Effect of Ryegrass Silage Dry Matter Content on the Performance of Lactating Holstein Cows (original) (raw)
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Journal of dairy science, 2002
Twenty Holstein cows were used in an 8-wk randomized block design study to determine the effects of replacing corn silage with ryegrass silage on nutrient intake, apparent digestion, milk yield, and milk composition. The 8-wk trial consisted of a 2-wk preliminary period followed by a 6-wk collection period. Experimental diets were formulated to provide 55.5% of the total dry matter (DM) as forage. Ryegrass silage was substituted for 0, 35, 65, and 100% of DM provided by corn silage. Dietary concentrations of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) increased as ryegrass silage replaced corn silage. Intake of DM and crude protein (CP) was similar for all treatments, but intake of NDF and ADF increased linearly as ryegrass silage replaced corn silage. Apparent digestibility of DM declined linearly, whereas digestibility of CP increased linearly as ryegrass silage replaced corn silage. Apparent digestibility of NDF and ADF was highest for the diets in which ryegrass or corn silages provided all of the forage, resulting in a quadratic response. Dry matter intake was not different among treatments. Yield of milk, fat, and protein increased as ryegrass silage replaced corn silage. No differences were observed for body weight change, body condition score, and serum urea nitrogen concentration, but serum glucose concentration increased with increasing dietary proportion of ryegrass silage. These results indicate that substituting ryegrass silage for a portion or all of the corn silage in diets fed to lactating dairy cows can improve yield of milk and components.
Journal of dairy science, 2008
Twenty-four lactating Holstein cows were used in a 6-wk randomized block design trial with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments to determine the effects of feeding ground corn (GC) or steam-flaked corn (SFC) in diets based on either annual ryegrass silage (RS) or a 50:50 blend of annual ryegrass and corn silages (BLEND). Experimental diets contained 49.6% forage and were fed as a total mixed ration once daily for 4 wk after a 2-wk preliminary period. No interactions were observed among treatments. Cows fed BLEND consumed more dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) than those fed RS, but total-tract digestibility of OM, NDF, and ADF was greater for RS than for BLEND. No differences in nutrient intake were observed among treatments during wk 4 when nutrient digestibility was measured, but digestibility of DM and OM was greater for SFC than for GC. Cows fed BLEND tended to produce more energy-corrected milk than those ...
Livestock Science, 2020
A three-period changeover design study using 24 mid-lactation multiparous Holstein-Friesian dairy cows, examined supplementation strategies for a high quality grass silage (dry matter (DM), 418 g/kg; crude protein (CP), 170 g/kg DM; metabolisable energy (ME), 12.1 MJ/kg DM). Four treatments, in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, compared concentrate type (Highstarch or High-fibre) and straw inclusion (Straw or No-straw). Concentrates had a starch and neutral detergent fibre content of 373 and 258 g/kg DM, respectively (High-starch), and 237 and 339 g/kg DM, respectively (High-fibre). In the No-straw treatments, silage and concentrates were offered as a total mixed ration in a 57:43 DM ratio. In the Straw treatments, chopped straw was added at 4% of total DM, replacing part of the silage component of the diet. Following this study, the effect of diet on nutrient utilisation efficiency was examined using four cows/treatment. There were no interactions between concentrate type and straw inclusion for any cow performance or digestibility parameters. Silage dry matter intake (DMI) and total DMI were reduced with the High-fibre concentrate (P = 0.001 and P = 0.006, respectively) and straw inclusion (P < 0.001 and P = 0.014, respectively). Neither concentrate type nor straw inclusion had a significant effect on milk yield or milk fat content. The High-starch concentrate increased milk protein content (P < 0.001), while straw inclusion decreased milk protein content (P = 0.036). Treatment had no effect on cow body weight, condition score, faecal scores, digestibility coefficients or nitrogen and energy utilisation efficiency. In conclusion, supplementing a high quality grass silage with a carefully formulated 'high starch' concentrate improved DMI and milk protein content with no adverse effects on cow performance. Straw inclusion in the diet had no beneficial effects on DMI, milk production or nutrient utilisation efficiency.
