Sw. Nombekela et Mr. Murphy, SUCROSE SUPPLEMENTATION AND FEED-INTAKE OF DAIRY-COWS IN EARLY LACTATION, Journal of dairy science, 78(4), 1995, pp. 880-885
Based on results from previous 14-d sequential elimination trials, whi
ch indicated that cows in early lactation preferred a sucrose-sweetene
d diet, 12-wk lactation trial was conducted to evaluate further the ef
fects of sucrose supplementation. Twenty-four cows (16 multiparous Jer
seys and 8 primiparous Holsteins) were assigned at parturition to a co
ntrol or sucrose-sweetened (1.5% of dietary DM) TMR in a randomized co
mplete block design. The diet included 10% corn silage, 30% alfalfa ha
ylage, and 60% concentrate based on corn and soybean meal on a DM basi
s and was fed to ensure 10% orts. An additional 2.3 kg of alfalfa hay
were fed for the first 5 d postpartum. Covariant-adjusted (BW on the d
ay of parturition) mean DMI, milk yields, 3.5% FCM yields, and percent
ages of milk fat, milk protein, and SNF were unaffected by treatment a
nd averaged 19.0 and 19.1 kg/d, 28.4 and 29.3 kg/d, 28.4 and 28.4 kg/d
, and 3.40 and 3.30%, 3.51 and 3.28%, and 8.4 and 8.3%, respectively,
for cows on control and sucrose-supplemented diets. In the absence of
a choice of diets, sucrose at 1.5% of dietary DM did not enhance mean
DMI over the first 12 wk postpartum; however, a transient increase in
consumption of the sucrose-supplemented diet may have occurred over th
e a 2-wk period after parturition. Variation in feed consumption durin
g early lactation suggests that additional data are needed to examine
this potential effect.