The effects of processed, urea-treated whole-crop wheat or maize silage and supplementation of whole-crop wheat on the performance of dairy cows

Sinclair, L.A., Jackson, M.A., Huntington, J.A. and Readman, R.J. (2005) The effects of processed, urea-treated whole-crop wheat or maize silage and supplementation of whole-crop wheat on the performance of dairy cows. Livestock Production Science, 95 (1-2). pp. 1-10.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.livprodsci.2004.10.013

Abstract

Forty-four early lactation dairy cows were divided into four treatment groups to examine the effects of processed, urea-treated whole-crop wheat (pWCW), maize silage and carbohydrate supplement type to pWCW on dry matter (DM) intake and milk production. All cows received 8.5 kg/day of concentrate with cows fed the pWCW receiving an additional 2 kg/day of rolled wheat (W-pWCW) or 0.7 kg/day lactose and 1.3 kg/day rolled wheat (L-pWCW) or 2.3 kg/day of molasses (M-pWCW), whilst the maize silage (Maize) treatment received an additional 2 kg/day of rolled wheat. The pWCW or maize forages were mixed 2:1 on a DM basis with first cut grass silage and cows remained on the experimental treatments for 15 weeks. The pWCW and maize silage had a DM content of 823 and 310 g/kg, crude protein of 143 and 76 g/kg DM, and starch content of 350 and 308 g/kg DM respectively. Milk yield was similar across treatments averaging 34.3 kg/day. By contrast, milk protein concentration (g/kg) was higher (P<0.01) in cows fed M-pWCW compared with L-pWCW. There was no significant effect of treatment on milk fat content (g/kg) or fat and protein yield (kg/day). Cows fed the maize silage ate less forage than those receiving W-pWCW whilst within the pWCW treatments, those fed lactose ate less than those receiving molasses (mean values of 10.7, 13.3, 12.2 and 14.6 kg DM/day for Maize, W-pWCW, L-pWCW and M-pWCW respectively; P<0.001). There was no significant difference between treatments in average body condition score, live weight (kg) or live weight change (kg/day). There was also no significant effect of supplement to pWCW on plasma β-hydroxybutyrate concentration, whilst cows fed pWCW supplemented with molasses had the lowest plasma urea levels over the experimental period (P<0.05). In conclusion, cows fed processed, urea-treated WCW had a similar milk production to those fed good quality maize silage but consumed more forage, whilst supplementation of pWCW with lactose tended to increase milk yield and molasses increased milk protein concentration, with little effect on component yield.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	Animal Production, Welfare and Veterinary Sciences (to 31.07.20)
Depositing User:	Mr Darren Roberts
Date Deposited:	07 Nov 2018 14:15
Last Modified:	29 Nov 2018 12:52
URI:	https://hau.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/16312

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