| abstract |
The invention relates to a process and a preservative for the preservation of animal feed. According to the process, acid-containing substance is added to fresh, newly harvested fodder in an amount sufficient to increase the acidity of the fodder immediately to below 4.5 at the most, preferably to below 4 in accordance with the principle of the AIV System. Spent liquor from acid pulping, optionally concentrated to desired concentration, is used as acid-containing substance. According to the invention, the liquor used consists of the spent liquor from a pulping process, wherein formic acid and/or a mixture of formic acid and hydrogen peroxide has been used for defibering the cellulosic raw material. Such a solution contains before concentration about 30 to 50 weight per cent lignin, about 5 to 20 weight per cent poly-saccharides, about 10 to 20 weight per cent mono- and oligosaccharides and about 30 to 50 weight per cent monosaccharides and lignin fragments calculated on basis of the dry matter. The pH of the ensilage feed can easily be adjusted to its most preferable value (3.5 to 4.0), while securing a sufficient amount of sugars and, thus, accurate fermentation by means of the sugars in the spent liquors. |