ARS | Publication request: MILK PRODUCTION RESPONSE TO ENERGY AND PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Georgia Dairy Herd Management Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: November 8, 1995
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Milk production response to incremental additions of either energy or protein (or both) to the dairy diet is a diminishing response. Current economic conditions in the U.S. dairy industry favor relatively high grain feeding, with total lactation diets ranging between 25 to 50% grains. Economic conditions in most countries do not favor feeding to the maximum milk response, particularly for protein. Our present feeding standards ar not very helpful in identifying the most profitable level of supplemental feed. Net energy values found in NRC tables are likely to be more accurate than accompanying information about protein degradation or microbial protein synthesis. More emphasis has to be given to milk production trials than to laboratory experiments for evaluating dietary protein sources and amounts.