Effectiveness of low level monensin supplementation on N utilization in lactating dairy cows fed alfalfa silage was assessed using 48 multiparous Holsteins. Cows were fed a covariate diet [% of dry matter (DM): 56% alfalfa silage, 39% ground high moisture corn, 3% soybean meal, 1% ground corn, 1% vitamin-mineral supplements] for 2 wk, then grouped by days in milk into blocks of 4. Cows were ran...

Seventy-two pregnant ewes were al lot ted to three ration t reatment groups: 1) Control: corn silage and alfalfa pellets; 2) Tallow: corn silage, alfalfa pellets and protected tallow; 3) Polyunsaturated (P/S): corn silage and protected soybean and sunflower seeds. Diet influenced plasma glucose and linoleic acid content of esterified, but not of non-esterified, fat ty acids in ewe plasma. Propo...

Two experiments evaluated feeding soybean hulls (SBH) in finishing diets that contain distillers grains plus solubles on performance and carcass characteristics. Dietary concentrations of SBH were 0, 12.5, 25, and 37.5% of diet DM. In Exp. 1, 167 crossbred yearling steers (395 ± 22 kg of BW) were fed for 117 d in a randomized block design in which pelleted SBH replaced dry-rolled corn. All diet...

Ferulate-mediated lignin/hemicellulose cross linking in grasses reduces in vitro NDF digestibility (IVNDFD). Impact of ferulate cross linking on animal performance was examined in lamb digestibility and dairy cow performance trials using the seedling ferulate ester (sfe) corn mutant that reduces cross linking and improves IVNDFD. Digestibility of control (W23) and 2 near-isogenic sfe (M04–4 and...

Twenty-four multiparous dairy cows (eight with ruminal cannulae) were blocked by days in milk and assigned to six balanced 4 x 4 Latin squares with 21-d periods. The four diets, formulated from alfalfa silage plus a concentrate mix based on ground high moisture ear corn, contained (dry matter basis): 1) 20% concentrate, 80% alfalfa silage (24% nonfiber carbohydrate; NFC), 2) 35% concentrate, 65...

abstract in this study 36 holstein bulls (initial bw of 345±61 kg) were randomly assigned to 6 dietary treatments, following a 3×2 factorial arrangement, with 3 concentrate level of fish oil (0, 1 and 2.1% of dm) and 2 levels of alfalfa hay versus corn silage (10 and 20 % of alfalfa hay forage) to investigate the effects of fish oil supplementation and ratio of alfalfa hay and corn silage in di...

BACKGROUND Literature is lacking on the effects of feeding by-product feed (BF)-based silage on rumen fermentation parameters, nutrient digestion and nitrogen (N) retention in sheep. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effect of replacing rye straw with BF-based silage as a roughage source on ruminal parameters, total-tract apparent nutrient digestibility, and N balance in shee...

Corn harvested for silage is an important feed crop on most Pennsylvania farms, where cropland often is limited. The crop provides livestock producers with a high-yielding, relatively consistent source of forage and the animals with a highly digestible and palatable feed. Corn silage produces more energy per acre than any other crop grown in Pennsylvania. Corn silage serves as a high-energy for...

Rumen characteristics and digestive kinetics of brown midrib corn silage were evaluated with five late-lactation (221 DIM +/- 20 d) multiparous cows fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannula. Dietary treatments were applied by using a single reversal design with two 21-d periods where either brown midrib (BM3) or isogenic (ISO) corn silage were included in a total mixed ration formulated to be 4...