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Complete diets given ad libitum to dairy cows—the effect of the level of inclusion of milled straw

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

J. B. Owen ,
E. L. Miller  and
P. S. Bridge
J. B. Owen
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture
E. L. Miller
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture
P. S. Bridge
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Medicine, Cambridge University
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Summary

Complete diets were given ad libitum to dairy cows over a whole lactation in order to study the voluntary intake of food, lactation performance and efficiency of feed conversion. The effect of including four levels 16, 24, 32 and 40 % of coarsely milled barley straw in the loose mix was studied for diets based mainly on barley or on sugar beet pulp, using a double 4 × 4 Latin square design.

The results confirmed that cows can perform normally when given complete diets for extended periods. Dry matter and digestible energy intake was depressed at the higher levels of straw inclusion and milk butterfat content at the lowest level. The net efficiency of conversion of metabolizable energy (M.E.) into milk was higher at the higher levels of straw. It is concluded that complete diets for the self-feeding of dairy cows should contain a minimum of about 24 % of coarsely milled straw and that estimated metabolizable energy intake and production were depressed by including straw at higher levels.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 72 , Issue 3 , June 1969 , pp. 351 - 357
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1969

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References

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