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Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 69 No. 9 2321-2333
© 1986 by American Dairy Science Association ®
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Sodium Bicarbonate and Alfalfa Hay Additions to Wheat Silage Diets Fed to Lactating Dairy Cows1

G. A. Harrison, R. W. Hemken and R. J. Harmon

Department of Animal Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40546-0215

ABSTRACT

Two experiments were conducted to examine dietary effects of .8% sodium bicarbonate and 1.4 kg/d of alfalfa hay on performance and rumen metabolism of lactating dairy cows fed 50% wheat silage and 50% concentrate (dry basis). In Experiment 1 with 12 midlactation Holsteins in a 4 x 4 Latin square design, intake, milk production, and milk composition were not affected by treatment. Dietary sodium bicarbonate and alfalfa hay did not alter blood, rumen, or fecal pH. Rumen volatile fatty acid pattern was not affected by sodium bicarbonate, but addition of hay resulted in higher molar percentage propionate and lower acetate: propionate ratios. In Experiment 2 with 32 early lactation cows (20 Holsteins and 12 Jerseys) in a complete randomized block design, supplementation of sodium bicarbonate, alfalfa hay, or both did not affect intake, milk production, or milk composition in the first 8 wk of lactation. Blood, rumen, and fecal pH were not affected by treatment. Dietary sodium bicarbonate did not alter ruminal volatile fatty acid profile, whereas addition of hay increased molar proportion acetate and decreased molar proportion butyrate. A shift in rumen fermentation was observed across treatments from wk 1 through 8 postpartum with molar proportions of acetate and butyrate increasing and molar proportion of propionate decreasing.

FOOTNOTES

1 This manuscript (85-5-204) is published with the approval of the Director of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station.






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Copyright © 1986 by the American Dairy Science Association ®.