Continuous 11-week feeding of reduced-fat distillers grains with and without monensin reduces lactation performance of dairy cows

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of continuous feeding of high inclusion of reduced-fat corn distillers grains with solubles with and without monensin on dry matter intake (DMI), production, milk fatty acid profile, and plasma AA profile in lactating cows. The experiment was conducted for 12 wk (1-wk covariate, 2-wk diet adaptation, and 9-wk experimental period of data collection) with 36 Holstein cows in a randomized complete block design. Cows were blocked by parity, days in milk, and milk yield and assigned to the following diets: (1) control (CON), (2) CON with reduced-fat corn distillers grains with solubles included at 28.8% (dry matter basis) replacing soybean meal, soyhulls, and supplemental fat (DG), and (3) DG with monensin (Rumensin; Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN) supplemented at a rate of 20 mg/kg of DM offered (DGMon). Orthogonal contrasts were used to compare CON versus DG and DGMon and to compare DG versus DGMon. Milk yield was not affected (40.3 vs. 40.8 kg/d) by DG and DGMon compared with CON. However, for DG and DGMon compared with CON, decreased DMI (24.9 vs. 26.4 kg/d), milk fat yield (1.12 vs. 1.55 kg/d), milk protein yield (1.24 vs. 1.32 kg/d), and energy-corrected milk yield (37.7 vs. 43.5 kg/d) were observed. Feeding DGMon compared with DG did not affect DMI (24.4 vs. 25.4 kg/d) and milk yield (39.2 vs. 41.3 kg/d) but decreased milk fat yield (1.08 vs. 1.23 kg/d), milk protein yield (1.20 vs. 1.28 kg/d), and energy-corrected milk yield (36.0 vs. 39.4 kg/d). Interactions between treatment and week for DMI, milk fat yield, and energy-corrected milk indicate that production responses to DG and DGMon versus CON were decreased over the experimental period. Cows fed DG and DGMon had increased milk fat concentration of trans-10,cis-12 18:2, trans-10 18:1, and long-chain (>16C) and polyunsaturated fatty acids and decreased short-chain (<16C) and odd- and branched-chain fatty acids compared with CON. No difference was observed between DG and DGMon in milk fatty acid profile. In the current study, feeding a high-DG diet did not sustain DMI and production, and supplementing monensin to a high-DG diet further decreased DMI and production.