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Conference paper2022Peer reviewed

Milk production of dairy cows fed grass-clover silage pulp

Nadeau, Elisabet; Dahlström, Frida; Oliveira De Sousa, Dannylo

Abstract

Silage pulp (SP) is the solid fraction extracted from silage in biorefinery that can be used as forage source for ruminants. There is a lack of information regarding the complete replacement of dietary silage for SP on performance of dairy cows. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the complete substitution of grass-clover silage for SP on the milk yield of dairy cows. A grass-clover mixture was harvested, wilted, and ensiled in bunker silos. The silage was screw pressed in a biorefinery for solid and liquid separation. 72 lactating cows were used in a completely randomized block design, receiving either the silage- or the SPbased diet. The SP-based diet had lower concentrations of water-soluble carbohydrates and crude protein but greater fibre concentration compared to the silage-based diet. Milk yield and energy corrected milk were greater for cows receiving a silage-based diet compared to SP-based diet but first after 10 and 5 weeks of feeding, respectively. Milk composition, body condition score and body weight were not affected by diets. The complete substitution of silage for SP reduced the milk production of dairy cows over time.

Keywords

biorefinery; digestibility; fibre; forage; protein; ruminant

Published in

Grassland Science in Europe
2022, Volume: 27, pages: 725-727
Title: Grassland at the heart of circular and sustainable food systems : Proceedings of the 29th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation Caen, France 26-30 June 2022
ISBN: 978-2-7380-1445-0, eISBN: 978-2-7380-1446-7
Publisher: Organising Committee of the 29th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation;INRAE

Conference

29th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation Caen, France 26-30 June 2022