Effect of forage type and cottonseed supplementation on the production of dairy cows

Date
1997
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The type of forage seems to influence the production response of dairy cows receiving supplements of whole cottonseed. Literature indicated that supplementation of whole cottonseed in diets with maize silage as the only dietary forage resulted in improved milk yields but depressions in the milk fat content. It was also indicated in the literature that milk fat depression was alleviated when 10 to 20% of the maize silage were substituted with luceme hay. Oat silage is the main source of forage for large numbers of lactating dairy cattle in the Western Cape. The question that needs to be answered is whether this depression in milk fat is a property of maize silage, or also of oat silage. Diets containing approximately 7% fat (DM), mainly from whole cottonseed, and approximately 3% fat (DM) were used to evaluate the in sacco degradability of oat silage, maize silage and luceme hay. The degradability of the samples in the rumen was fitted on the exponential equation p =a+ b(l - e-ct). Effective degradation ofDM, OM, NDF and ADF was calculated for each treatment by introducing fractional outflow rates of 0.02, 0.05 and 0.08/h. There was no difference in the degradability of the three forages within the same diet. Effective degradability of DM, OM and ADF did not differ in effective degradability between the two diets. The effective NDF degradability was lower (p < 0.05) in the cottonseed supplemented diet at an outflow rate of 0.08/h. The oat silage in six commercial diets was substituted at different rates by luceme hay. Diets contained either whole cottonseed supplemented at 18% of DM or no inclusion of cottonseed. Twelve lactating dairy cows were used in a change-over experimental design. The inclusion of whole cottonseed did not affect milk yield, improved (p < 0.05) milk fat percentage from 3.09 to 3.33% and decreased (p < 0.05) milk protein percentage from 2.84 to 2.75%. Dry matter intake was significantly lower (p < 0.05) on the whole cottonseed diets (17.8 vs. 18.2 kg/cow/day). As expected, the inclusion of whole cottonseed shifted the fatty acid composition of milk fat from short chain fatty acids to more longer chain fatty acids. It was difficult to quantify this change in fatty acid composition due to interactions between the levels of forage and the cottonseed inclusion. The inclusion levels of oat silage and luceme hay were compliments of each other. Significant differences could therefore be due to the increasing levels of luceme hay or the decreasing levels of oat silage. An increase in the amount of luceme included in the diets led to significant differences in almost all the production responses measured Milk fat percentage being the only exception. Even milk fat percentage showed an increase, although not significant. Whole cottonseed can be included in diets with oat silage as the only dietary forage. The price of whole cottonseed, the milk price structure of the milk buyer and the genetic potential of the cows will determine the economic viability of whole cottonseed inclusion.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ruvoertipe het 'n invloed op die produksierespons van laktcrcnde melkkoeie wat aanvullings van heel katoensaad ontvang. Die literatuur dui aan dat die aanvulling van heel katoensaad in mieliekuilvoer gebaseerde diete aanleiding gee tot verhoogde melkproduksie, maar verlaagde bottervetpersentasie. Hierdie dating in bottervetpersentasie word volgens die literatuur opgehef wanneer lusernhooi 10 to 20% van die mieliek:uilvoer vervang. Hawerkuilvoer word in groot hoeveelhede in die Wes-Kaap as ruvoerbron aan melkkoeie gevoer. Die vraag ontstaan of hierdie daling in bottervet wat tydens die voer van mieliek:uilvoer ontstaan ook 'n kenmerk van hawerkuilvoer is. Die in sacco degradeerbaarheid van hawerkuilvoer, mieliekuilvoer en lusernhooi is in rumenomgewings met (ongeveer 7% vet as% van DM) of sonder heel katoensaad (ongeveer 3% vet as% van DM) ondersoek. Die degradeerbaarheid van die monsters is op die model p =a+ b(l - e-ct) gepas waarna effektiewe degradeerbaarheid by drie verskillende deurvloeitempo's (0.02, 0.05, 0.08/h) bereken is. Geen verskille is waargeneem in die degradeerbaarheid van die drie ruvoertipes binne dieselfde rantsoen nie. Die effektiewe degradeerbaarheid van DM, OM en ADF van die drie ruvoere bet nie verskil tussen die rantsoene met of sonder heel katoensaad nie. Die effektiewe NDF-degradeerbaarheid van mieliekuilvoer was laer (p < 0.05) in die heel katoensaad gesupplementeerde rantsoen by 'n deurvloeitempo van 0.08/h. Kommersiele rantsoene waarin hawerkuilvoer as enigste ruvoerbron stapsgewys deur lusernhooi vervang is en wat met (18%) of sonder heel katoensaad insluiting geformuleer is, is in 'n oorskakelproef aan 12 Holsteinkoeie gevoer. Heel katoensaadinsluiting bet geen effek op melkproduksie gehad nie, maar bet bottervetpersentasie verhoog van 3.09 na 3.33% (p < 0.05) en protei:enpersentasie verlaag van 2.84 na 2.75% (p < 0.05). Droemateriaalinname is ook bei:nvloed en bet gedaal van 18.2 na 17.8 kg/koei/dag (p < 0.05). Soos verwag, bet die insluiting van heel katoensaad ook die vetsuursamestelling van die bottervet verskuif van korter kettingvetsure na langer kettingvetsure. Dit was egter moeilik om die verandering in vetsuursamestelling te kwantifiseer omdat daar interaksies tussen die vlakke van ruvoer- en die heel katoensaadaanvulling was. Die interpretasie van die resultate word bemoeilik omdat die vlakke van hawerkuilvoer en lusernhooi komplimente van mekaar was. Betekenisvolle verskille kon wees a.g.v. die afname in hawerkuilvoer of die toename in lusernhooi in die onderskeie diete. Verhoogde luserninsluiting het beduidende verskille in alle produksiekenmerke tot gevolg gehad. Die enigste uitsondering was die bottervetpersentasie, waar die neiging hoer was, maar nie betekenisvol nie. Die insluiting van heel katoensaad in diete met hawerkuilvoer as die enigste bron van ruvoer het geen nadelige effekte op die produksie-eienskappe van lakterende melkkoeie nie. Die prys van heel katoensaad, die melkprysstruktuur van die koper en die genetiese potensiaal van die koeie gaan bepaal of dit ekonornies geregverdig is.
Description
Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 1997.
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