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Effects of maize ( Zea mays L.) silage feeding on dry matter intake and milk production of dairy buffalo and cattle in Tarai, Nepal
Author(s) -
HAYASHI Yoshiaki,
THAPA Bhim B.,
SHARMA Mohan P.,
SAPKOTA Maheshwor,
KUMAGAI Hajime
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
animal science journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.606
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1740-0929
pISSN - 1344-3941
DOI - 10.1111/j.1740-0929.2009.00655.x
Subject(s) - dry matter , silage , milking , latin square , biology , milk production , zoology , nutrient , straw , agronomy , food science , fermentation , rumen , ecology
To identify the effects of whole crop maize silage (MS) as a substitute for rice straw (RS) on feed intake and milk production of mid‐late lactating buffalo and cattle in Tarai, Nepal, eight Murrah and eight Jersey‐Hariana were fed the basal diet, RS ( ad libitum ) with concentrate (0.68% of bodyweight [BW] on a dry matter [DM] basis). A 4 × 4 Latin square design experiment was conducted in each animal species with graded levels of MS substitution for RS (0%, T1; 33%, T2; 67%, T3 and 100%, T4). The MS had higher digestibility and total digestible nutrient (TDN) than RS. The DM intake per BW of the both species was highest in T3. The substitution of MS for RS increased the crude protein intake and the TDN intake in the both species. Although the buffalo showed the highest milking performance in T4, the cattle showed no significant differences in their milking performance among the treatments. The substitution of MS for RS improved the feed intake and milk production in the buffalo. On the other hand, the milk yield was not raised in the cattle, though the feed intake was increased by the substitution.