Dried beet pulp, pressed beet pulp and maize silage as substitutes for concentrates in dairy cow rations. 2. Feed intake, fermentation pattern and ruminal degradation characteristics.

Abstract

In a 3 x 4 Latin square design with periods of 5 weeks rumen cannulated cows were fed on mixed diets supplemented with dried beet pulp (DP) pressed beet pulp (PP) and maize silage (M) at 15 kg DM and 25 kg DM (low, LL1 or high, HL1), respectively. Measurements were made of organic matter degradation (nylon bag) of diet ingredients, while during 48-h periods the pattern of intake, pH and osmolality, and concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA), lactic acid (HL) and ammonia (NH3) were determined. The pH and concentration of the major VFA's were similar between treatments. The concentration of the branched chain fatty acids (BCFA), valerate and ammonia were significantly higher with M. The level of intake significantly influenced the pH, concentration of the major VFA's, 2-methyl-butyrate and valerate. The feed intake pattern differed between intake levels, but were similar between diets. Degradability of treatments were calculated from individual degradability measurements of diet ingredients. The undegradable fraction was highest for diet M. The water-soluble fraction was lowest for treatment DP, and the rate of degradation (kd) was lowest for treatment M. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)