| Summary: | In southeastern USA, the use of baleage has increased as an alternative technology to hay production, thereby allowing for a timelier harvest of the conserved forage. A series of studies were conducted to determine the nutritive value, fermentation parameters, and in situ disappearance of the cool-season annual forage mixtures that were ensiled with or without silage inoculant for up to 120 d. The forage mixtures were wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.) + brassica hybrid (<i>Brassica rapa</i> L. × <i>napus</i> L.) (WB), wheat + crimson clover (<i>Trifolium incarnatum</i> L.) (WC), and annual ryegrass (<i>Lolium multiflorum</i> Lam.) + oat (<i>Avena sativa</i> L.) + crimson clover (ROC). The inoculant strategy affected the CP concentration (<i>p</i> < 0.05), with it increasing in WB and decreasing in ROC. Among the mixtures, the DM concentration decreased by up to 5%, and the NDF and ADF concentrations decreased by up to 10% during the ensiling period. The pH averaged 5.0, 5.0, and 5.5 for the WC, WB, and ROC mixtures, respectively. Based on our results, the baleage of the cool-season annual forage mixtures may provide a viable high-quality option to sustain animal growth and performance.
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