2025/06/01 by Avianna A Liuzzo, Mikael Prado, Caio Soares +11
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Animal Nutrition and Health #Milk Quality and Mastitis in Dairy Cows #Reproductive Physiology in Livestock
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/jas/skaf170.151
Abstract The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of feeding a proprietary high-energy macro-ingredient that contains a high level of the corn milling product (CMP) wet corn gluten feed (OneTrak, Cargill Sweet Bran, Dalhart, TX) on dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, and milk composition of mid-lactation dairy cows. After a 15-day covariate period, Jersey cows (n = 38) were blocked into 2 groups based on low and high milk/DMI ratio and were subsequently ranked within groups by days in milk (DIM) and lactation. Cows were then assigned to 2 dietary treatments: control (CON; n = 19) or CMP (n = 19). The CON diet contained corn silage (28.9%), wheat hay (6.1%), alfalfa hay (13.3%), whole cottonseed (8.88%), steam-flaked corn (20.8%), dried distillers grain plus solubles (9.99%), canola meal (7.67%), and mineral-vitamin premix (4.36%). The CMP diet contained wheat hay (7.78%), whole cottonseed (8.89%), steam-flaked corn (14.44%), corn silage (28.89%), and CMP (40.0%). Diets were formulated to provide adequate energy and protein for 30 kg of milk per day. Cows were housed in 2 pens equipped with electronic gates (19 gates/pen; American Calan Inc., Northwood, NH, USA), that allow individual control of feed intake and were fed ad libitum 2 times per day. The experimental period lasted 60 days. Cows were milked twice daily, and milk yield was recorded. Milk samples were collected 2 times per week at each milking for milk component analysis. Data was analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS with cow as the experimental unit and the random effect of block and cow (treatment). Cows fed CMP tended to have greater DMI than CON (P = 0.09). Feeding CMP increased milk and fat yield compared to CON (P = 0.04). No differences between dietary treatments were detected for yield of protein, lactose, solid-not-fat (SNF), nor total solids (TS; P ≥ 0.11). There was no difference between treatments for milk/DMI (P = 0.17). Cows fed CMP tended to have higher 3.5% fat-corrected milk (FCM) compared to CON (P = 0.06). The FCM/DMI did not differ between treatments (P = 0.85). The energy-corrected milk (ECM) tended to be greater for CMP than CON (P = 0.08). No differences between treatments were detected for fat, protein, lactose, SNF, or TS percentages (P ≥ 0.19). Yet, feeding CMP increased milk urea nitrogen percentage compared to CON (P < 0.001). Overall, feeding lactating cows with high levels of CMP may be an advantageous alternative to feeding a conventional dairy total mixed ration with the advantages of reducing the number of feed ingredients added to the ration and simplifying feeding management practices. More specifically, feeding CMP may have positive effects on milk and fat yield without negatively affecting milk composition.