Effects of dietary Sanguisorba minor, Plantago lanceolata, and Lotus corniculatus on urinary N excretion of dairy cows

Context Mitigating urinary nitrogen (N) losses is an important target of sustainable cattle nutrition concepts. One option to achieve this may be dietary inclusion tanniferous herbs.Aims Aim the study was investigate herbs with different profiles tannins for their efficiency abate N losses. Small burnet (Sanguisorba minor) high concentrations total tannins, plantain (Plantago lanceolata) low and birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) expectedly condensed were included in treatments.Methods The test plants mixed dried form into a grass–maize-silage diet at 80g/kg dry matter. They replaced perennial ryegrass (control). Twenty-four multiparous dairy cows randomly allocated four diets. Intake, eating time, rumination milk yield recorded individually, representative samples excreta collected analysed six times within 14days, following 10days adaptation. diets ryegrass, trefoil, or contained, per kilogram matter, 0, 1.8, 1.2 1.9g 0.1, 1.9, 1.7 15.5g 26.2, 28.5, 27.5 26.6g N.Key results Milk composition not affected by treatment, apart from decline protein content when feeding plantain. urea concentration reduced more than 30%, compared control Birdsfoot also concentration, but lesser degree. Furthermore, treatment substantially shifted excretion urine faeces (about 30% lower losses). All treatments lowered proportion fine particles <1.0mm faeces, what might due fibre control.Conclusions At 80g/kg, forage herb potential reduce ruminal ammonia generation as indicated urea. Plantain had no negligible effects.Implications that small could have feed additive terms N-use efficiency, emissions environment, animal metabolic stress.