Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T13:45:26.695Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of concentrate composition and method of silage feeding on intake and performance of lactating dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

R. H. Phipps ,
J. D. Sutton ,
R. F. Weller  and
J. A. Bines
R. H. Phipps
Affiliation:
Agricultural and Food Research Council Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Church Lane, Shinfield, Reading, RG2 9AQ
J. D. Sutton
Affiliation:
Agricultural and Food Research Council Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Church Lane, Shinfield, Reading, RG2 9AQ
J. A. Bines
Affiliation:
Agricultural and Food Research Council Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Church Lane, Shinfield, Reading, RG2 9AQ
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Ninety-nine lactating British Friesian cows, in their second and subsequent lactations, were divided into two groups receiving ad libitum grass silage. The cows in group A were offered silage individually through Calan Broadbent gates while those in group B were given 24 h/day access to a self-feed silage clamp. The crude protein (CP), acid-detergent fibre (ADF), neutral-detergent fibre (NDF), in vitro digestible organic matter and estimated metabolizable energy (ME) values in the D.M. of the silage were 140, 373, 584, 610g/kg D.M. and 9·7 MJ/kg D.M. respectively. The cows in each group received either 11kg/day fresh weight of concentrate S in which the principal energy source was cereal starch or 9 kg/day fresh weight of concentrate F containing mixed high quality fibre sources plus 2 kg/day fresh weight of concentrate S. The CP, ADF, NDF, starch and sugar concentrations in concentrates S and F were 203, 71, 204, 444, and 44 and 202, 147, 329, 116 and 149g/kg D.M., respectively.

The only significant difference produced by method of silage allocation was that groupfed cows gained more live weight (P < 0·01) than those fed individually.

Over the whole experimental period the mean silage D.M. intake of cows fed concentrate F in group A was 0–5 kg/day higher than those fed concentrate S. However, in early lactation the benefit to silage intake in favour of concentrate F was 1 kg D.M./day.

In group A estimated intakes derived from calculated ME inputs and outputs were markedly lower than the observed intakes, but were similar to correspondingly derived estimates for group B.

Although concentrate type did not affect milk yield, concentrate F was associated with a higher fat concentration and yield (P <0–05) but a lower protein concentration (P < 0·001) and a slightly lower yield.

The in vivo digestibility coefficients for D.M. and organic matter determined in lactating dairy cows given concentrates S and F respectively were similar (0·724 v. 0·716 and 0·749 v. 0·742) but that for ADF was significantly (P < 0·001) higher (0·565 v. 0·673) in the ration containing concentrate F than in that containing concentrate S.

Estimates of the mean efficiency of utilization of the production ME made on a weekly basis were unaffected by concentrate type.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 109 , Issue 2 , October 1987 , pp. 337 - 343
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Broster, W. H., Sutton, J. D., Bines, J. A., Broster, V. J., Smith, T., Siviter, J. W., Johnson, V. W., Napper, D. J. &amp; Schuller, E. (1985). The influence of plane of nutrition and diet composition on the performance of dairy cows. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 104, 535–557.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Castle, M. E. (1977). A comparison between the feeding value of barley and dried molassed sugar beet pulp for milk production. Journal of the International Institute of Sugar Beet Research 7, 63–73.Google Scholar
de Visser, H. & de Groot, A. A. M. (1981). The influence of the starch and sugar content of concentrate on feed intake, rumen fluid, production and composition of milk. In Fourth International Conference on Production Diseases in Farm Animals – 1980 (ed. Giesecke, D., Dirksen, G. and Stangassinger, M.), pp. 41–48. Munich: University of Munich.Google Scholar
Johnson, C. L. (1983). Influence of feeding pattern on the biological efficiency of high yielding dairy cows. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 100, 191–199CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacGregor, C. A., Stokes, M. R., Hoover, W. H., Leonard, H. A., Junkins, L. L., Sniffen, C. J. & Mailman, R. W. (1983). Effect of dietary concentration of total non-structural carbohydrate on energy and nitrogen metabolism and milk production of dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 66, 39–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayne, C. S. & Gordon, F. J. (1984). The effect of type of concentrate and level of concentrate feeding on milk production. Animal Production 39, 65–76.Google Scholar
Mertens, D. R. & Loften, J. R. (1980). The effect of starch on forage fibre digestion kinetics in vitro. Journal of Dairy Science 63, 1437–1446.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1975). Energy Allowances and Feeding Systems for Ruminants. Technical Bulletin No. 33. London: H.M.S.O.Google Scholar
Mould, F. L., Ørskov, E. R. & Mann, S. O. (1983). Associative effects of mixed feeds. 1. Effects of type and level of supplementation and the influence of the rumen fluid pH on cellulolysis in vivo and dry matter digestion of various roughages. Animal Feed Science and Technology 10, 15–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phipps, R. H., Bines, J. A., Fulford, R. J. & Weller, R. F. (1984). Complete diets for dairy cows: a comparison between complete diets and separate ingredients. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 103, 171–180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rossing, W. (1979). Concentrate feeding of dairy cows. In Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition – 1978 (ed. Haresign, W. and Lewis, D.), pp. 149–157. London: Butterworth.Google Scholar
Sloan, B., Rawlinson, P. & Armstrong, D. G. (1986). The influence of concentrate energy source on dairy cow performance. Animal Production 42, 435 (abstract).Google Scholar
Sutton, J. D. (1985). Energy-sources and levels for dairy compounds. Feed Compounder 8, 20–24.Google Scholar
Sutton, J. D., Bines, J. A., Morant, S. V., Napper, D. J. & Givens, D. I. (1987 a). A comparison of starchy and fibrous concentrates for milk production, energy utilization and hay intake by Friesian cows. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 109, 375–386.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sutton, J. D., Bines, J. A., Napper, D. J. & Morant, S. V. (1987 b). Starch: fibre ratio of concentrates for dairy cows. Animal Production 44 (abstract) (in the Press).Google Scholar
Sutton, J. D., Broster, W. H., Napper, D. J. & Siviter, J. W. (1985). Feeding frequency for lactating cows: effects on digestion, milk production and energy utilisation. British Journal of Nutrition 53, 117–130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sutton, J. D., Hart, I. C, Broster, W. H., Elliott, R. J. & Sohuller, E. (1986). Feeding frequency for lactating cows: effects on rumen fermentation and blood metabolites and hormones. British Journal of Nutrition 56, 181–192.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thomas, C., Aston, K., Daley, S. R. & Bass, J. (1986). Milk production from silage. 4. The effect of the composition of the supplement. Animal Production 42, 315–325.Google Scholar