Abstract

Improved nitrogen utilisation by dairy cows fed low crude-protein diets containing grass/clover silage and hay as only forages E. Nadeau1*, A.H. Gustafsson2, E. Forsberg3 and A. Lundgren4, 1Dept. of Agricultural Research Skara, The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 234, 532 23 Skara, 2The Swedish Dairy Association, Kungsängen Research Centre, 753 23 Uppsala, 3Svenska Foder, 4Svenska Lantmännen, 531 87 Lidköping, Sweden. Life-Ammonia, a project financed by EU and national organisations, demonstrates different techniques to minimise ammonia emission from the Research farm Brogården, Skara, The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Objective for the feeding task of the programme was to improve nitrogen efficiency of the dairy cows by formulating rations for decreased crude protein concentrations and recommended levels of degradable/undegradable proteins, without decreasing milk yield. During the reference period (October 1999-April 2000), no adjustments were made to the diets, containing grass/clover silage, hay and small grains. During the following two winter seasons (October-April 00/01, 01/02), average dietary crude protein concentrations were decreased from 170 to 160 g/kg of DM, by adding dried sugar-beet pulp to diets of high-producing cows and increasing the average dietary proportion of small grains from 53 to 59% of DM. Total feed intake increased from 18.6 to 19.9 kg DM/day and milk yield increased from 30.6 to 32.4 kg energy-corrected milk (ECM)/day, resulting in an average constant nitrogen efficiency of 31% for lactating cows. For cows producing > 35 kg ECM/day, nitrogen efficiency increased from 32 to 33%. When dry cows were included, nitrogen efficiency increased from 27 to 29%. Consequently, increasing milk yield, while controlling nitrogen intake, has the potential to improve nitrogen efficiency

Published in

Annual meeting of the European Association for Animal Production
2003, Volume: 54, number: 9, pages: 152
Book title: Book of abstracts of the 54th Annual meeting of the European Association for Animal Production
ISBN: 90-76998-20-5
Publisher: Wageningen Academic Publishers

Conference

54th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production

SLU Authors

• Nadeau, Elisabet

  • Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use
Animal and Dairy Science
Veterinary Science


Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/1447