Digestion and energy balance in lactating dairy cows fed varying ratios of alfalfa silage and grain.

Forty-four multiparous and 43 primiparous Holstein cows were used to study the effect of dietary alfalfa silage: grain ratio on digestion, passage of digesta, and energy balance in a complete lactation experiment. Cows were placed on one of five treatments with forage contents from 38.2 to 98.2% (DM basis) during the first 12 wk of lactation. Forage content was increased during wk 13 to 26 of lactation to give diets containing 48.2 to 98.2% forage and again during wk 27 to 44 to give diets containing 68.2 to 98.2% forage. Both DMI and DM digestibilities decreased as proportion of dietary forage increased. The DM digestibilities for multiparous and primiparous cows ranged between 69.3 and 57.3% during early lactation and 64.9 and 55.5% during late lactation. Increased percentage of forage in the diet decreased and then increased (quadratic relationship) the ruminal retention time of La, a marker applied to the alfalfa silage in early and late lactation. Time cows spent eating and ruminating per kilogram of DMI increased as proportion of forage in the diet increased. Cows fed diets with a high proportion of alfalfa silage remained in negative energy balance longer than cows fed high grain diets. Intake of NEL (calculated by either of two methods) minus NEL output (milk, maintenance, and BW change) resulted in net balances of NEL after 36 wk of lactation within 5% of NEL intake and indicated that estimates of the NEL value of feedstuffs used in this experiment were reasonably accurate.

Recombinant bovine somatotropin with lactating cows fed diets differing in energy density.

Sixty-four Holstein cows (32 primiparous) were assigned randomly at parturition to one of two diets differing in forage:grain ratio and were further assigned to either control or treatment with recombinant bST. A full lactation study was conducted. Total mixed rations consisted of alfalfa silage, high moisture ear corn, soybean meal, and vitamin and mineral supplements. Percentages of forage in the diet (dry basis) for the high and medium energy diets were wk 1 to 12, 38.2 and 58.2; wk 13 to 26, 48.2 and 68.2; and wk 27 to 44, 68.2 and 88.2. Injection of a saline placebo or 20.6 mg/d per cow of bST started at wk 13 and stopped at wk 43 of lactation. Administration of bST increased 305-d milk yield by 19.9 and 18.3% for multiparous cows fed high and medium grain diets and by 13.0 and 5.9% for primiparous cows fed the same diets. Body weight gain during lactation tended to be lower for cows treated with bST, and body condition scores were significantly lower for those treated with bST and fed the medium energy diets. Daily injection of bST did not change concentrations of glucose or urea in blood or beta-hydroxybutyrate in plasma. Multiparous cows had a transitory increase in plasma FFA concentration immediately after bST treatment started. Milk composition, health, and reproductive parameters observed were not adversely affected by bST administration. Cows fed low energy diets during bST administration in the first lactation did not produce as much milk as controls when compared during the first 10 wk of their second lactation.

Milk production response to dietary forage:grain ratio.

Forty-four multiparous and 49 primiparous Holstein cows were assigned randomly at parturition to one of five diets differing in forage:grain ratio and studied for the entire lactation for effects of diet on milk production and milk composition, body condition, BW gain, health, and reproductive performance. Total mixed rations fed once daily consisted of alfalfa silage, high moisture ear corn, soybean meal, vitamins, and minerals. Percentages of forage in the diet (dry basis) for treatments 1 to 5 were postpartum wk 1 to 12 (38.2, 48.2, 58.2, 68.2, and 98.2); wk 13 to 26 (48.2, 58.2, 68.2, 88.2, and 98.2); and wk 27 to 44 (68.2, 78.2, 88.2, 98.2, and 98.2). Milk production (3.5% FCM in 305 d) was 8295, 8659, 7563, 6849, and 6000 kg for multiparous cows in treatments 1 to 5, respectively, and 7334, 7177, 6976, 6014, and 4750 kg for primiparous cows. Primiparous cows had decreased milk protein, BW gain, DMI and gross feed efficiency as forage increased in the diet. Multiparous cows in treatment 1 had depressed milk fat and lower DMI and gross feed efficiency compared with other treatments. Body condition scores tended to be lower as forage increased in the diet with both age groups. Increased forage in the diet did not cause any adverse effects on health and reproductive performance in either age group.

Effect of dietary forage:grain ratio on blood constituents in dairy cows.

Forty-nine primiparous and 44 multiparous lactating Holstein cows were used to study the effect of five dietary forage: grain ratios on blood constituents. Blood samples were collected in wk 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 16 of lactation and were analyzed for glucose, urea, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and FFA. Increasing the percentage of forage in the diet decreased blood glucose concentration. Glucose levels were low at the beginning of lactation and increased as DMI increased. Increasing percentage of forage in the diet did not affect blood urea concentration. Increasing forage in the diet from 38.2 to 98.2% increased beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations threefold during the first 4 wk of lactation in both primiparous and multiparous cows. The concentration of plasma FFA was higher in all the treatments at the beginning of lactation and decreased as lactation advanced. Dietary forage:grain ratio did not affect plasma FFA.