MILK-PRODUCTION FROM GRASS-SILAGE DIETS - EFFECTS OF THE COMPOSITION OF SUPPLEMENTARY CONCENTRATES

Thirty-six British Holstein-Friesian cows were offered 9 kg dry matter (DM) daily of one of 12 concentrates together with grass silage ad li bitum in a cyclical change-over design experiment during lactation wee ks 8 to 22. The carbohydrate source in the concentrates was either mai nly starch, mainly digestible fibre or a 1 :I mixture. Each concentrat e type was formulated to provide 120, 160, 200 or 240 g crude protein (CP) per kg DM and similar metabolizable energy concentration. Silage contained 142 g CP per kg DM, in vivo digestible organic matter teas 0 .690 kg/kg DM, pH 4.4 and ammonia-N 172.2 g/kg total nitrogen. Silage intake increased as fibre replaced starch in the concentrate. Apparent digestibility of organic matter and energy were highest for starch-ba sed concentrates, but there was no effect of carbohydrate source on yi elds of milk and milk solids. Milk protein concentration teas depresse d by feeding mixed or fibrous carbohydrates. Silage intake increased o n average by 0.13 kg DM per additional 10 g/kg CP in the concentrate. The digestibility of the diet was not affected by increasing CP except for nitrogen. Milk yield increased by 0.028 kg per additional g/kg CP in the concentrate and there were linear effects of cp on yields of m ilk milk solids. As CP increased, milk fat concentration tended to vis e with starch but teas depressed both overall and by offering mixed or fibrous carbohydrates. In contrast milk protein concentration increas ed with mixed and fibrous carbohydrates but not with starch. It is con cluded that when silage is given ad libitum with 9 kg/day concentrates , CP level hits more effect than source of carbohydrate on milk produc tion.