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Performance of Growing Dairy Heifers Fed Diets Containing Soybean Meal or Animal By-Product Meals

Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853

ABSTRACT

Soybean meal, fish meal, meat and bone meal, and two animal by-product blends (A, B) were compared as nitrogen sources for corn silage diets for growing dairy heifers of different ages. Supplement A (62% CP) was a blend of meat and bone, meat, poultry, blood, and feather meals. Supplement B (71% CP) included the same ingredients as A but had a higher amount of blood meal and also a low concentration of fish meal. Holstein heifers were divided into five age groups with initial age of 210, 263, 314, 462, and 524 d in age groups 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Animals were fed a corn silage-based diet for ad libitum intake. Average intakes and gains (kg/d) were 5.66, 1.10; 6.76, 1.04; 7.45, .93; 8.51, .83; and 8.68, .80 for age groups 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. No significant interactions among protein meal and age group were found for any measurement. Among protein sources no significant differences in growth, DM intake, or feed efficiency were found. However, the DM intake tended to be lower for heifers fed fish meal diets than for heifers fed other diets.