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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #73833
Title: ENERGY BALANCE IN EARLY LACTATING HOLSTEIN COWS FED CORN GRAIN HARVESTED AND PROCESSED DIFFERENTLY

Author
item Wilkerson, Victor
item Glenn, Barbara
item McLeod, Kyle

Submitted to: Journal of Dairy Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/10/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Corn grain and alfalfa silage are key feed ingredients for the dairy industry. Our interests were to help the dairy producer by determining how much energy was available for milk production from diets composed of alfalfa silage and corn grain. Dietary treatments were established using corn harvested as high moisture or dry and processed as ground or rolled. Cows were temporarily housed in chambers where all sources of nutrient input and output were measured to establish balances of energy and nitrogen per treatment. Intake of diet dry matter was similar across treatments, but more milk was produced from cows consuming diets made with high moisture corn compared to dry corn. Also, greater milk yields were observed for diets containing ground corn compared to rolled corn. High moisture corn diets and dry corn diets resulted in similar percentages of milk protein, milk fat, and milk solids non-fat, however ground corn diets resulted in greater percentages of milk protein and milk solids non-fat than rolled corn diets. The balance of energy and nitrogen was greater for high moisture corn diets compared to dry corn diets. Energy and nitrogen balances did not differ between ground corn diets and rolled corn diets. Per unit of total diet dry matter, more energy was supplied by high moisture corn diets compared to dry corn diets. This study found more milk and animal tissue produced from alfalfa silage plus high moisture corn diets compared to alfalfa silage plus dry corn diets. Finally, this study indicates more energy is supplied by high moisture corn than dry corn in lactating cow diets.

Technical Abstract: Effects of corn harvesting and processing on the net energy for lactation value of lactating cow diets was investigated. Holstein cows were used in a replicated Latin square design with a 2 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Treatments were based on corn harvesting and processing methods: dry ground, dry rolled, high moisture ground, and high moisture rolled. Diets included alfalfa silage as the forage source. Indirect calorimetry was conducted using a 6-d nutrient balance protocol with 24-h respiration measurements. Dry matter intake did not differ among treatments and averaged 24.1 kg/d. Milk yield was greater by 1.97 kg/d for high moisture corn diets compared to dry corn diets, and greater by 2.22 kg/d for ground corn diets compared to rolled corn diets. Non-fiber carbohydrate, CP, and DM disappearances were greater for high moisture corn diets compared to dry corn diets. Metabolizable energy and heat production nwere greater for high moisture corn diets compared to dry corn diets, and greater for ground corn diets compared to rolled corn diets. Net energy for lactation was greater for diets containing high moisture corn compared to dry corn (1.78 versus 1.64 Mcal/kg of DM) with no difference between ground and rolled corn diets. Processed corn fed in combination with alfalfa silage influenced energy metabolism and milk production.