• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.5
• /
• pp.683-690
• /
• 2006

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of molasses supplementation levels to silage materials in ensiling herbal medicine meal on the quality of silage, and its palatability in Korean native goats. In experimentⅠ, molasses were added at the levels of 0, 0.5, and 1.0% to herbal medicine (Deasihotang) meal, with three replicates per each level. They were kept at room temperature for 40 d in glass bottles in order to get silage samples. In experiment Ⅱ, nine 1.5-yr-old Korean native female goats were employed to measure their palatability. In experimentⅠ, lactic acid contents in molasses treatments were significantly (p<0.05) higher, and pH and butyric acid contents was lower than those of non-molasses control treatment. In addition, molasses treatments increased total microbial cell counts in MRS medium for lactobacillus, but decreased total microbial cell counts in PDA medium for fungi. Molasses supplementation to silage materials increased in vitro dry matter disappearance rate. Molasses supplementation tended to increase silage intake in Korean native goat (experiment II), however, the difference was not significant. It is concluded that molasses supplementation to silage materials in ensiling Daesihotang meal could improve its preservability and palatability, the larger the amount the better the quality.