The objectiveof this study was to assess the losses and nutritional value of silages of differentforage crops (corn, Sudan sorghum, forage sorghum and sunflower) ensiled atthe ideal time for each crop. A randomized complete design was used, with fourforage crops and five replications. The forages were ensiled in PVC silos, 50cm high and 10 cm in diameter, equipped with a Bunsen valve, that were storedfor 60 days. The losses through gases and effluent were assessed for differencein weight before and after ensilaging. The losses by gases were relatively smallcompared with the losses by effluent. The corn silage stood out because it presentedsmaller losses, while the sunflower and Sudan sorghum presented greater lossesby effluent. The Sudan sorghum silage presents the lowest nutritional value,due to the greater contents of the fibrous fractions, while the corn silagestand out positively because of its nutritional value.
