Growth performance and nutrient digestibility of beef heifers fed sorghum silage processed at harvest and stored for less than five months or over one year

Lay Summary We evaluated the effects of feeding whole-plant sorghum silage-based diets either kernel-processed or not at harvest to growing beef cattle. Two studies were conducted, one where silage was stored for less than a year, and one where it was stored for more than a year prior to feeding to beef heifers. Processing sorghum silage at harvest significantly boosts beef heifer performance and starch digestibility, but only if the silage is fed relatively soon after ensiling (less than 150 days). The processing breaks the tough sorghum kernels, making the starch more accessible for digestion. However, the benefits of mechanical processing seem to disappear if the silage is stored for a long period (over one year). Over extended storage time, natural fermentation processes break down the kernel structure sufficiently on their own, making the extra processing step perhaps unnecessary in order to enhance animal performance. In short, kernel processing sorghum silage should be done to improve animal performance if the plan is to use it within six months results. Otherwise, prolonged storage likely achieves a similar outcome, saving on processing effort and cost.