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Dry-matter intake, performance and nitrogen efficiency by dairy cows fed low crude-protein diets

  • Elisabet Nadeau
  • , Stig Karlsson
  • , Anders H. Gustafsson

    Publication: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference paper in proceedingspeer-review

    Abstract

    The aim of this study, which was part of the EU-financed project Life-Ammonia, was to evaluate the effects of decreased dietary crude-protein concentrations on intake, milk production and nitrogen efficiency of dairy cows. Crude-protein concentration of the diet, containing mainly grass-clover silage and concentrate, was decreased from 170 g/kg DM in the reference year to 160 g/kg DM during the first two experimental years. Dietary crude-protein concentration was 170 g/kg DM during the third experimental year. Averaged across the three experimental years, daily DM intake and energy-corrected milk yield increased by 1.9 and 2.4 kg per cow, respectively, compared to the reference year. This resulted in only minor changes in nitrogen efficiency of lactating cows among years. Thus, a crude-protein concentration of 160-170 g/kg of dietary DM has the potential to increase milk yield and to control nitrogen losses from the manure
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationEarly harvested forage in milk and meat production
    PublisherAgricultural University of Norway, Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Ås, Norway
    Pages129-131
    Number of pages3
    ISBN (Print)82-7479-016-2
    Publication statusPublished - 2003

    Publication series

    SeriesSkjervold symposium series
    Volume3
    ISSN9998-0573

    Keywords

    • crude protein
    • feed intake
    • milk yield
    • nitrogen efficiency
    • urea

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