Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T00:26:29.496Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effects of processing at harvest and cutting height of urea-treated whole-crop wheat on performance and digestibility in dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

M. A. Jackson ,
R. J. Readman ,
J. A. Huntington  and
L. A. Sinclair
M. A. Jackson
Affiliation:
ASRC, School of Agriculture, Harper Adams University College, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB, UK
R. J. Readman
Affiliation:
ASRC, School of Agriculture, Harper Adams University College, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB, UK
J. A. Huntington
Affiliation:
ASRC, School of Agriculture, Harper Adams University College, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB, UK
L. A. Sinclair*
Affiliation:
ASRC, School of Agriculture, Harper Adams University College, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB, UK
*
† Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Urea-treated whole-crop wheat harvested at growth stage (GS) 87 that was either unprocessed (U) or processed (P) by the forage harvester, and cut at one of two heights to produce a long straw (L), or short straw (S) forage, was offered to 44 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows for 14 weeks according to a 2 ✕ 2 factorial design. Whole-crop wheat (WCW) was mixed 2: 1 on a dry-matter (DM) basis with grass silage and all animals received 8·5 kg/day of concentrate and 2 kg/day of rapeseed meal. Increasing the cutting height at harvest increased the starch content in the forage from an average of 356 to 419 g/kg DM and decreased neutral-detergent fibre levels from 422 to 337 g/kg DM. Forage intake (grass silage and WCW) was higher in cows given the unprocessed compared with the processed forages (13·7 v. 12·5 kg DM per day for treatments U v. P respectively; P < 0·05) and tended (P < 0·08) to be higher in cows given the long compared with the short straw forages. Neither processing, nor alteration of cutting height, had a significant effect on milk yield (kg/day). However, milk fat content decreased (P < 0·05) with increasing cutting height (41·9 v. 37·0 g/kg for the main effects of L v. S respectively) whilst body condition score was lower (P < 0·05) in cows given the long compared with the short straw forages (2·6 v. 2·8 respectively). Plasma glucose levels were higher (P < 0·05) in animals receiving the short compared with long straw forages (3·52 v. 3·34 mmol/l respectively) whereas β-hydroxybutyrate decreased (P < 0·01) with increased cutting height. The average digestibility of starch in the total ration was higher (P < 0·001) in cows given the processed compared with the unprocessed WCW (0·96 v. 0·88 respectively). Assuming a constant apparent digestibility of starch in the other food components resulted in a WCW starch apparent digestibility of 0·87, 0·97, 0·80 and 0·96 for forages LU, LP, SU and SP respectively (P < 0·001). The results indicate that processing at harvest significantly increased the digestibility of starch in WCW and that cows responded to this higher nutrient content by decreasing forage intake. Increasing the cutting height at harvest decreased milk fat content (g/kg) and yield (kg/day) and increased body condition score.

