Effects of urea–calcium mixture in concentrate containing high cassava chip on feed intake, rumen fermentation and performance of lactating dairy cows fed on rice straw

Context Several agro-industrial by-products such as oil palm meal could be useful as animal feeds in support of low cost of feed for livestock production. Aims This study investigated the effects of oil palm meal and urea pellet (PMUP) as a protein replacement for soybean meal (SBM) on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, rumen fluid characteristics, milk yield and milk composition in lactating dairy cows. Methods Five multiparous, early to mid-lactation, Holstein-Friesian crossbred dairy cows (75% Holstein-Friesian × 25% Thai Native Bos indicus) were randomly allocated in a 5 × 5 Latin square design to receive PMUP replacement for SBM at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% in concentrate. Key results The results show that roughage, total dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) intakes in the cows fed with 25–75% PMUP were significantly higher than in the cows fed 100% PMUP (P < 0.05), whereas the ether extract (EE) intake of the cows receiving the PMUP was higher than that of the control (P < 0.05). Accordingly, the apparent digestibility, ruminal ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and total volatile fatty acid (VFA) of cows fed with PMUP replacement of SBM at 25–75% was higher than that in cows fed with 100% PMUP. In addition, milk yield and milk composition were not significantly different among treatments, whereas feed costs per kg milk yield was lowest in cow fed with 100% PMUP (P < 0.05). Conclusions Replacing SBM with PMUP up to 50–100% in concentrate could reduce costs of feed per kg milk yield, but lower feed intake, nutrient utilisation and rumen fermentation were observed in cow fed with 100% PMUP. The use of PMUP from 25–75% replacement of SBM had no significant effects on the feed intake, nutrient utilisation, rumen fermentation and milk production. Therefore, the level of PMUP replacement of SBM in concentrate for lactating dairy cow should not exceed 75%. Implications PMUP could be used as a protein replacement for SBM in concentrate for lactating dairy cows. These findings should be applied further in practical farm condition in order to increase livestock production efficiency.

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Morning vs. evening feed delivery for lactating dairy cows

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.4141/cjas10012 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 91 (1) ◽

pp. 113-122 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

A. Nikkhah ◽

C. J. Furedi ◽

A. D. Kennedy ◽

S. L. Scott ◽

K. M. Wittenberg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Glucose ◽

Dairy Cows ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Milk Fat ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Rumen Fermentation ◽

Feed Consumption ◽

Delivery Time ◽

Rumen Ph ◽

Lactating Dairy Cows

Nikkhah, A., Furedi, C. J., Kennedy, A. D., Scott, S. L., Wittenberg, K. M. Crow, G. H. and Plaizier, J. C. 2011. Morning vs. evening feed delivery for lactating dairy cows. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 91: 113–122. A study was conducted to investigate the effects of changing feed delivery time from morning (0900) to evening (2100) on feed intake, diurnal feed intake patterns, digestion, rumen fermentation, milk production and composition, as well as on several blood metabolites. Eight (four ruminally cannulated) lactating Holstein cows, consisting of four primiparous and four multiparous cows, were used in the study. The change in the time of feed delivery increased the proportion of feed consumed within 3 h of feed delivery in all cows (54.7 vs. 46.3±4.1%, means±SE, P=0.05), but increased daily dry matter intake only in primiparous cows (18.5 vs. 20.4±0.7 kg d−1, P=0.05). Average daily concentrations of blood glucose, lactate, urea and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) as well as rumen pH and concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFA) were not affected by feed delivery time. However, rumen pH was lower (P<0.05), at 5 and 6 h after feed delivery, while total rumen VFA and acetate were higher (P<0.05) only at 6 h after feed delivery in cows fed in the evening. Also, compared with feed delivery at 0900, feeding cows at 2100 resulted in lower (P<0.05) blood glucose and urea at 2 h after feed delivery, and increased BHBA (P<0.05) at 4 and 6 h after feed delivery. Cows fed at 2100 tended to produce more milk fat than those fed at 0900 (1.11 vs. 0.97±0.07 kg d−1, P=0.08). Milk yield and milk protein were not affected by the time of feed delivery. Changing the feed delivery time from morning to evening increased apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen, and neutral detergent fibre. The results of this study suggest that changing time of feed delivery from 0900 to 2100 increases feed consumption within 3 h after this delivery and rumen fermentation within 6 h after this delivery, changes diurnal patterns of glucose, urea and BHBA in peripheral blood, tends to increase milk fat, and increases nutrient digestibilities.

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