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Effects of Dietary Neutral Detergent Fiber Concentration and Supplementary Long Hay on Chewing Activities and Milk Production of Dairy Cows

Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1

ABSTRACT

Effects of dietary NDF concentration on chewing and productivity were assessed using silage-based diets with and without supplemental long hay. Twelve Holstein cows (125 d postpartum) were used in a double 6 x 6 Latin square to evaluate six diets formulated using high moisture shelled corn and alfalfa silage (37% DM, 23% CP, 48% NDF) to provide three concentrations of NDF: 26, 30, and 34%. At each concentration, an alternative diet was formulated by substituting 15% of the silage DM with an equivalent amount of long alfalfa grass hay (14% CP, 61% NDF). Cows were fed at 85% of ad libitum intake, and ingredients were allocated separately. Increasing NDF decreased milk yield from 20.8 to 19.9 and 19.1 kg/d, for 26, 30, and 34%, respectively. Supplementing diets with hay increased milk production by .7 kg/d, although milk fat content was not affected. Increasing NDF resulted in a quadratic increase in ruminating and total chewing time from 344 and 558 for 26% NDF, to 413 and 651 for 30%, and 414 and 674 min/d for 34%, respectively. Added hay did not increase daily ruminating and chewing time; ruminating time per unit of NDF intake was reduced by hay supplemention (75.3 vs. 69.4 min/kg).

¹ Current address: Agriculture Canada, Research Station, Box 3000, Main, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, T1J 4B1.