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Animals
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Impacts of Silage-Based Forages on Ruminant Health and Welfare
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Impacts of Silage-Based Forages on Ruminant Health and Welfare

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2025 | Viewed by 739

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Fulin Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
Interests: silage; rumen microbiota; methane reduction; forage processing; climate change; nutritional regulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Silage holds immense potential to enhance animal nutrition and production systems. Exploring the nutritional value of silage feed for ruminants is of great scientific significance for sustainable agricultural development.

We encourage studies exploring innovative silage preservation, processing techniques, and intricate interplay between silage composition, rumen fermentation dynamics, and subsequent nutrient absorption, emphasizing the enhancement of animal health, growth performance, and environmental sustainability. Studies focusing on optimizing silage quality, identifying key nutrients, and assessing the impact of silage-based diets on ruminant physiology, reproduction, and overall well-being are encouraged. This special issue aims to highlight the effects of silage on ruminant nutrition and how various silage-based forages affect ruminant health and performance, rather than concentrating solely on silage itself. We welcome original research articles and reviews that align with this focus.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Fulin Yang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • silage nutrition
  • ruminant production
  • sustainable agriculture
  • silage preservation techniques
  • rumen fermentation
  • nutrient absorption
  • animal health enhancement
  • growth performance
  • environmental sustainability
  • silage-based diets

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1243 KiB  
Article
Effects of Substituting Sweet Sorghum for Corn Silage in the Diet on the Growth Performance, Meat Quality, and Rumen Microorganisms of Boer Goats in China
by Shuyang Wang, Fangzhu Guo, Yuchen Wang, Miaoyin Dong, Junkai Wang and Guoqing Xiao
Animals 2025, 15(10), 1492; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15101492 - 21 May 2025
Abstract
Due to its superior drought tolerance, high biomass yield, and stress resistance, sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) has emerged as an ideal candidate for sustainable forage production in arid, semi-arid, and mildly saline–alkaline regions. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of [...] Read more.
Due to its superior drought tolerance, high biomass yield, and stress resistance, sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) has emerged as an ideal candidate for sustainable forage production in arid, semi-arid, and mildly saline–alkaline regions. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of replacing corn silage (CS) with either forage sorghum silage (FSS) or sugar sweet sorghum silage (SSS) on goat meat quality, the rumen microbial community, and meat composition. Thirty 3-month-old Boer goats (average body weight: 13.44 ± 1.67 kg) were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments; the control group contained 50% corn silage (CON), while the experimental groups contained 50% FSS (group I), 70% FSS (group II), 50% SSS (group III), or 70% SSS (group V), with each group receiving the same concentrate diet but different roughage sources. The results showed that compared to the CON group (50% CS), the experimental groups had a significantly increased average daily weight gain (ADG) (p < 0.05) and slaughter rate (SR). It is noteworthy that group III (50% SSS) showed a significant increase of 12.4% in SR (p < 0.01). Analysis of the silage characteristics and changes in the rumen microbial community revealed that feeding SSS and FSS increased the relative abundance of Ruminococcus in the rumen, further enhanced the degradation and conversion of silage neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and promoted the synthesis of fatty acids and amino acids. Specifically, FSS significantly increased the amino acid content in the meat, while SSS effectively improved the crude protein (CP) and crude fat (CF) contents. In conclusion, replacing 50% CS with FSS or SSS can effectively improve the meat quality and growth performance of Boer goats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Silage-Based Forages on Ruminant Health and Welfare)
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12 pages, 458 KiB  
Article
Effects of Lactic Acid Bacteria on Fermentation and Nutritional Value of BRS Capiaçu Elephant Grass Silage at Two Regrowth Ages
by Daiana Lopes Lelis, Mirton José Frota Morenz, Domingos Sávio Campos Paciullo, João Paulo Santos Roseira, Carlos Augusto de Miranda Gomide, Odilon Gomes Pereira, Jackson Silva e Oliveira, Fernando Cesar Ferraz Lopes, Vanessa Paula da Silva, Tâmara Chagas da Silveira and Fernanda Helena Martins Chizzotti
Animals 2025, 15(8), 1150; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15081150 - 17 Apr 2025
Viewed by 366
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of lactic acid bacteria inoculation on the fermentation profile and nutritional value of BRS Capiaçu elephant grass silages harvested at two regrowth ages. The treatments were arranged in a 5 × 2 factorial [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of lactic acid bacteria inoculation on the fermentation profile and nutritional value of BRS Capiaçu elephant grass silages harvested at two regrowth ages. The treatments were arranged in a 5 × 2 factorial scheme, with five inoculants (I) and two regrowth ages (A, 90 and 105 days), in a completely randomized design, with three replicates. There were I × A interactions (p < 0.05) on pH, acetic acid, and water-soluble carbohydrates. The silage treated with Kera-Sil showed a lower pH compared with the control silage. The highest ammonia nitrogen content was recorded in the silage treated with Yakult®. There were I × A interactions (p < 0.05) on the dry matter (DM) content, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and in vitro digestibility of DM (IVDMD) and NDF (IVNDFD). Silages treated with Kera-Sil and Silo-Max at 90 days of regrowth showed a higher DM and higher IVDMD (p < 0.05). A higher NDF content and lower IVDMD and IVNDFD were recorded in silages produced with grass harvested at 105 days of regrowth (p < 0.05). The use of commercial microbial inoculants improved the fermentative and nutritional parameters of the silages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Silage-Based Forages on Ruminant Health and Welfare)
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