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The University of Wisconsin Madison in cooperation with the USDA Dairy Forage
Research Center in Prairie-du-Sac, Wisconsin conducted this lactation trial. Two
Mycogen hybrids (TMF108 and Supercede 2655) were harvested as silage and stored
in stave silos at the U.S. Dairy Forage Center. Silage yields for TMF and
Supercede were estimated as 26.5 and 22.1 tons per acre @ 65% moisture,
respectively. Supercede nutritionally enhanced grain and conventional grain
(DK527) were stored dry in grain bins. Supercede hybrids contain higher
concentration of oil (6.4%) and crude protein (10.3%) than conventional hybrids.
Sixty Holstein cows were fed one of four ration treatments for a period of 84
days. Rations included (on a dry matter basis) 19% alfalfa silage, 39% corn
silage, 19% corn grain, 7% roasted soybeans, 5% SoyPlus�
, 4% soybean meal, 4% soybean hulls, 0.6% blood meal, and 2.4%
mineral-vitamin-additive mix. The difference among the four rations was the
source of corn silage and corn grain used.
- Treatment TMFS-CC contained TMF silage and conventional corn grain
- Treatment TMFS-SC contained TMF silage and Supercede corn grain
- Treatment SS-CC contained Supercede silage and conventional corn grain
- Treatment SS-SC contained Supercede silage and Supercede corn grain.
The chart below summarizes milk production results. The highest
fat-corrected milk production average occurred when TMF silage and Supercede
grain corn were fed in combination (increase of approximately 4 to 8 lbs per
cow per day compared to the other three ration treatments). Feed intakes
averaged 54.6, 57.2, 56.1, and 56.8 pounds of dry matter per cow per day for
treatments TMFS-CC, TMFS-SC, SS-CC, and SS-SC, respectively. Highest feed
efficiency (pounds of fat-corrected milk produced per pound of dry matter
intake) was observed with cows fed the TMFS-SC treatment.
If you have any questions, please e-mail our Nutrition
Department or call 1-800-358-2171 Ext. 2576.
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