Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pjpqr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-26T05:58:51.011Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of silage type on the performance of lactating cows and the response to, high levels of protein in the supplement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

F. J. Gordon
F. J. Gordon
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down
Get access

Abstract

A change-over design experiment, comprising four periods each of 4 weeks' duration, was used to evaluate three silage types each fed with two levels of protein in the supplement in a 3×2 factorial arrangement. The three silages were high digestibility unwilted (A), high digestibility wilted (B) and low digestibility unwilted (C). The supplements had crude protein contents of 152 and 240 g/kg dry matter, and were offered at a standard rate of 10 kg undried weight daily. The mean silage intakes were 9·3, 9·5 and 8·6 ±0·19 kg dry matter/day for A, B and C respectively, but protein content of the supplement had no significant effect on the intake of silage. Milk yield was significantly affected by both silage type and protein content of the supplement, with the mean yields being 23·6, 23·9 and 22·0 ± 0·49 kg/day for A, B and C respectively, and 22·4 and 24·0 ±0·40 kg/day for the medium and high protein supplements respectively. Although there was no significant interaction between silage type and protein content of the supplement, the greatest response to increased protein was obtained with B. Neither silage type nor protein content ofthe supplement affected animal live weight or milk composition (other than fat content, which was significantly affected by silage type). Blood plasma urea levels were 281 and 405 ± 28·0 mg/1 for the medium and high protein supplements respectively.

Total ration digestibility and nitrogen balances were carried out on three animals per treatment. The digestibility of dry matter, organic matter and nitrogen was significantly affected by both silage type and level of protein in the supplement. The output of nitrogen in the urine was also significantly affected by both these factors.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 30 , Issue 1 , February 1980 , pp. 29 - 37
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1980

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

REFERENCES

Agricultural Research Council. 1965. The Nutrient Requirements of Farm Livestock. No. 2, Ruminants. Agricultural Research Council, London.Google Scholar
Broster, W. H. 1972. Protein requirements of cows for lactation. In Handbuch der Tierernährung (ed. Lenkeit, W., Breirem, K., Crasemann, E.), Vol. 2, J pp. 292–322. Parey, Hamburg.Google Scholar
Butler, T. M. and Gleeson, P. A. 1973. Energy and protein supplementation of grass silage for lactating cows. An Foras Talúntais, Anim. Prod. Res. Rep., pp. 98–99.Google Scholar
Castle, M. E. 1975. Silage and milk production. Agric. Prog. 50: 53–60.Google Scholar
Castle, M. E. and Watson, J. N. 1970. Silage and milk production, a comparison between wilted and unwilted grass silages made with and without formic acid. J. Br. Grassld Soc. 25: 278–284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Castle, M. E. and Watson, J. N. 1976. Silage and milk production. A comparison between barley and groundnut cake as supplements to silage of high digestibility. J. Br. Grassld Soc. 31: 191–195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cuthbert, N. H., Thickett, W. S. and Wilson, P. N. 1973. The effect of varying protein level in a compound diet fed in conjunction with grass silage. Proc. Br. Soc. Anim. Prod. (New Series) 2: 70 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Gleeson, P. A. 1970. Feeding dairy concentrates to maximum advantage under Irish conditions. In Dairy Nutrition, pp. 85–95. US Feed Grains Council, London.Google Scholar
Gleeson, P. A. 1972. Winter feeding of dairy cows. Proc. An Foras Talúntais Dairying and Pig Conf. Fertnoy, pp. 56–59.Google Scholar
Gordon, F. J. 1978. The effect of interval between harvests and wilting on milk production. Proc. 5th Silage Conf., Hannah Res. Inst. pp. 44–45.Google Scholar
Gordon, F. J. 1979. The effect of protein content of the supplement for dairy cows with access ad libitum to high digestibility, wilted grass silage. Anim. Prod. 28: 183–189.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gordon, F. J. and Forbes, T. J. 1970. The associative effect of level of energy and protein intake in the dairy cow. J. Dairy Res. 37: 481–491.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gordon, F. J. and McMurray, C. H. 1979. The optimum level of protein in the supplement for dairy cows with access to grass silage. Anim. Prod. 29: 283–291.Google Scholar
Ling, E. R. 1956. A Text Book of Dairy Chemistry. Vol. 2, 3rd ed. Chapman and Hall, London.Google Scholar
McMurray, C. H., Logan, E. F., McParland, P. J., McRory, F. J. and O'neill, D. G. 1978. Sequential changes in some blood components in the normal neonatal calf. Br. vet.J. 134:590–597.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marsh, R. 1979. The effects of wilting on fermentation in the silo and on the nutritive value of silage. Grass Forage Sci. 34: 1–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland. 1975. Energy allowances and feeding systems for ruminants. Tech. Bull. 33. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Patterson, H. D. and Lucas, H. L. 1962. Change-over designs. Tech. Bull. N. Carolina agric. Exp. Stn and US Dep. Agric., No. 147.Google Scholar
Steen, R. W. J. 1978. A study of the effects of concentrate input, silage quality and management at pasture on the performance of dairy cows which calve during January and February. Ph.D. Thesis, Queen's Univ., Belfast.Google Scholar
Steen, R. W. J. and Gordon, F. J. 1980. The effect of level and system of concentrate allocation to January/February calving cows on total lactation performance. Anim. Prod. 30: 39–51.Google Scholar