Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-25wd4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T06:07:13.394Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effects of concentrate acidogenicity on the performance of cows on maize silage-based diets

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

D. Wadhwa
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, SY23 3EB, UK
M.S. Dhanoa
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, SY23 3EB, UK
W.J. Fisher
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Trawsgoed Farm, Trawsgoed, Aberystwyth, SY23 4LL, UK
L.P. Borgida
Affiliation:
COFNA, 25 Rue du Rempart, B.P.1807, Tours, France
R.J. Dewhurst
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, SY23 3EB, UK
Get access

Extract

Feeding of highly fermentable carbohydrates is often necessary to meet the energy requirements of high producing cows. Unfortunately, these diets can lead to reduced rumen pH and impaired productivity. Earlier work showed that maize silage intake was greatly reduced when concentrates producing a high rumen acid load (Acidogenicity Value (AV); Wadhwa et al., 1998) were included at 0.5 of feed DM intake (Dewhurst et al., 1998). This further experiment sought to define the level of concentrate feeding at which AV becomes important.

Sixteen Holstein-Friesian cows in the third month of lactation were used. After a covariance period, cows went onto a cyclical changeover design with four periods each lasting for 21 days. Maize silage was offered ad libitum, through Calan gates, along with a fixed allocation of one of 8 concentrates.

Type
Programme
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 1999

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

Wadhwa, D., Dewhurst, R.J., Dhanoa, M.S. & Borgida, L.P. (1998). Acidogenicity of feeds for dairy cows. 1.Method development and screening of ingredients. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science, p205.Google Scholar
Dewhurst, R.J., Wadhwa, D., Borgida, L.P., Davies, D.W.R. and Fisher, W.J. (1998).Acidogenicity of feeds for dairy cows. 2. Production responses. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science, p206.Google Scholar