Keywords

dairy cowsdigestibilityureawhole-crop wheat
Type
Ruminant nutrition, behaviour and production
Information
Animal Science , Volume 78 , Issue 3 , June 2004 , pp. 467 - 476
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abdalla, A. L., Sutton, J. D., Phipps, R. H. and Humphries, D. J. 1999. Digestion in the rumen of lactating dairy cows given mixtures of urea-treated whole-crop wheat and grass silage. Animal Science 69: 203–212.Google Scholar
Agricultural and Food Research Council. 1995. Energy and protein requirements of ruminants. CAB International, Wallingford.Google Scholar
Bauman, D. E., Corl, B. A., Baumgard, L. H. and Griinari, J. M. 2001. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and the dairy cow. In Recent advances in animal nutrition (ed. Garnsworthy, P. C. and Wiseman, J.), pp. 221–250. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham.Google Scholar
Burgess, P. L., Misener, G. C., McQueen, R. E. and Nicholson, J. W. G. 1989. Evaluation of barley and wheat head-chop silages for dairy cows. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 69: 947–954.Google Scholar
Givens, D. I., Moss, A. R. and Adamson, A. H. 1993. The digestion and energy value of whole crop wheat treated with urea. Animal Feed Science and Technology 43: 51–64.Google Scholar
Goering, H. K. and Van Soest, P. J. 1970. Forage fiber analysis (apparatus, reagents, procedures and some applications). Agricultural handbook no. 379, US Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Hameleers, A. 1998. The effects of the inclusion of either maize silage, fermented whole crop wheat or urea-treated whole crop wheat in a diet based on a high-quality grass silage on the performance of dairy cows. Grass and Forage Science 53: 157–163.Google Scholar
Hill, J. and Leaver, J. D. 1999. Effect of stage of growth at harvest and level of urea application on chemical changes during storage of whole-crop wheat. Animal Feed Science and Technology 77: 281–301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, L., Harrison, J. H., Hunt, C., Shinners, K., Doggett, C. G. and Sapienza, D. 1999. Nutritive value of corn silage as affected by maturity and mechanical processing: a contemporary review. Journal of Dairy Science 82: 2813–2825.Google Scholar
Johnson, L. M., Harrison, J. H., Davidson, D., Mahanna, W. C. and Shinners, K. 2003. Corn silage management: effects of hybrid, chop length, and mechanical processing on digestion and energy content. Journal of Dairy Science 86: 208–231.Google Scholar
Johnson, L. M., Harrison, J. H., Davidson, D., Swift, M., Mahanna, W. C. and Shinners, K. 2002. Corn silage management. III. Effects of hybrid, maturity and processing on nitrogen metabolism and ruminal fermentation. Journal of Dairy Science 85: 2928–2947.Google Scholar
Jones, D. W. and Kay, J. J. 1976. Determination of volatile fatty acids C1-C6, and lactic acid in silage juice. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 27: 1005–1014.Google Scholar
Langhans, W. 1999. Appetite regulation. In Protein metabolism and nutrition (ed. Lobley, G. E. White, A. and Macrae, J.), pp. 225–251. Wageningen Press, Wageningen.Google Scholar
Leaver, J. D. and Hill, J. 1995. The performance of dairy cows offered ensiled whole-crop wheat, urea-treated whole-crop wheat or sodium hydroxide-treated wheat grain and wheat straw in a mixture with grass silage. Animal Science 61: 481–489.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lowman, B. G., Scott, N. A. and Somerville, S. H. 1976. Condition scoring of cattle. East of Scotland College of Agriculture bulletin no. 6.Google Scholar
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. 1982. The feeding stuffs (sampling and analysis) regulations, statutory instrument no. 1144. Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. 1986. The analysis of agricultural materials. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food reference book no. 427. Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. 1991. The feeding stuffs regulations, statutory instrument no. 2840. Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. 1993. Prediction of the energy values of compound feeding stuffs for farm animals. Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, London.Google Scholar
Ørskov, E. R., Soliman, H. S. and MacDearmid, A. 1978. Intake of hay by cattle given supplements of barley subjected to various forms of physical treatment or treatment with alkali. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 90: 611–615.Google Scholar
Phipps, R. H., Sutton, J. D. and Jones, B. A. 1995. Forage mixtures for dairy cows: the effect on dry-matter intake and milk production of incorporating either fermented or urea-treated whole-crop wheat, brewers’ grains, fodder beet or maize silage into diets based on grass silage. Animal Science 61: 491–496.Google Scholar
Reynolds, C. K., Sutton, J. D. and Beever, D. E. 1997. Effects of feeding starch to dairy cattle on nutrient availability and production. In Recent advances in animal nutrition (ed. Garnsworthy, P. C. and Wiseman, J.), pp. 105–134. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham.Google Scholar
Richardson, J. M., Wilkinson, R. G. and Sinclair, L. A. 2003. Synchrony of nutrient supply to the rumen and dietary energy source and their effects on the growth and metabolism of lambs. Journal of Animal Science 81: 1332–1347.Google Scholar
Siddons, R. C., Paradine, J., Beever, D. E. and Cornell, P. R. 1985. Ytterbium acetate as a particulate-phase digesta-flow marker. British Journal of Nutrition 54: 509–519.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sinclair, L. A., Wilkinson, R. G. and Ferguson, D. M. R. 2003. Effects of crop maturity and cutting height on the nutritive value of fermented whole crop wheat and milk production in dairy cows. Livestock Production Science 81: 257–269.Google Scholar
Sutton, J. D., Abdalla, A. L., Phipps, R. H., Cammell, S. B. and Humphries, D. J. 1997. The effect of the replacement of grass silage by increasing proportions of urea-treated whole-crop wheat on food intake and apparent digestibility and milk production by dairy cows. Animal Science 65: 343–351.Google Scholar
Sutton, J. D., Cammell, S. B., Beever, D. E., Humphries, D. J. and Phipps, R. H. 1998. Energy and nitrogen balance of lactating dairy cows given mixtures of urea-treated whole-crop wheat and grass silage. Animal Science 67: 203–212.Google Scholar
Sutton, J. D., Phipps, R. H., Cammell, S. B. and Humphries, D. J. 2001. Attempts to improve the utilization of urea-treated whole-crop wheat by lactating dairy cows. Animal Science 73: 137–147.Google Scholar
Sutton, J. D., Phipps, R. H., Deaville, E. R., Jones, A. K. and Humphries, D. J. 2002. Whole-crop wheat for dairy cows: effects of crop maturity, a silage inoculant and an enzyme added before feeding on food intake and digestibility and milk production. Animal Science 74: 307–318.Google Scholar
Theurer, C. B. 1986. Grain processing effects on starch utilization by ruminants. Journal of Animal Science 63: 1649–1662.Google Scholar
Thomas, T. A. 1977. An automated procedure for the determination of soluble carbohydrates in herbage. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 28: 639–642.Google Scholar
Tyrell, H. F. and Reid, J. T. 1965. Prediction of the energy value of cow’s milk. Journal of Dairy Science 48: 1215–1223.Google Scholar
Van Soest, P. J., Robertson, J. B. and Lewis, B. A. 1991. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber and nonstarch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science 74: 3583–3597.Google Scholar
Ward, W. R., Murray, R. D., White, A. R. and Rees, E. M. 1995. The use of blood biochemistry for determining the nutritional status of dairy cows. In Recent advances in animal nutrition (ed. Garnsworthy, P. C. and Cole, D. J. A.), pp. 29–52. Nottingham University Press. Nottingham.Google Scholar
Weller, R. F., Cooper, A. and Dhanoa, M. S. 1995. The selection of winter wheat varieties for whole-crop cereal conservation. Grass and Forage Science 50: 172–177.Google Scholar
Zadoks, J. C., Cheng, T. T. and Konzak, C. F. 1974. A decimal code for the growth stages of cereals. Weed Research 14: 415–421.Google Scholar