Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate productive, nutritional, and economic traits in lactating cows on pasture fed diets with different cation-anion balances (DCAB). Ten lactating ¾ Holstein × ¼ Dairy Gyr cows in the middle third of lactation, at an average age of 70 ± 4.6 months and an average body weight of 400 ± 55.2 kg, were distributed into five treatments in a 5 × 5 Latin square experimental design with two simultaneous squares. Treatments consisted of diets with DCAB of +237, +258, +294, +347, or +419 mEq dry matter (DM). No effects of intake were observed. There was no significant effect of DCAB on milk yield. The milk protein content was not influenced by the DCAB. Body condition score was not significantly affected by the DCAB. The apparent digestibilities of dry matter and nutrients (crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, ether extract, non-fibrous carbohydrates, and total digestible nutrients) were not affected by the DCAB. Marginal rate of return did not show significant differences. Under good conditions of pasture, forage availability, and quality associated with the lactation phases of the cows, all diets were efficient in milk production, dry matter intake, and digestibility. However, in economic terms, the most attractive DCAB was +237 mEq kg-1 DM.
Highlights
The use of cationic-anionic diets has become an essential tool in dairy farming
Recent studies have focused on production and intake in response to the dietary cation-anion balance (DCAB; Harrison et al, 2012; Khelil-Arfa, Faverdin, & Boudon, 2014; Martins et al, 2015), and significant effects are observed on several performance indicators, including dry matter intake, 3.5% fat-corrected milk yield, fat, milk composition, and diet digestibility
This study presented an average milk yield of 106 kg day-1, and Arêdes, Silveira, Lima, Arêdes, and Pires (2006) found that the average total cost of farms with production larger than 300 L day-1 is 1% lower than that of holdings with production lower than the above-mentioned value
Summary
The use of cationic-anionic diets has become an essential tool in dairy farming. Once used solely to prevent metabolic disorders, this technique has shown to provide nutritional and productive improvements, possibly having a great economic impact on the activity.Recent studies have focused on production and intake in response to the dietary cation-anion balance (DCAB; Harrison et al, 2012; Khelil-Arfa, Faverdin, & Boudon, 2014; Martins et al, 2015), and significant effects are observed on several performance indicators, including dry matter intake, 3.5% fat-corrected milk yield, fat, milk composition, and diet digestibility.Grazing animals have a high intake of dietary fibrous compounds and may not present responses to DCAB because of their elevated saliva production that results from the high buffer concentration, which in turn allows for a chemical regulation of the rumen environment. Recent studies have focused on production and intake in response to the dietary cation-anion balance (DCAB; Harrison et al, 2012; Khelil-Arfa, Faverdin, & Boudon, 2014; Martins et al, 2015), and significant effects are observed on several performance indicators, including dry matter intake, 3.5% fat-corrected milk yield, fat, milk composition, and diet digestibility. The use of cationic-anionic diets may represent significant economic viability with respect to the use of nutrients from the feed, since the climatic inconstancy leads to alterations mainly in the price of grain. Another factor to be taken into consideration is the need for exploiting the tropical pasture more efficiently, given its low cost per kilogram of nutrient. Scarce information is found in the literature on the effects of DCAB in tropical conditions
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