Performance of Lactating Dairy Cows Fed Either Alfalfa Silage or Alfalfa Hay as the Sole Forage1
Journal of Dairy Science, 1995
1995 J Dairy Sci 18320-329 320 ABSTRACT Alfalfa was harvested from alternate windrows as 40% DM silage or hay in small rectangular bales and fed in two 12-wk 4 x 4 Latin square trials, each with 20 multiparous lactating cows (4 with ruminal cannulas). Diets contained (DM basis) 69 (trial 1) or 66% (trial 2) alfalfa, 26 to 33% high moisture corn, 1.3% minerals and vitamins, and about 1.6 Mcal of NELkg of DM. In trial 1, second-cutting silage (21.2% CP) and hay (19.7% CP) containing 35% NDF were fed in diets: 1) silage (17.3% CP), 2) hay (16.3% CP), 3) silage with 3% fish meal (19.1% CP), and 4) hay with 3% fish meal (18.1% CP). Cows had lower DMI and lost BW on diet 1. Yields of milk and milk components were similar on diets 1 and 2 and greater on diet 3 than on the other three diets, except that fat yield was greater on diets 1 and 3 than on diets 2 and 4. In trial 2, firstcutting silage and hay containing 19.9 and 16.5% CP and 40 and 41% NDF were fed in diets: 1) silage (16.8% CP), 2) hay (14.6% CP), 3) silage with 3% fish meal (18.2% CP), and 4) hay with 3% fish meal (16.0% CP). Cows had lower DMI and lost BW on diets 1 and 3. Generally, yields of milk and milk components were lower on diet 1 than on diets 2, 3, and 4; only protein yield was greater on diet 4 than on diet 2. In both trials, fish meal increased mean protein
This experiment was conducted to test a hypothesis that lactating dairy cows fed 35% brown midrib (BMR) corn silage and 25% alfalfa hay (dry matter (DM) basis) would consume more DM around peak lactation compared with those fed conventional corn silage (CS), resulting in longer peak milk production. Twentyeight multiparous Holstein cows were used starting at the onset of lactation through 180 d in milk (DIM). Treatments were formulated to maintain a forage-toconcentrate ratio of 60:40, differing only in the CS hybrids used. Two dietary treatments were assessed in a completely randomized design: total mixed ration based on conventional CS (CCS) and total mixed ration based on BMR silage. Through peak lactation (1-60 DIM), DM intake was not different between dietary treatments, whereas DM intake post-peak lactation (61-180 DIM) tended to increase by feeding the BMR diet compared with the CCS diet (25.8 vs. 24.7 kg/d). Cows fed the BMR diet tended to lose less body weight through peak lactation compared with those fed the CCS diet (−0.22 vs. −0.52 kg/d). Although milk yield was not different between dietary treatments through peak lactation, milk yield post-peak lactation increased by feeding the BMR diet compared with the CCS diet (41.0 vs. 38.8 kg/d). Yield of 3.5% fat-corrected milk was similar between dietary treatments throughout the experiment (41.4 kg/d, on average), but milk fat concentration decreased by feeding the BMR diet compared with the CCS diet post-peak lactation (3.47 vs. 3.80%). Overall milk protein concentration was similar between dietary treatments throughout the experiment (2.96%, on average), whereas milk protein yield tended to be higher for the BMR diet post-peak lactation compared with the CCS diet (1.19 vs.1.13 kg/d). Feeding BMR silage with a high dietary concentration of alfalfa hay maintained more body weight, but did not affect milk production through peak lactation; however, cows fed the BMR diet post-peak lactation consumed more feed and maintained longer peak milk yield, leading to greater overall milk production and milk protein yield.
Semina: Ciências Agrárias, 2016
The aim of this study was to evaluate the supply of wet brewers grain silage with and without nutrient additives in ensiling (wheat bran, soybeans hulls and ground corn), and the effect of additives on the intake and digestibility of dry matter and nutrients as well as the efficiency, production and milk composition of Holstein cows. Four multiparous Holstein cows were used, with an average milk production of 25 liters per day. The cows were randomly assigned, via the Latin Square design (4x4), to one of four experimental diets. The experimental period was 21 days. The results obtained in the experiment were evaluated by analysis of variance, Fisher’s F test and Tukey’s test at 5 % probability. The experimental diets consisted of wet brewers grain silage alone, and this silage with the addition of wheat bran, soybean hulls or ground corn. The diets did not affect the initial body weight of the animals. Diets containing wheat bran and ground corn provided a higher intake of dry matte...
