ORIGINAL PAPER
Influence of lucerne/fescue silage mixtures on milk
production of early-lactation Holstein cows
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1
Department of Animal Science, Morrison Hall, Cornell University,
Ithaca, NY 14853-4801, USA
2
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Bradfield Hall, Cornell University,
Ithaca, NY 14853-1901, USA
Publication date: 2002-10-11
J. Anim. Feed Sci. 2002;11(4):555-564
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Our objective was to determine the effects of various mixtures of lucerne (Medicago sativa,
L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceae Schreb.) silages, fed to provide 1.1% of body weight as
forage-neutral detergent fibre (NDF) in the diet, on milk production and composition, and associated
digestion kinetic and ruminal parameters. NDF was provided from 1:0 lucerne: fescue, 0.67:0.33
lucerne:fesuce, 0.33:0.67 lucerne:fescue, or 0:1 lucerne:fescue. Diets were fed to five cows in an
incomplete Latin square design (two periods). Dry matter intake increased as portion of concentrate
and fescue in the diet increased. This resulted in higher milk production (P<0.05) for cow consuming
diets with increasing fescue forage in the diet (32.3, 34.5, 38.9, and 40.5 kg d-1, respectively). Milk
protein increased with decreased lucerne in the diet. Milk urea nitrogen was higher for cows fed the
lucerne forage diet due to its high protein solubility and high inclusion in the diet. Lower forage to
concentrate ratios resulted in less indigestible fibre and higher non-structural carbohydrate in the tall
fescue diet and accounted for higher milk production.
CITATIONS (3):
1.
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D.J.R. Cherney, J.H. Cherney, L.E. Chase, W.J. Cox
The Professional Animal Scientist
2.
Nutritive value and yield of reduced‐lignin alfalfa cultivars in monoculture and in binary mixtures with perennial grass
Jerome Cherney, S. Smith, Craig Sheaffer, Debbie Cherney
Agronomy Journal
3.
Meadow fescue seeding rate impacts mixtures with alfalfa on marginal sites
J.H. Cherney, D.J. Cherney
Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management