USE OF DATE PALM LEAVES IN HIGH CONCENTRATE DIETS FOR LACTATING FRIESIAN AND HOLSTEIN COWS

Two production experiments of 12 weeks duration, beginning in week 5 o f lactation, were conducted in Kuwait with lactating Friesian and Hols tein cows offered a high concentrate diet together with freshly cut al falfa and either barley straw or shredded senescent date palm leaflets (DPL). Milk yields, milk composition and live weight gains of cows gi ven either DPL or barley straw in the two experiments did not differ s ignificantly. Individual intakes of either roughage, measured in exper iment 2, were also similar. Date palm leaves, which are waste byproduc ts in Kuwait, are therefore an acceptable alternative to imported barl ey straw as a roughage for dairy cows in Kuwait. (C) 1997 Academic Pre ss Limited