Inclusion of Pulse Hulls in Concentrate Mixture and their Effect on Nutrient Intake, Digestibility and Milk Yield of Dairy Cows

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of feeding field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and grass pea (Lathyrus sativa L.) hulls at different levels of inclusion in concentrate mixture on nutrient intake, digestibility and milk yield of dairy cows. Thirty lactating Jersey cows with similar range of body weight, body condition and first stage of lactation were selected from the herd maintained at Adaberga Research Station, West Shoa Administrative Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Animals were blocked based on parity and milk yield under Complete Randomized Block Design (CRBD) and were assigned to each treatment randomly. Five dietary treatments were: T1 (control), maintained on native hay + concentrate mixture formulated with only conventional feed ingredients (0% pulse hulls); T2, T3, T4 and T5 were maintained on native hay + concentrate mixtures formulated with inclusive of 35% field pea hull, 50% field pea hull, 35% grass pea hull and 50% grass pea hull, respectively. Animals were fed native hay ad lib while concentrate mixtures were fed @ 2kg for maintenance requirement and 1kg for each 2.5 kg of milk yield individually both in the morning and afternoon for a period of 180 days. Data were analysed using SAS software packages and Turkey's HSD multiple comparison technique was used for means separation. Results of the study revealed that the average DM, OM and CP intake during the whole experimental period (kg/h/d) were higher (P<0.01) as a result of feeding 35 and 50% field pea hulls and 35% grass pea hulls in concentrate mixtures (T2, T3 and T4, respectively) as compared to the control while feeding of 50% grass pea hull in concentrate mixture (T5) had no effect on DM, OM and CP intake. The NDF and ADF intake (kg/h/d) were higher (P< 0.001) in all treatment groups which were fed field pea and grass pea hulls at different levels of inclusion in concentrate mixture as compared to the control group. Digested DM was higher (P<0.01) in feeding of 35% field pea hull (T2) and digested CP was higher (P<0.01) as a result of feeding 35 % field pea and grass pea hulls in concentrate mixture (T2 and T4) than the control. Digested NDF and ADF intake were also higher (P<0.01) in T2, T3 and T4 than the control. Digestibility of CP was significantly higher (P< 0.01) in T2, T3 and T4 than the control while digestibility of NDF was higher (P< 0.01) in T2 than the control. Milk production was higher (P<0.01) as a result of feeding 35% field pea and grass pea hulls in concentrate mixture (T2 and T4) than the control. Therefore, it is concluded that alternative concentrate mixtures could be formulated by inclusion of 35% field pea and grass pea hulls in the ration of dairy cows.