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The response of dairy cows given high levels of molasses to dietary levels of fermentablemetabolisable energy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2017

T. Yan  and
D.J. Roberts
T. Yan
Affiliation:
SAC-Grassland and Ruminant Science Department, Crichton Royal Farm, Bankend Road, Dumfries DG1 4SZ
D.J. Roberts
Affiliation:
SAC-Grassland and Ruminant Science Department, Crichton Royal Farm, Bankend Road, Dumfries DG1 4SZ
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Extract

Unprotected tallow is used as a feed ingredient to meet the energy requirement of high milking dairy cows, but its hydrolysed free fatty acids in the rumen can inhibit microbial activity and dietary fibre digestion. However, the negative effects of the tallow could be minimized when high levels of molasses are also fed since feeding molasses could shorten the retention time of the hydrolysed free fatty acids in the rumen. In addition, molasses contains a large proportion of non-structural carbohydrates (sugars) which have fast fermentation rates in the rumen. When a diet is formulated to have a low fermentable metabolisable energy (FME) concentration, supplementing with a high molasses level may partially make up the deficiency of the energy requirement of the microorganisms in the rumen of dairy cows. Previous experiments have showed that molasses could be fed to dairy cows up to 312 g/kg DM without adverse effect (Yan and Roberts, 1992) and a crude protein level at 160 g/kg DM in the diet containing 310 g/kg DM of molasses was satisfactory for feed intake and milk production of dairy cows (Yan and Roberts, 1993). The current experiment was subsequently undertaken to investigate the response of dairy cows given high levels of molasses to dietary levels of FME produced by altering unprotected tallow concentrations in diets.

Type
Milk Production
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 1994 , March 1994 , pp. 39
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1994

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References

Moorby, J. M. and Dewhurst, R. J. 1993. The effect of fermentable energy supply on the excretion of purine derivatives in milk and urine of dairy cows. Animal Production 56:420 (Abstract).Google Scholar
Yan, T. and Roberts, D. J. 1993. The effects of dietary protein levels on the performance of lactating cows given high levels of molasses. Animal Production 56:424 (Abstract).Google Scholar
Yan, T. and Roberts, D. J. 1992. The responses of lactating cows to feeding of high molasses levels. Animal Production 54:476 (Abstract).Google Scholar