Impact of Feeding of Legume‑Cereal mixture Silages on Dairy Cow Milk Thermostability and Quality

Abstract

Current changes in climate (increasing drought) and the rise in prices of protein concentrate feed are the reasons for the increasing interest in growing and production and increasing silages from legume‑cereal mixtures (LCM) in rations for dairy cows. Another reason is to improve the soil fertility using LCM in crops rotation. The impact of feeding of dairy cows (Czech Fleckvieh and Holstein, 50 herds) on milk quality was monitored (for 3 years) when modifying the roughage feeding rations by additions of LCM silages. Bulk milk samples were tested (n = 641 (15 herds) LCM as experiment and 2,428 (35) as control). LCM was higher in crude protein, lactose, solids non‑fat and total microorganisms (from P ≤ 0.05 to P ≤ 0.001). The lower was LCM in the milk freezing point and the urea content (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001). The fat content and the somatic cell count were insignificantly different (P > 0.05). There was a significant effect of LCM on milk thermostability (18.85 < 20.9 minutes, P < 0.05). The residues of inhibitory substances in milk were not recorded in the LCM group. The LCM application is a risk‑free way of replacement of roughage component part of dairy cow feeding rations with regard to raw milk quality.

Keywords

• dairy cow
• Czech Fleckvieh
• Holstein
• fat
• proteins
• lactose