Digestibility of Liquid Whey by Steers and Cows

Abstract

In two reversal experiments to determine digestibility of liquid acid whey by steers and cows, trials within each experiment consisted of an adjustment period followed by 10-day preliminary and 7-day collection periods. In Experiment 1 four Jersey steers received a daily basal diet of 7000g of hay plus 800g of soybean meal. Two of the steers received 45.4kg whey in addition to the basal diet within each trial. In Experiment 2 four mature, dry, nonpregnant cows (three Jersey and one Ayrshire) were offered 9000g of hay plus 300g of soybean meal daily. Two of the cows received 45.4kg whey in addition to the basal diet within each trial. Digestion coefficients of the basal and basal-plus-whey diets were determined directly, and digestibility of whey alone was determined by the difference of the two diets. Liquid acid whey had an average digestibility of dry matter, 82.6%, 68.8% of protein, and of organic matter 84.2%.