Effects of different sucrose levels on digestibility and mastication of hay and on yield and composition of milk in dairy cow
1971
Liisa Syrjälä
In the trials two dairy cows were fed on 6 kg of timothy hay and 0, 1, 2 and 4 kg of pure beet sugar. Cr2O3 was used as tracer. If the sugar addition to the diet was 1 kg/cow/day, there was practically no effect on the digestibility of hay. When the sugar was increased to 2 kg/cow/day, the digestibility of hay decreased 11.7 %-units. In the case of the cell wall complex the corresponding decrease was 17 %-units. After having 4 kg sugar/day both cows stopped eating completely. A 2 kg sugar addition depressed also the mastication in the alimentary tract, whereas 1 kg of sugar had only a slight effect on it. The dry matter of milk decreased by about 1 %-units when 1 kg sugar was given to the cows the decrease being in the milk fat content. 2 kg of sugar produced no further effect. The sugar additions to the diet did not affect the contents of milk protein, ash and lactose.
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