EFFECTS OF ENSILED WET TOMATO POMACE ON MILK-PRODUCTION, MILK-COMPOSITION AND BLOOD COMPONENTS OF DAIRY-COWS

Twenty multiparous Friesian cows, 80 to 130 days postpartum, were allo tted to two groups of 10 cows, according to calving date, lactation nu mber, and daily milk production, and assigned randomly to one of two d iets in a crossover design experiment. The control diet was 53% maize silage (dry basis) and contained ground maize, soya bean meal and whea t bran in proportions to ensure that the dietary dry matter contained 16% crude protein, 11.5 MJ metabolizable energy/kg DM and 15% crude fi bre. The treatment diet contained ensiled wet tomato pomace at 13% (dr y basis) replacing maize silage and soya bean meal. The two diets cont ained similar quantities of crude protein, metabolizable energy, and c rude fibre. The diets were offered individually, in tie-stalls, as tot al mixed rations in two equal proportions for ad libitum intakes. The cows were allowed exercise in an open lot without shade. Dry matter, m etabolizable energy and crude protein intakes, actual milk production, milk composition and body condition score were not affected by the di et. In contrast, supplementation with ensiled wet tomato pomace decrea sed 4% fat-corrected milk production (22.2 vs. 20.2 kg/day; P < 0.05). No differences were observed in blood plasma concentrations of glucos e, total protein, urea, triglycerides, cholesterol, phospholipids, Na, K, Ca, P, and Mg.