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A note on supplements for dairy cows offered silage of high digestibility

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

M. E. Castle
Affiliation:
Hannah Research Institute, Ayr KA6 5HL
W. C. Retter
Affiliation:
Hannah Research Institute, Ayr KA6 5HL
J. D. Metcalfe
Affiliation:
Scottish Agricultural Industries Ltd, Edinburgh EH4 3ET
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Summary

Grass silage with a dry-matter content of 20·7%, and containing 18·9% crude protein and 67·0% digestible organic matter in the dry matter was self-fed to 20 lactating dairy cows for 18 weeks. In addition, 9 kg of brewers' grains with a dry-matter content of 28·8% was offered to each cow daily. The two supplement treatments were a barley mix and a groundnut cube containing 11·9 and 33·5% crude protein in the dry matter respectively. The barley was given at the rate of 4 kg/10 kg milk, and the groundnut at 1·5 kg/10 kg milk. The mean daily yields of milk were 18·9 and 19·4 kg/cow on the barley and groundnut treatments respectively and did not differ significantly.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1977

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References

REFERENCES

Alexander, R. H. and McGowan, Mary. 1969. The assessment of the nutritive value of silage by determination of in vitro digestibility on homogenates prepared from fresh undried silage. J. Br. Grassld Soc. 24: 195198.Google Scholar
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Castle, M. E. and Thomas, P. C. 1975. Silage research at the Hannah Institute. Rep. Hannah Inst., pp. 6165.Google Scholar
Castle, M. E. and Watson, J. N. 1975. Silage and milk production. A comparison between barley and dried grass as supplements to silage of high digestibility. J. Br. Grassld Soc. 30: 217222.Google Scholar
Castle, M. E. and Watson, J. N. 1976. Silage and milk production. A comparison between barley and groundnut cake as supplements to silage of high digestibility. J. Br. Grassld Soc. 31: 191195.Google Scholar