The Response to Replacement of Barley with Wheat Bran and Treatment of Rapeseed Meal in the Diets of Dairy Cows Given Grass Silagead libitum

Abstract

Abstract Twelve Finnish Ayrshire cows were used in a cyclic change-over design to examine the effects of replacing barley (7 kg/d) gradually with wheat bran at three levels (barley 7 kg (B), barley 3.5 kg + wheat bran 3.5 kg (BW) and wheat bran 7 kg (W)) given with 1.5 kg/d of untreated (R-) or treated rapeseed meal (R+). Grass silage was given ad libitum. The experiment consisted of four 4-week periods with feed intake and performance measurements made during the last two weeks and digestibility measurements during the last week of each period. Feeding wheat bran had no significant effect on silage or total dry matter (DM) intake. Replacing of barley with wheat bran led to a significant decrease in milk yield and in the yield of milk constituents. The yields for treatments B, BW and W were: milk (kg/d) 25.2, 24.9 and 23.7 (SEM 0.38), fat (g/d) 1076, 1086 and 1001 (SEM 17.9) and protein (g/d) 809, 801 and 751 (SEM 8.6). The treatment of rapeseed meal had no significant effect on feed intake, milk yield or...