Italian Journal of Animal Science (Dec 2020)

Replacing alfalfa hay with dry corn gluten feed alters eating behavior, nutrient digestibility, and performance of lactating dairy cows

  • Babak Darabighane,
  • Farzad Mirzaei Aghjehgheshlagh,
  • Ali Mahdavi,
  • Bahman Navidshad,
  • John K. Bernard

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/1828051X.2020.1830722
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 19, no. 1
pp. 1264 – 1274

Abstract

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The objective of this trial was to determine the amount of alfalfa hay (AH) in low forage diets that could be replaced with dried corn gluten feed (DCGF) without negatively altering eating behaviour, ruminal fermentation, nutrient digestibility, and performance of lactating dairy cows. Eight multiparous Holstein cows were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design experiment. Treatments included (dry matter [DM] basis): 18.81% AH without DCGF (0DCGF,); 12.53% AH and 6.26% DCGF (6DCGF); 6.26% AH and 12.53% DCGF (12DCGF); and 0% AH and 18.81% DCGF (18 DCGF). Diet particle size and physically effective neutral detergent fibre declined linearly (p < .001) as DCGF replaced AH resulting in a linear decrease (p < .001) in time (min/d) spent eating, ruminating, and chewing. As DCGF replaced AH, ruminal pH decreased linearly (p = .003) and total VFA concentrations increased linearly (p = .02) tending to be highest (p = .062) for 12DCGF. Ruminal acetate and butyrate, and plasma β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations declined linearly (p = .001) whereas ruminal propionate concentration increased linearly (p = .001) as DCGF increased. Dry matter intake (DMI; p = .001) and nutrient digestibility increased linearly (p < .05) and tended to be greatest (p < .10) for 12DCGF. Milk yield (MY; p = .016) and protein yield (p = .001) increased linearly, but milk fat yield declined as DCGF replaced 6 and 12% of AH and decreased more when DCGF replaced all AH resulting in a quadratic response (p = .041). Results of this trial suggest that replacing 12% of the AH with DCGF increases MY because of higher DMI and nutrient digestibility, but replacing all of the AH with DCGF reduces milk fat yield and dairy efficiency.Highlights DCGF can replace AH to improve nutrient digestibility and milk yield. Improvements in nutrient digestibility when DCGF replaces AH potentially reduce total waste production of dairy cows. Completely replacing AH with DCGF in low forage diets reduces milk fat yield due to change in ruminal fermentation.

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