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Effects of sources of carbohydrate and protein given at low levels with grass silage ad libitum on the performance of lactating dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

K. Aston
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environment Research, Trawsgoed Research Farm, Trawsgoed, Dyfed SY23 4LL, Wales
R.J. Dewhurst
Affiliation:
IGER, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 3EB, Wales
W.J. Fisher
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environment Research, Trawsgoed Research Farm, Trawsgoed, Dyfed SY23 4LL, Wales
D.W.R. Davies
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environment Research, Trawsgoed Research Farm, Trawsgoed, Dyfed SY23 4LL, Wales
A.B. McAllan
Affiliation:
IGER, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 3EB, Wales
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Extract

An effective strategy for milk production is to supplement silage with small amounts of high-protein concentrate based on mixed carbohydrate sources and fish and soyabean meals (Aston et al 1992). Recent work at Trawsgoed by Sargeant and McAllan (1993) using growing steers given high-digestibility grass silage supplemented with rapeseed meal (a source of highly rumen degradable protein) produced similar live-weight gains to those obtained with fish meal. Jacobs and McAllan (1992) concluded that microbial protein yield is greater when the more degradable protein source is given, indicating a better balance in the supply of nitrogen and energy nutrients within the rumen. Lactating cows given grass silage diets have a high requirement for Metabolisable Protein (MP). The source of rumen fermentable carbohydrate may be important when MP supply is derived from degradable dietary protein and hence microbial growth. This study therefore examined the effects of varying the sources of carbohydrate and protein in low levels of concentrate given with high-digestibility grass silage. The main effects observed in the milk production experiment are presented here.

Type
Silage
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 1995

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References

Aston, K., Sutton, J.D., Baker, R.D. and Fisher, W.J. (1992) Animal production 54: 473 (Abstract)Google Scholar
Jacobs, J.L. and McAllan, A.B. (1992) Grass and Forage Science 47: 114120.10.1111/j.1365-2494.1992.tb02253.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sargeant, A. and McAllan, A.B. (1993) Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on silage Research, Dublin, p 208.Google Scholar