Tropical Animal Health and Production, 2011
The objective was to determine the effect of including silages of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) intercropped with winter vetch (Vicia villosa) (ARG-VV) or with common vetch (Vicia sativa) (ARG-VS) compared with maize silage (MS) on milk yield and milk composition of dairy cows grazing cultivated perennial ryegrass-white clover pastures with supplemented concentrate during the dry season. Six Holstein dairy cows with a mean yield of 19.0 kg/cow/day at the beginning of the experiment were randomly assigned to a 3×3 repeated Latin square. Treatments were: 8 h/day intensive grazing, 3.6 kg of dry matter (DM) per cow per day of concentrate plus MS, and ARG-VV or ARG-VS ad libitum at a stocking rate of 3.0 cows/ha for three experimental periods of 3 weeks each. Milk yield (MY) and milk composition, live weight and body condition score as well as silage and concentrate intakes were recorded during the third week of each experimental period, and pasture intake was estimated indirectly from utilised metabolisable energy. Economic analysis was obtained by preparing partial budgets. There were no statistical differences (P>0.10) in MY, milk fat or protein content nor for live weight, but there was significant difference (P<0.10) in body condition score. There were non-statistical differences in silage DM intake (P<0.11); however, significant differences (P<0.10) were obtained for estimated grazed herbage intake whilst no differences for total DM intake. Slightly higher economic returns (10%) were obtained with ARG-VS over MS, and this was 7% higher than ARG-VV. It is concluded that ARG-VS could be an option for complementing grazing for smallscale dairy production systems in the dry season as it is comparable to MS in animal performance and slightly better in economic terms.
Grass and Forage Science, 2000
Two studies were conducted to examine the effects of incorporating small quantities of straw in the diets of dairy cows. In Experiment 1, forty Holstein Friesian dairy cows were used in a 2´4 factorial design experiment, with factors examined consisting of two parities (primiparous and multiparous animals) and four levels of straw inclusion in the diet (0, 0á08, 0á16 and 0á24 of forage dry matter). The basal forage offered in this study was grass silage, and the primiparous and multiparous animals were supplemented with 9á0 and 11á0 kg concentrate d ±1 respectively. In Experiment 2, forty-eight Holstein Friesian dairy cows were used in a 2´3 factorial design experiment, with factors examined consisting of two basal forage types (grass silage and zero-grazed grass) and three levels of straw inclusion (0, 1á0 and 2á0 kg d ±1 ). All animals were offered 7á0 kg d ±1 of a concentrate supplement. Both experiments were partially balanced changeover designs, consisting of two, 4-week periods.
Animal Science Journal, 2015
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of herbage allowance (HA) and type of silage supplemented (TS) on milk yield, dry matter intake (DMI) and metabolism of dairy cows in early lactation. Thirty-six Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were allocated to four treatments derived from an arrangement of two HA (LHA = 17 or HHA = 25 kg of DM/cow/day) and two TS (grass (GS) or maize (MS)). Herbage allowance had no effect on DMI or milk yield. Rumen pH and NH 3-N concentration were not affected by HA. The efficiency of microbial protein synthesis in the rumen (microbial protein (MP)) was affected by HA with 21.5 and 23.9 g microbial nitrogen per kg ruminal digestible organic matter for LHA and HHA, respectively (P < 0.05). Supplementation with MS showed higher values of milk yield by 2.4 kg/cow/day (P < 0.001), milk protein content by 0.10 % (P < 0.023) and herbage DMI by 2.2 kg/cow/day, and showed lower values for milk urea compared to GS (P < 0.001). The former results suggest that TS had a greater effect on milk yield, total feed intake and energy intake than increase in herbage allowance; however, increase in HA had greater effects on MP than TS.
Journal of dairy science, 2012
The main objective was to evaluate the potential of grass silages of very high quality to support a high milk yield with a low or moderate, or even without concentrate supplementation. Production responses to increased levels of concentrate supplementation with 3 primary growth grass silages differing in digestibility were studied using 66 Norwegian Red dairy cows. Roundbale silage was produced from a timothy-dominated sward at very early (H1), early (H2), and normal (H3) stages of crop maturity. Crops were rapidly wilted (<24h) and a formic acid-based additive was applied. All silages were restrictedly fermented. Silage digestible organic matter in dry matter (DM) values were 747, 708, and 647 g/kg of DM for H1, H2, and H3, respectively. Dietary treatments were fed in a 3×3 factorial arrangement of the 3 silages supplemented with 3 concentrate levels (4, 8, and 12 kg/d) and, additionally, H1 was offered without concentrates and H3 with 16 kg/d, giving a total of 11 diets. Cows, ...