Digestibility and clover proportion determine milk production when silages of different grass and clover species are fed to dairy cows. 2017

M Johansen, and K Søegaard, and P Lund, and M R Weisbjerg
Department of Animal Science, AU Foulum, Aarhus University, 8830 Tjele, Denmark. Electronic address: marianne.johansen@anis.au.dk.

This study examined how silages of different grass and clover species affect dry matter (DM) intake, milk production, and eating behavior in dairy cows. The primary growth of perennial ryegrass (early and late harvested), festulolium, tall fescue, red clover, and white clover swards were cut, wilted, and ensiled without additives. Thirty-six Danish Holstein cows were fed ad libitum with total mixed rations containing 70% forage on DM basis in an incomplete Latin square design. The forage source was either 1 of the 6 pure silages or late perennial ryegrass silage mixed (50:50 on DM basis) with either red clover or white clover silage. Intake of DM, milk yield, and milk lactose concentration were higher, whereas milk fat and protein concentrations were lower when cows were fed clover compared with grass. No differences in DM intake and milk composition were detected between cows fed red clover and white clover, but white clover resulted in higher milk yield than red clover. Lower body weight, probably caused by lower rumen fill, in cows fed pure white clover compared with the other treatments indicated that intake was regulated physiologically instead of physically. Cows fed early perennial ryegrass, which had the highest silage organic matter digestibility (OMD), did not produce the expected amount of energy-corrected milk (ECM) compared with the other treatments based on the amount of OM digested in the gastrointestinal tract, but the reason was unclear. Across all other grass species, ECM was related to OMD. Inclusion of 50% clover in the diet increased ECM with 2.3 kg/d, and the response to OMD was comparable to the response for the grass silages. In situ fiber degradation profile parameters indicated that fiber in festulolium differed compared with fiber in the other grass species and resembled fiber in clover. Drinking and eating behavior differed markedly in cows fed pure white clover compared with the other treatments. Water intake per drinking bout was comparable among treatments, but cows fed pure white clover had higher drinking bout duration and reduced drinking rate. Additionally, meal size was smaller for cows fed pure white clover compared with the other treatments, for which meal size was similar. In conclusion, differences in ECM between different grass species can be explained by differences in OMD, and at a given OMD level inclusion of clover in the diet increased ECM.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007785 Lactose A disaccharide of GLUCOSE and GALACTOSE in human and cow milk. It is used in pharmacy for tablets, in medicine as a nutrient, and in industry. Anhydrous Lactose,Lactose, Anhydrous
D008892 Milk The off-white liquid secreted by the mammary glands of humans and other mammals. It contains proteins, sugar, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. Cow Milk,Cow's Milk,Milk, Cow,Milk, Cow's
D002417 Cattle Domesticated bovine animals of the genus Bos, usually kept on a farm or ranch and used for the production of meat or dairy products or for heavy labor. Beef Cow,Bos grunniens,Bos indicus,Bos indicus Cattle,Bos taurus,Cow,Cow, Domestic,Dairy Cow,Holstein Cow,Indicine Cattle,Taurine Cattle,Taurus Cattle,Yak,Zebu,Beef Cows,Bos indicus Cattles,Cattle, Bos indicus,Cattle, Indicine,Cattle, Taurine,Cattle, Taurus,Cattles, Bos indicus,Cattles, Indicine,Cattles, Taurine,Cattles, Taurus,Cow, Beef,Cow, Dairy,Cow, Holstein,Cows,Dairy Cows,Domestic Cow,Domestic Cows,Indicine Cattles,Taurine Cattles,Taurus Cattles,Yaks,Zebus
D003612 Dairying Production, storage, and distribution of DAIRY PRODUCTS. Dairy Industry,Dairy Industries,Industries, Dairy,Industry, Dairy
D004032 Diet Regular course of eating and drinking adopted by a person or animal. Diets
D005260 Female Females
D006109 Poaceae A large family of narrow-leaved herbaceous grasses of the order Cyperales, subclass Commelinidae, class Liliopsida (monocotyledons). Food grains (EDIBLE GRAIN) come from members of this family. RHINITIS, ALLERGIC, SEASONAL can be induced by POLLEN of many of the grasses. Alopecurus,Arundo,Gramineae,Grasses,Imperata,Grass,Imperata cylindrica
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012417 Rumen The first stomach of ruminants. It lies on the left side of the body, occupying the whole of the left side of the abdomen and even stretching across the median plane of the body to the right side. It is capacious, divided into an upper and a lower sac, each of which has a blind sac at its posterior extremity. The rumen is lined by mucous membrane containing no digestive glands, but mucus-secreting glands are present in large numbers. Coarse, partially chewed food is stored and churned in the rumen until the animal finds circumstances convenient for rumination. When this occurs, little balls of food are regurgitated through the esophagus into the mouth, and are subjected to a second more thorough mastication, swallowed, and passed on into other parts of the compound stomach. (From Black's Veterinary Dictionary, 17th ed) Rumens
D012820 Silage Fodder converted into succulent feed for livestock through processes of anaerobic fermentation (as in a silo).

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