SupplementaI Dietary Protein for Grazing Dairy Cows: Effect on Pasture Intake and Lactation Performance

摘要

One hundred tWenty-fOur cows (92 multiparous and 32 primiparous) were used to evaluate the effect of grain supplements containing high crude protein [(22.8/100 CP, 5.3/100 rumen undegradable protein (RUP), dry matter basis], moderate CP (16.6/100 CP, 6.1/100 RUP), and moder- ate CP with supplementaI RUP (16.2/100 CP, 10.8/100 RUP) on lactation performance of Holstein cows rotationally .grazing annual ryegrass-oat pastures. Supplemental protein was provided by solvent extracted soybean meal in the high CP and moderate CP supplements and as a corn gluten meal-blood meal mixture (2.8:1) in the moderate CP, high RUP supplement. Cows were blocked according to previous mature milk equivalent production and calving date (partum group; 0 d in milk or postpartum group; 21 to 65 d in milk) and randomly assigned to dietary treatments. Grain was individuaIly fed, at approximately a 1:3 grain to milk ratio, before a.m. and p.m milkings. The study was repIicated during two grazing seasons that averaged 199 d. Cows had ad libitum access to bermudagrass hay while on pasture (dry matter intake = 1.3 kg/d). Protein supplementation had no effect on study long pasture dry matter (12.7 ± 1.0 kg/d) or total dry matter (23.9 ± 1.2 kg/d) consump- tion. Protein concentration did not affect actual milk yield of either calving group (high CP vs. moderate CP); however, postpartum group cows receiving high CP. J grain supplements maintained greater milk fat concen- trations (3.34 vs. 3.11/100), which led to higher fat-cor- rected milk (FCM) yields than control cows receiving moderate CP grain diets (30.3 vs. 28.9 kg/d). Crude protein concentration in milk of high CP-supplemented, postpartum group cows was also higher than moderate CP cows (3.42 vs. 3.27/100). Additional RUP did not in- crease FCM yield above that generated by moderate CP grain diets for partum (34.3 vs. 32.9 kg/d) or postpar- tum-group cows (28.9 vs. 28.2 kg/d). Increasing CP con- centration of grain supplement did not affect milk yield of Holstein cows grazing immature winter annual pas- tures. Supplementing additional RUP was without ben- efit, indicating that in this study energy deprivation may have been the major nutritional constraint for high-producing dairy cows grazing lush pastures.