significant effects ( p > 0.05) were observed on LAB counts, silage temperatures, or aerobic stability. DM content increased linearly, while ash, crude protein, ether extract, NDF, ADF, hemicellulose, and NFC responded quadratically ( p < 0.05). Total carbohydrate content was not significantly affected ( p > 0.05). An inclusion level of 21.2% pornunça hay is recommended to optimize nutritional quality and minimize losses.