Effect of Alfalfa Maturity on Fiber Utilization by High Producing Dairy Cows

Effect of formic acid or formaldehyde treatment of alfalfa silage on nutrient utilization by dairy cows.

Third-cutting alfalfa with 37% DM was ensiled untreated or treated with either 2.8 g of formic acid/100 g of DM or .31 g of formaldehyde/100 g of DM and fed to lactating dairy cows in two experiments. Silage treated with formic acid had the lowest pH and concentrations of NPN, NH3, and total free AA. Both treatments decreased rumen in vitro protein degradability but did not affect in vitro rume...

Effect of Steam Heating Alfalfa Hay on Utilization by Lactating Dairy Cows

Alfalfa hay was steam heated for an average of 47 min at 100 to 110°C; net ruminal protein escape (total escape minus ADIN x 6.25), estimated in vitro, was 50% versus 29% for control hay. Heating increased ADIN content from 4.6 to 15.3% of total N and increased NDF from 43 to 53% of DM. In trial 1, 14 cows averaging 81 DIM and 30 kg/d of milk were fed, in a switchback design, diets containing 1...

Reproductive Challenges of High Producing Dairy Cows

Within a dairy herd, total milk production is determined by the proportion of cows producing milk at any given time and the level of milk production of the individual cows within the herd. Improving reproductive efficiency helps to maintain the maximal number of cows producing milk at optimal levels. Reproductive efficiency in dairy cattle currently is suboptimal primarily due to four factors: ...

Furosemide Induced Electrocardiographic Alterations in High Producing Holstein Dairy Cows

Diuretics have several therapeutic advantages in dairy cows but there are different side effects such as acid-base and electrolyte imbalances which may affect the electrocardiographic parameters. Fifteen multiparous, clinically healthy, non-pregnant and high producing 4-year-old Holstein dairy cows at their early lactation period were randomly divided into 3 equal experimental groups. Furosemid...

Effect of yeast culture supplementation of alfalfa silage or alfalfa hay fed to lactating dairy cows