PSXIV-37 Assessment of milk yield, milk composition and urea nitrogen in milk and plasma in lactating buffaloes fed diets with increasing levels of corn plus urea

Abstract

Abstract Nowadays, the great challenge in the milk activity is to replace the high cost ingredients without affect the performance and milk composition. So, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of replacement of soybean meal by corn plus urea on milk production, milk composition, nitrogen in milk (UNM) and plasma (UNP) concentrations of lactation buffaloes. Twelve Murrah lactating buffaloes, all multiparous (100 days in lactation; average milk production of 10 kg per day), with initial mean body weight of 650 ± 45 kg were used used in a triple Latin square 4 x 4 experiment. Each period included 13 d for adaptation and 5 for milk collect. The samples of plasma were obtained only in the last day of collect, four hours after feed. The experimental diets (12% CP, DM basis) consisted of increasing levels (0, 33, 66 and 100%) of soybean meal replacement by corn plus urea and the forage: concentrate ratio was 60:40. Orthogonal polynomials for diet responses were determined by linear and quadratic effects (P < 0.05). The increasing levels of corn plus urea did not change (P > 0.05) the milk production (averaging 6.4±0.33 kg/d), fat content (averaging 7.4±0.31%) and protein content averaging (3.8±0.07%) in milk. The UNM (15.29, 15.44, 14.80 and 16.02 mg dL-1 for levels 0, 33, 66 and 100% respectively) and UNP values (18.37, 17.20, 18.79 and 18.16 mg dL-1, for levels 0, 33, 66 and 100% respectively) also did not change with experimental diets and are according with references values for buffaloes. The use of corn plus urea is an alternative for lactating buffaloes’ diets and can be replacing soybean meal at levels up to 100%.