Comlete lactational performance of cows fed wet corn gluten feed and pellet consisting of raw soybean hulls and corn steep liquor

摘要

We evaluated the effect of wet corn glutenfeed and a novel product containing raw soybeanhulls and corn steep liquor on performancein lactating dairy cows. Forty-six multiparousHolstein cows were used in a randomizedincomplete block design. Cows were housed intie stalls for the first 13 weeks of lactation andmoved to group pens for the remainder of thestudy. Cows were blocked by calving date andassigned to control, wet corn gluten feed (20%of diet DM), or the novel product (20% of dietDM). Diets were administered as total mixedrations at the first feeding postpartum. Controlcontained (DM basis) 30% alfalfa hay, 15%corn silage, 32% corn, 9.3% whole cottonseed,4.4% solvent soybean meal (SBM), 3.3%expeller SBM, 1.3% fish meal, 1% wet molasses,and 3.7% vitamins/minerals. Wet corngluten feed replaced 10% alfalfa hay, 5% cornsilage, 5% corn grain, and expeller SBM replacedsolvent SBM to maintain diet rumenundegradable protein. The novel product replaced10% alfalfa hay, 5% corn silage, 3%solvent SBM, and 2% corn. Diet crude protein% and energy density (Mcal/lb, NEL) for control,wet corn gluen feed, and the novel productwere 18.4, 0.73; 18.2, 0.75; 18.5, 0.73; respectively.Milk, energy corrected milk, dry matterintake, and production efficiency (ratio of milkto DM intake) did not differ among diets duringthe first 91 days of lactation, but there was adiet by week interaction for production efficiency.Cows fed control were more efficientduring the first 2 weeks postpartum than cowsfed wet corn gluten feed and the novel product,likely due to increased fat mobilization fromadipose tissue because intake as a percent ofbody weight was less for cows fed control.During weeks 3 through 14 postpartum, wetcorn gluten feed and the novel product improvedmilk, energy corrected milk, and milkcomponent yield, and production efficiency.Inclusion of wet corn gluten feed and the novelproduct at 20% of dietary DM as a partialreplacement for alfalfa hay, corn silage, corngrain, and SBM in diets fed to lactating dairycattle supported performance during earlylactation and improved performance during midand late lactation. In addition, combining wetcorn gluten feed or the novel product with cornsilage and alfalfa hay maintained milk fatyields, thereby demonstrating that they canserve as effective sources of fiber when fed at20% of dietary DM. Improved performanceattributed to wet corn gluten feed and the novelproduct is due to factors other than improveddigestibility of the diets. These results indicatethat wet corn gluten feed and the novel productcan serve as alternative feedstuffs in diets fed tolactating dairy cattle.