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The effect of maize silage type on the performances and methane emission of dairy cattle
Author(s) -
De Boever J. L.,
Goossens K.,
Peiren N.,
Swanckaert J.,
Ampe B.,
Reheul D.,
De Brabander D. L.,
De Campeneere S.,
Vandaele L.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.651
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1439-0396
pISSN - 0931-2439
DOI - 10.1111/jpn.12598
Subject(s) - silage , rumen , dry matter , latin square , zoology , chemistry , composition (language) , soybean meal , total mixed ration , dairy cattle , meal , fermentation , food science , agronomy , biology , lactation , ice calving , philosophy , genetics , organic chemistry , pregnancy , raw material , linguistics
Summary To examine whether type of maize silage is important for milk production performances, maize silage LG 30224 ( LG ) was compared with Falkone ( FA ), the latter having a 4.0% points lower rumen NDF digestibility and 19 g/kg dry matter ( DM ) more starch. To bridge the lower energy content of FA , a third treatment was involved by adding maize meal ( MM ) in a ratio of 92/8 on DM ( FA + MM ). Maize and grass silage were fed ad libitum in a ratio of 65/35 on DM basis. Concentrates were supplemented individually to meet energy and protein requirements. The experiment was set up as a Latin square with three groups of nine Holstein cows during three periods of 3 weeks. In the last 2 weeks of each period, DM intake ( DMI ) and milk performances were measured. Each group included one cannulated cow to study effects on rumen fermentation. During the last 4 days of each period, two cows from each group were placed in gas exchange chambers to measure nutrient digestibility and methane production. Total DMI was higher (p < 0.05) for FA + MM (20.8 kg/day) than for FA (20.3 kg/day), while DMI for LG was intermediate (20.6 kg/day). Treatment did not affect milk production nor composition, whereas fat–protein‐corrected milk was higher for LG (30.5 kg/day) and FA + MM (30.3 kg/day) than for FA (29.9 kg/day). The ration did not affect pH nor volatile fatty acid composition in the rumen. Further, total tract digestibility of OM , crude protein, NDF and starch did not differ among treatments. The ration with LG gave higher methane production per day and per kg NDF intake than both rations with FA , but the difference was not significant when expressed per kg DMI or FPCM . Thus, maize silage type is of little importance for milk production if energy and physical structure requirements are met.