Utilization of untreated and formaldhyde treated skimmilk powder and skimmilk powder-barley pellets by ruminants

The utilization of spray-dried fat free milk powder in three different froms 1) untreated, 2) treated with formaldehyde (0.4 g formaldehyde/100 g crude protein) and 3) pelleted with barley meal (30 % milk powder and 70 % barley meal) was studied with three rumen-fistulated dairy cows according to a 3 x 3 Latin square. The effects of different treatments were investigated with respect to rumen fermentation, microbial determinations and milk and blood analyses. The basic feed in every diet consisted of hay, grass silage, barley, oats, mineral and vitamin mixtures. Feeding was according to nutrient requirement. In each diet 25 % of the DCP required for milk production was replaced with milk protein. The NH3 concentration in the rumen fluid was lowest on the pelleted diet followed by the formaldehyde treated and untreated skimmilk powder diets, the differences only being significant between the pelleted and untreated diets. The pH values were significantly higher on the pelleted diet than on the other diets. The VFA content of the rumen fluid was similar on the different diets. The total amount of rumen ciliates was highest on the untreated skimmilk powder diet and lowest on the pelleted diet. The quantity of bacteria was however lower on the untreated skimmilk powder diet than on the other diets. Bacteria constituted 72—88 % of the total microbe mass on the different diets. The total microbe mass consisted of the following percentages of rumen content on the different diets: untreated 3.3 %, formaldehyde treated 3.2 % and pelleted diet 2,9 %. No effects on the milk yields and blood contents were found with the different treatments of skimmilk powder. Milk protein-% was significantly higher on the untreated skimmilk powder diet than on the pelleted diet.