The responses of lactating dairy cows to diets based on grass silage of high or low DM and supplemented with fast and slowly fermentable energy sources

Abstract

It has often been observed that increasing silage DM through wilting increases DM intake, although digestibility and efficiency of utilisation of nutrients tends to decrease, resulting in poor responses in terms of milk yield. Rapid solubilisation of nutrients in the rumen may give rise to rapid nutrient absorption, activating satiety mechanisms and resulting in shorter meals. In the present trial the difference in DM content of the silages was high (>200g/kg). Supplements based on different energy sources were fed to determine whether synchronisation of release of nutrients from the silage and the supplement modified DM intake and feeding behaviour.