This study examined whether inoculants and various absorbent materials could be used during ensiling to reduce effluent losses and improve nutritive value of corn silage. Two corn forages were harvested: low DM silage containing 20% dry matter and conventional silage containing 29% dry matter (DM). Ninety-six mini-silos (10 cm × 1 m) were each prepared using 2.7 kg of chopped corn forage and one of the following compounds and add rates (fresh basis): no additive (control); 5, 10 or 15% ground barley; 5, 10 or 15% powdered whey; 5, 10 or 15% dried molasses; 1% bentonite; 1% zeolite; 0.5% zeolite plus 0.5% limestone; commercial inoculant containing Lactobacillus plantarum and Propionic bacteria (Biotal™, Lallemand Animal Nutrition, Rexdale, ON; 2 mg kg –1 fresh forage); commercial inoculant containing Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus acidilactici (Feedtech™, DeLaval, Tumba, Sweden; 24 mg kg –1 fresh forage ); and 1% zeolite plus Biotal inoculant. Effluent loss from the control low DM silage was high (74 mL kg –1; fresh basis), and was almost completely eliminated ( P 0.05) by adding barley (10 and 15%) or zeolite plus either limestone or bentonite during the ensiling process. Effluent loss from the control conventional silage was minimal (14 mL kg –1 ; fresh weight), and treatments caused no further reduction. For both silages, DM content increased ( P 0.05) with the use of barley (10 and 15%), whey (10 and 15%) or molasses. The pH of both silages increased ( P 0.05) using molasses or zeolite plus limestone. For both silages, acetic and lactic acid were increased ( P 0.05) with the addition of molasses, while zeolite plus limestone increased lactic acid content of conventional silage. For both silages, the addition of ground barley, whey, or Feedtech inoculant improved ( P 0.05) or tended ( P 0.10) to improve in vitro DM degradability (72 h) of corn silage, whereas degradability decreased ( P 0.05) or tended ( P 0.10) to decrease using molasses or zeolite plus limestone. High effluent losses that occur when corn forage is ensiled with a low DM content can be reduced by adding barley l% or zeolite plus either limestone or bentonite as an absorbent. However, of the compounds tested, only barley reduced effluent losses while improving nutritive value of the silage. In the 2 nd experiment 8 multiparous lactating Holstein cows were used. Treatments were; 1) Corn silage with no additives; 2) Corn silage treated with 10% ground barley; 3) Corn silage treated with 10% dry beet pulp; 4) Corn silage treated with 5% ground barley plus 5% dry beet pulp. Addition of ground barley and dry beet pulp either separately or in combination improved fermentation qualit...........