Relationship between chewing activity, passage rate and nutrient digestibility in dairy cows.

Publication Type

Contribution to conference

Authors

Tafaj, M., V. Kolaneci, A. Maulbetsch, H. Steingaß, W. Drochner

Year of publication

2002

Published in

Savremena poljoprivreda: Contemporary Agriculture

Editor

"Dnevnik"-Holding

Page (from - to)

105-109

Conference name

Animal Husbandry and Agroeconomics in the processes of Transition.

Conference location

Herceg Novi

Conference date

10.-14.06.2002

Keywords

chewing activity, dairy cows, nutrient digestibility, passage rate

To study the effects of interactions between hay quality and concentrate levels on digestion processes of four dairy cows (490 to 550 kg BW) which were fed restricted (12-14 kg d-1) with good (47% NDF in DM) and moderate (62% NDF in DM) hay quality combined with low (20 %) and high (50 %) concentrate level in the ration. Chewing activity passage and nutrient digestibility were measured. Lower fibre content improved cell wall digestibility (6 to 9 %)¿ increased rumination indices by 18 to 24 min/kg hay DM and reduced retention time of solid digesta by 6 h, when a low (20 % of ration DM,) concentrate level was fed. Feeding of fibre rich hay (62 % NDF) clearly improved the digestion when a high concentrate level (50 % of ration DM) was offered. Therefore, the increase of hay quality through a moderate reduction of cell wall content could be a relevant strategy to dairy feeding, especially when concentrate availability is limiting under extensive feeding strategies.