Influence of rumen undegradable protein levels on feed intake and milk production of dairy cows

Twenty-seven dairy cows in midlactation were utilized in two experiments using 15 and 12 cows to determine effects of varying the delivery of ruminally undegraded protein on feed intake, milk production and some rumen and plasma characteristics. In Experiment 1, cows consumed alfalfa silage ad libitum and one of three barley-based concentrates with either soybean meal (a rapidly rumen degraded protein source), corn gluten meal (a slowly degraded protein source), or an equal mixture of the two, fed at the rate of 0.36 kg/kg of milk produced. In Experiment 2, cows were fed total mixed diets based upon alfalfa silage, barley and either soybean meal, corn gluten meal, or a mixture of soybean meal and whey powder (a protein source very rapidly degraded in the rumen). In sacco incubation procedures were used to estimate degradability of protein in all diets. All diets exceeded Agricultural Research Council recommendations for rumen degraded and undegraded protein as well as NRC recommendations for degraded protein. However, one to three of the six total diets, depending upon assumed ruminal turnover rates, did not meet NRC recommendations for undegraded protein. Production parameters, including DMI as well as milk yield and composition, were not influenced by diet in either experiment. Results do not support NRC recommendations for ruminally undegraded protein for midlactation dairy cows producing about 30 kg/d of milk and broadly support the lower recommendations of the Agricultural Research Council. Results also appear to question use of dietary energy intake to predict net rumen microbial protein yield

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: 111487 Robinson, P.H., 92571 McQueen, R.E., 51971 Burgess, P.L.
Format: biblioteca
Published: 1991
Subjects:GANADO DE LECHE, PRODUCCION DE LECHE, CONSUMO DE ALIMENTOS, PROTEINA SOBREPASANTE, REQUERIMIENTOS NUTRICIONALES,
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Summary:Twenty-seven dairy cows in midlactation were utilized in two experiments using 15 and 12 cows to determine effects of varying the delivery of ruminally undegraded protein on feed intake, milk production and some rumen and plasma characteristics. In Experiment 1, cows consumed alfalfa silage ad libitum and one of three barley-based concentrates with either soybean meal (a rapidly rumen degraded protein source), corn gluten meal (a slowly degraded protein source), or an equal mixture of the two, fed at the rate of 0.36 kg/kg of milk produced. In Experiment 2, cows were fed total mixed diets based upon alfalfa silage, barley and either soybean meal, corn gluten meal, or a mixture of soybean meal and whey powder (a protein source very rapidly degraded in the rumen). In sacco incubation procedures were used to estimate degradability of protein in all diets. All diets exceeded Agricultural Research Council recommendations for rumen degraded and undegraded protein as well as NRC recommendations for degraded protein. However, one to three of the six total diets, depending upon assumed ruminal turnover rates, did not meet NRC recommendations for undegraded protein. Production parameters, including DMI as well as milk yield and composition, were not influenced by diet in either experiment. Results do not support NRC recommendations for ruminally undegraded protein for midlactation dairy cows producing about 30 kg/d of milk and broadly support the lower recommendations of the Agricultural Research Council. Results also appear to question use of dietary energy intake to predict net rumen microbial protein yield