Strategies for Increasing Energy Density of Dry Cow Diets

摘要

The objective of this trial was to compare the effects of increasing dietary energy density from 1.51 to 1.65 Mcal/kg of dry matter (DM) by replacing forage with Concentrate or by further increasing concentrate via The substitution of corn silage and alfalfa silage by a Mixture of straw, starch, and soybean meal. Our hy - Pothesis was that the latter diet would be more gluco - Genic while increasing rumen fill and be potentially Desirable for transition cows. Nine far - off dry cows (greater than 3 wk before parturition at the end of the trial) were fed three diets: low energy diet, [LE, 1.51 Mcal/kg of DM, 14.0/100 crude protein (CP) and 35/100 non - Fiber carbohydrates (NFC)], high energy diet, (HE, 1.65 Mcal/kg of DM, 13.9/100 CP and 39.5/100 NFC) and high Energy diet, where a portion of alfalfa and corn silage Was replaced by straw, soybean meal, and cornstarch (HES, 1.65 Mcal/kg of DM, 13.5/100 CP and 40.5/100 NFC).