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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #70346
Title: YIELD RESPONSE OF DAIRY COWS FED DIFFERENT PROPORTIONS OF ALFALFA SILAGE AND CORN SILAGE

Author
item DHIMAN, TILAK - UNIV OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
item Satter, Larry

Submitted to: Journal of Dairy Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/8/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Alfalfa silage and corn silage are important forages for dairy cows in many parts of the United States. The amount of either forage fed (as percent of total forage) may vary from 0 to 100%, and is dependent upon a number of agronomic factors, machine availability, and personal preference of the dairy producer. The purpose of this study was to measure the cow response (milk production, milk composition, health and reproductive performance) t diets where all of the forage was either alfalfa silage (AS), two-thirds alfalfa silage plus one-third corn silage (one-third CS), or one-third alfalfa silage + two-thirds corn silage (two-thirds CS). Milk yield, rumen fermentation and protein utilization results suggest that the one-third CS and the two-thirds CS diets were superior to the AS diet in terms of animal performance, cost of milk production, and efficiency of nitrogen use on the farm. The optimum proportion of these two forages is probably 50-70% alfalfa silage and 30-50% corn silage. This information will help dairy farmers optimize their cropping programs to provide forage nutrients in more optimum amounts.

Technical Abstract: Forty-five multiparous and 29 primiparous cows were used in a complete study to determine milk production response to diets containing different proportions of alfalfa silage and corn silage. Cows were fed 50% forage and 50% grain diets. The forage portion of the diet was either alfalfa silage, or two-thirds alfalfa silage and one-third corn silage, or one-third alfalfa silage and two-thirds corn silage (dry basis). Treatment diets wer fed to six rumen cannulated cows to study the dietary effects on rumen fermentation. Average 3.5% FCM yield from wk 1 to 36 of lactation was 31.0, 32.9, and 31.8 kg/d for the alfalfa, one-third and two-thirds corn silage treatments, respectively. Milk yield for multiparous cows for 305 d was 9593, 10170, and 10024 kg, and for primiparous cows 8124, 8412, and 8168 kg with the alfalfa, one-third, and two-thirds corn silage treatments, respectively. Diets containing two-thirds corn silage decreased milk fat content in multiparous cows during early lactation. Milk protein content did not differ among treatments in multiparous cows. Gain in BW and body condition were not different among treatments. Ruminal pH and ammonia concentrations for the alfalfa, one-third, and two-thirds corn silage treatments were 6.2, 6.1, and 6.1; 12.3**a, 10.5**b, and 9.4**b mM (P < .02), respectively. Milk yield, rumen fermentation and protein utilization results suggest that the two-thirds alfalfa silage + one-third corn silage is a near optimum proportion of these two forages for dairy cows receiving diets similar to those used in this experiment.