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ARS Home » Midwest Area » St. Paul, Minnesota » Plant Science Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #117402
Title: EFFECT OF BMR CORN SILAGE ON LACTATION PERFORMANCE OF PRIMIPAROUS AND MULTIPAROUS LACTATING DAIRY COWS

Author
item NENNICH, TAMILEE - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item LINN, JAMES - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item Jung, Hans Joachim

Submitted to: American Dairy Science Association Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/20/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Brown midrib (BMR) corn silage grown in 1999 was compared to a mixed blend of high grain corn silage grown in 1998 in an on-farm study with early and mid-lactation primiparous and multiparous lactating Holstein dairy cows. The study was a switchback design where cows were divided into four pens according to stage of lactation (early lactation 93 +/- 18 days in milk (DIM) or mid lactation 151 +/- 14 DIM) and parity. Early and mid-lactation pens contained 94 +/- 10 and 127 +/- 8 cows, respectively. Cows moved in and out of pens throughout the study according to standard operating procedures for the dairy based on number of cows per pen and cow DIM. Cows were group fed one of two dietary treatments containing either BMR corn silage or the 1998 corn silage (CON) for 14 d periods. The last 7 d of each period was used as the data collection period. Diets were fed for four periods in a double switchback design. The diets were formulated for 24% forage NDF, contained 46% or 58% corn silage (DM basis) in the first two periods and last two periods, respectively, and were formulated to be both isocaloric and isonitrogenous. Milk production and dry matter intake were measured by pen. Milk composition was analyzed by pen for percent fat and crude protein. There was not a diet by parity or a diet by stage of lactation interaction (P>.05). Within parity or stage of lactation, cows fed the BMR corn silage diet produced more milk (P<.02) than cows fed the control corn silage diet. Overall, BMR increased milk production by 2.5 kg per day. DMI intake was not different (P>.02) between diets, but a trend was observed towards increased intakes with BMR silage and as stage of lactation increased.