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Performance of Dairy Cows Fed Four Different Roughages and Two Levels of Concentrate
Thesis Abstract:
Sixteen lactating Holstein x Red Sindhi cows were used to determine the effects of feeding four kings of roughages supplemented with two levels of concentrate, on milk production and composition, body weight gain and physiological responses, Roughage sources used were silages of rice straw-molasses (R1), corn stover-molasses (R2), sugarcane tops-molasses (R3) and Napier grass (R4). The two supplement levels for each roughage were: 1 kg concentrate for every 2 kg milk produced (C1) and 1 kg concentrate for every 1.5 kg milk (C2).
The cows fed R1 and R4 had higher dry matter and gross energy intakes, resulting in higher milk production. Animals given C2 had also high dry matter intake but did not increase milk production. However, no significant differences were observed among treatment means for milk production and feed intakes of the animals fed the four kinds of roughages and the two concentrate levels.
An observed trend indicated a possible relationship between milk composition and concentrate level. Generally, the higher the concentrate intake, the higher were the percentages of solids-not-fat, total solids and protein in the milk.
Animals fed R1 and R4 with C2 also showed higher gains in body weight.
Treatment means for body temperature, respiratory rate and pulse rate gave no significant differences, although the cows fed C2 showed higher respiratory rate.
The use of C2 resulted in lower return of income over concentrate cost per cow per day.
Under the conditions and management practices employed in this experiment, properly ensiled farm by-products such as rice straw, corn stove and sugarcane tops could be used as sources of roughage for dairy cattle.