The objective of this study was to determine whether production and nutrient utilization differed when lactating cows were fed diets based on 1 of 3 sources of alfalfa silage (AS) and whether performance was altered by feeding rumen-protected Met (RPM; fed as Mepron). Thirty-six lactating Holstein cows were blocked by parity and days in milk, then assigned to a randomized complete block design ...

This research was conducted to determine the effect of corn genetics and cutting height on the composition and nutritive characteristics of corn silage. An in situ study involving eight commercially available corn hybrids indicated main effects and interactions (P < 0.01) of hybrid and cutting height on NDF, ADF, and starch content and on in situ DM and NDF degradablility. Four ruminally cannul...

This study aimed to examine the effects of feeding corn silage inoculated without or with either Lactobacillus buchneri (LB) alone or a combination of LB and Lactobacillus plantarum (LBLP) on the apparent digestibility, ruminal fermentation, microbial protein synthesis, and growth performance of lambs. Thirty Santa Inês×Dorper crossbred intact males lambs weighing 20.4±3.8 kg were blocked by we...

One primiparous and 3 multiparous lactating Holstein cows fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design to determine the efficacy of adding urea to a corn silage-based diet on ruminal fermentation and microbial protein synthesis. Dietary treatments were 0, 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9% urea in diet dry matter (DM); urea was manually top dressed and incorporated into th...

Two experiments using six rumen-fistulated Holstein steers in 3 X 3 Latin square designs were conducted to test the effects of urea addition to corn silage, and grain addition to haylage, on feed intake, digestibility of nutrients and rumen fermentation of complete diets fed once daily. Addition of .34 and .68% urea to corn silage increased dietary crude protein from 8.1 to 11.3 and 13.3%, and ...

The effects of roughage source and timing of inclusion in high-concentrate diets on feedlot performance were evaluated in each of 2 yr with 144 and 120 long-fed Holstein steers, respectively. Roughage, when included in the diet, was delivered in a built-in-roughage (BIR) pellet supplying 15 and 6% roughage (percentage of DM) or hay crop silage (HCS) supplying 7 and 10% roughage (percentage of D...

Background: No studies have been conducted evaluating sugarcane silage associated with both Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus for lactating dairy cows. Objective: To evaluate diets containing different roughages without microbial inoculants on intake, digestibility milk yield of medium-producing Methods: A total 15 Holstein cows distributed into a randomized block design were ...

Lactating dairy cow diets with more than 24% starch (DM basis) are common, but recent high corn prices have fueled a desire to feed lower-starch diets. The potential for using digestible neutral detergent fiber or pectin from byproduct feeds or sugars to partially replace starch from corn grain in diets fed to lactating dairy cows was reviewed. Potential modifying effects of corn silage, starch...

Two feeding trials evaluated several byproducts from commercial amino acid fermentations as N supplements for lactating cows. Trial 1 was a replicated 5 x 5 Latin square that used 2-wk periods and 25 Holstein cows (five with ruminal cannulae) fed diets containing [dry matter (DM) basis] 28% alfalfa silage, 31% corn silage, 28% high moisture ear corn plus 4 percentage units of crude protein (CP)...