Supplementation of sorghum silage for growing heifers and milking cows

Rivero, R. and Pérez, G. and Sosa, N. and Combellas, J. (1984) Supplementation of sorghum silage for growing heifers and milking cows. Tropical Animal Production, 9 (2). pp. 114-121.

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Abstract

In 2 trials 18 Holstein-Friesian and Brown Swiss heifers with av. initial weight 215 kg were offered sorghum silage to appetite with (i) ground sorghum (+ 2% minerals and 1% salt) at 1, 2 or 3 kg, or (ii) concentrate (15.7% crude protein) at 2, 3 or 4 kg daily. The silage contained about 8% crude protein and organic matter digestibility was about 58%. In the 1st trial av. daily weight gain increased from 0.09 to 0.26 and 0.42 kg as the amount of ground sorghum increased; in the 2nd trial av. daily gain increased from 0.67 to 0.87-0.94 kg as the amount of concentrate increased from 2 to 3-4 kg. In both trials silage DM intake fell by 0.4-0.5 kg for every kg increase in concentrate. In a 3rd trial 24 cows were offered sorghum silage with concentrate (22.8% crude protein) at 9 or 5 kg/day, or elephant grass with concentrate at 9 kg/day. Daily milk yield averaged 13.6, 10.9 and 12.2 kg resp., with a significant difference between silage treatments; weight gains were similar on all treatments. Roughage intakes were low on all treatments; increasing concentrate intake by 1 kg decreased roughage intake by 0.62 kg. The results underline the importance of adequate supplementation when feeding heifers or medium-yielding cows with sorghum silage

Item Type:	Article
Author Affiliation:	Instituto de Producción Animal, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Maracay, Venezuela
Subjects:	Animal Husbandary > Veterinary Sciences
Divisions:	Sorghum
Depositing User:	Ms K Syamalamba
Date Deposited:	14 May 2012 04:54
Last Modified:	14 May 2012 04:54
Official URL:	http://www.utafoundation.org/tapindex.htm
URI:	http://eprints.icrisat.ac.in/id/eprint/5281

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