Feeding value of mott grass and its silage in lactating Sahiwal cows

The present study was conduced at the Livestock Experimental Station, Department of Livestock Management, University of Agriculture Faisalabad to determine the effect of feeding mott grass, mott silage and their combinations on the production performance of lactating Sahiwal cows. Treatments were MC= Mott grass without molasses, SC= mott silage without molasses, OM= mott grass supplemented with molasses, MM= 75% mott grass + 25% silage ensiled with molasses, MS= 25%mott grass + 75% silage ensiled with molasses and OS= 100% mott silage ensiled with molasses. Dry matter intake (DMI) ranged from 9.46 to 10.08 kg/day. Maximum intake was in cows fed mott grass in green form supplemented with molasses and minimum in those fed silage ensiled with molasses. Dry matter intake as a percent body weight ranged from 2.69 to 2.80. However, difference in DMI was non significant. Daily CP intake varied from 1.21 to 1.30 and NDF intake ranged from 7.08 to 7.60 kg. In the present study, the concentration of CP in all experimental diets was almost similar and variation in CP intake was attributed to variation in DMI. Milk yield (4% FCM) ranged from 7.84 to 9.06 Lt/day. Maximum FCM yield was in cows fed mott grass/silage in combination and minimum in those cows fed mott silage in which no additive was used. Statistically, difference in milk yield was non-significant (p greater than 0.05) in cows fed mott grass alone and mott silage alone. Milk composition of cows fed experimental diets remained unaltered. Fat content ranged from 4.20 to 4.80%, protein from 3.20 to 3.62, total solids from 13.20 to 13.90 and solids not fat from 9.07 to 9.20%. Maximum dry matter digestibility (62.20-62.84%) was found in cows fed mott grass/silage in combination and minimum (58%) in cows fed silage in which no additive was used. NDF and CP digestibilities ranged from 46.90 to 48 and 70.60 to 71.35%, respectively. Statistical analysis indicated that there was non significant difference (p greater than 0.05) among digestibilities of mott grass /silage based diets in which molasses was used but these differ significantly from mott grass/ silage where no molasses was used (Control). However, a non significant difference in NDF and CP digestibilities was found across all treatment means.