Milk production and cost performance of high-producing dairy cattle fed on corn [Zea mays] silage in the early lactation period
1999
Oshita, T. (Hokkaido National Agricultural Experiment Station, Sapporo (Japan)) | Otsuka, H. | Nishino, H. | Takatori, M. | Takayama, H. | Igarashi, H. | Nonaka, K. | Nakui, T.
Twelve multiparous Holstein cows (average weight, 640 kg; average milk yield. 9,574kg) in early lactation were investigated in the switch-back experiment with three periods to evaluate effects of feeding level of corn silage on DM intake, milk production, and feeding cost. Cows were fed either 1 kg of timothy hay and corn silage ad libitum (CS) or 5kg of corn silage (dry matter basis) and timothy-red clover silage ad libitum (CG), with supplemental concentrate to meet the nutrient requirements or NRC. Concentrates and forages were offered separately. Corn silage contained 1.3% of CP and 66.5% of TDN, and timothy-red clover soilage contained 12.1% of CP and 63.9% or TDN. DM intake and the ratio of forages to concentrates of CS treatment were similar to CG treatment. There were no effects of feeding level of corn silage on milk yield and composition. Feeding costs or forages for CS treatment (390 yen/day) as calculated according to the assessment of the local production cost (corn silage = 27.6 yen/kgDM, timothy-red clover silage = 22.6 yen/kgDM, timothy hay = 33.4 yen/kgDM) was higher than for the CG treatment (348yen/day). Total cost of feeding in the CS (27 yen/4% FCMkg) was higher than the CG (24 yen/4% FCMkg), whereas the the CS treatment was estimated to more income (milk production per ha) 1.34 times higher than the CG treatment. These results suggested that corn silage is profitable for high producing cows to increase benefit because of higher crop yield per ha
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