Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T21:58:15.592Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The effects on milk yield and composition of incorporating lactose into the diet of dairy cows given protected fat

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

P. C. Garnsworthy
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD
Get access

Abstract

Twenty-eight Holstein/Friesian dairy cows were divided into four groups of seven. From weeks 4 to 15 of lactation they were given a basal diet consisting of 8 kg hay, 2 kg sugar-beet feed and 2 kg grass nuts, together with a concentrate allowance of 8 kg/day. Concentrates for group A were based on cereals and soya (control). Concentrate B contained 60 g protected fat supplement per kg; concentrate C contained 100 g lactose per kg; concentrate D contained 60 g fat supplement and 100 g lactose per kg. Milk yields were 24·6, 27·7, 25·6 and 26·5 kg/day and milk protein concentrations were 32·3, 30·7, 32·7 and 31·9 g/kg for groups A, B, C and D respectively. The effect of fat supplementation on milk yield and protein concentration was significant (P < 0·05) but the effect of lactose was not significant. Milk fat concentration was not significantly affected by treatment. It is concluded that lactose can partially alleviate the depression in milk protein concentration often observed when cows are given protected fat.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agricultural and Food Research Council. 1992. Nutritive requirements of ruminant animals: protein. Technical Committee on Responses to Nutrients, report no. 9. Nutrition Abstracts and Reviews, Series B 62: 787835.Google Scholar
Chamberlain, D. G. and Choung, J-J. 1995. The importance of rate of ruminal fermentation of energy sources in diets for dairy cows. In Recent advances in animal nutrition — 1995 (ed. Garnsworthy, P. C. and Cole, D. J. A.), pp. 327. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham.Google Scholar
Garnsworthy, P. C. 1990. Feeding calcium salts of fatty acids in high starch or high fibre compound supplements to lactating cows at grass. Animal Production 51: 441447.Google Scholar
Garnsworthy, P. C. and Huggett, C. D. 1992. The influence of the fat concentration of the diet on the response by dairy cows to body condition at calving. Animal Production 54: 713.Google Scholar
Jones, G. P. and Garnsworthy, P. C. 1989. The effects of dietary energy content on the response of dairy cows to body condition at calving. Animal Production 49: 183191.Google Scholar
Thomas, P. C., Robertson, S., Chamberlain, D. G., Livingstone, R. M., Garthwaite, P. H., Dewey, P. J. S., Smart, R. and Whyte, C. 1988. Predicting the metabolizable energy (ME) content of compounded feeds for ruminants. In Recent advances in animal nutrition — 1988 (ed. Haresign, W. and Cole, D. J. A.), pp. 127146. Butterworths, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Visser, H. de. 1993. Characterization of carbohydrates in concentrates for dairy cows. In Recent advances in animal nutrition – 1993 (ed. Garnsworthy, P. C. and Cole, D. J. A.), pp. 1938. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham.Google Scholar
Wu, Z. and Huber, J. T. 1994. Relationship between dietary fat supplementation and milk protein concentration in lactating cows — a review. Livestock Production Science 39: 141155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar