Effect of feeding textured concentrates with alfalfa cubes to lactating dairy cows producing low fat milk
Twenty–one multiparous Holsteins were used in a cross over design with two 28-d periods. Cows were randomly assigned to two treatments to assess the effect of textured and pelleted concentrates fed with alfalfa cubes on feed intake, milk yield, milk composition and rumen volatile fatty acid concentrations. Those animals receiving the textured concentrate had significantly (P < 0.05) higher milk yield and milk fat percentage than did those animals fed the pelleted concentrate. A significant difference in the ratio of milk protein to milk fat was also observed with the cows receiving the pelleted concentrate having a ratio of 1.31 and the cows receiving the textured concentrate a ratio of 1.02. No significant (P < 0.05) differences were observed between the textured and pelleted feeds in total or individual volatile fatty acid concentrations. These results indicate that the feeding of textured concentrates can lead to an increase in milk fat production when compared with the feeding of pelleted concentrates. Key words: Dairy cattle, milk composition, textured and pelleted concentrate, VFA