Milk production of dairy cows fed sugar cane silage based diets

Abstract Text: This study aimed to evaluate the use sugar cane silage for Holstein high and medium producing cows. The treatments consisted of corn silage (CS) in forage: concentrate ratio 60:40, and four diets based on sugar cane in forage: concentrate ratio 40:60: fresh sugar cane (FSC), sugar cane silage control (SCC), sugar cane silage with Lactobacillus buchneri (SCLB), and sugar cane silage with Lactobacillus plantarum plus Pediococcus pentosaceus (SCLP). Fifteen cows were blocked for milk production (25, 30 and 35 kg/day), and were evaluated in 5 periods of 15 days. Animals were distributed in a randomized block design in a scheme of repeated measures. Data was analyzed according to the follow contrasts: CS vs sugar cane diets; FSC vs sugar cane silage diets; SSC vs sugar cane silage with additives; SCLB vs SCLP. DM, OM, NDF, NFC intakes did not differ between treatments (P > 0,05). The digestible OM intake was also not affected (P = 0.05). CP intake was greater (P = 0.02) for diets containing sugar cane silage. CS had higher DM (P = 0.04) and OM (P = 0.03) digestibility compared to diets containing sugar cane silage. It was also observed that digestibility of NDF in CS was greater (P = 0.02) than other diets, and SCLB promoted the lowest vules of NDF digestibility. We observed no differences (P = 0.580) for production of milk (25,8 kg / day), corrected milk 4% fat (23.19 kg/day), milk fat (3.34%), milk lactose (4.00%) and total solids (11.43%), whereas there was a higher crude protein content in milk (P = 0.04) for FSC (3.09%) and lowest level for SCLP (2.62%). Sugar cane diets contained higher levels of plasma urea nitrogen (PUN; 0.010), and FSC presented lower values compared to others sugar cane diets. Urea nitrogen in urine (UNU) and microbial efficiency (EFMIC) did not differ between diets (P> 0.05). The average daily gain (ADG) also did not differ (P = 0.42) between treatments (0.31 kg / day). It was concluded that diets with 60% concentrate added to sugar cane silage can allow support mean yields 25.8 kg / day of milk, similarly to other bulky sources.

Keywords: digestibility, milk, consumption