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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Nutrition, Growth and Physiology » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #312875
Title: Energy content of reduced-fat dried distillers grains with solubles for lactating dairy cows

Author
item FOTH, ALISON - University Of Nebraska
item Brown-Brandl, Tami
item HANFORD, KATHY - University Of Nebraska
item MILLER, PHILIP - University Of Nebraska
item GARCIA GOMEZ, GABRIEL - University Of Nebraska
item KONONOFF, PAUL - University Of Nebraska

Submitted to: Journal of Dairy Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/9/2015
Publication Date: 12/10/2015
Citation: Foth, A.J., Brown-Brandl, T.M., Hanford, K.J., Miller, P.S., Garcia Gomez, G., Kononoff, P.J. 2015. Energy content of reduced-fat dried distillers grains with solubles for lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science. 98:7142-7152.

Interpretive Summary: Fifty six energy balances were completed with Holstein and Jersey multiparous cows in a study designed to determine the energy content of reduced-fat dried distillers grains and solubles through the use of indirect calorimetry. Two diets were tested that contained either 0.0 or 28.8% of reduced-fat dried distillers grains. Cows consuming these treatments produced similar amounts of milk but those consuming reduced-fat dried distillers grains produced milk with less protein. The concentration of net energy used for lactation was also higher in diets containing reduced-fat dried distillers grains.

Technical Abstract: Eight Holstein and 8 Jersey multiparous, lactating cows were used to complete 56 energy balances to determine the energy content of reduced-fat distillers grains and solubles (RFDDGS). A repeated switchback design was used to compare treatments with and without RFDDGS. Diets consisted of 24.2% corn silage, 18.4% alfalfa hay, 6.94% brome hay with either 22.9% rolled corn and 14.8% soybean meal (Control), or 8.95% rolled corn, 28.8% RFDDGS, and 0% soybean meal (Co-P; DM basis). The inclusion of RFDDGS did not affect (P = 0.86) DMI averaging 21.4 ± 0.53 kg DM for all cows but milk production tended (P = 0.10) to increase from 29.8 to ± 1.46 kg/d for Control and Co-P treatments , respectively. There was no difference between treatments in milk fat percentage or ECM (P = 0.81 and 0.22, respectively), averaging 4.33 ± 0.14% and 34.1 kg/d, respectively. Milk protein was decreased (P < 0.01) by the Co-P treatment (3.56 and 3.41 ± 0.08% for Control and Co-P treatments), but protein yield was not affected (P = 0.51). Milk energies were 1.40 Mcal/d greater with Co-P (P = 0.01). Energy lost as methane was reduced (P < 0.01) by 0.31 Mcal/d with the addition of RFDDGS to the diet. Heat loss averaged 29.9 ± 0.55 Mcal/d and was not different between diets (P = 0.49). Average energy retained as tissue energy was -2.99 ± 0.93 Mcal/d and did not differ (P = 0.73) between treatments. Intake of digestible and metabolizable energy were not different (P = 0.16 and 0.14 for DE and ME, respectively) between the Control and Co-P treatments, averaging 2.68 and 2.31 Mcal/kg DM, respectively. The net energy of lactation values of Control and Co-P diets were calculated to be 1.43 and 1.47 Mcal/kg DM (P = 0.10), respectively. These energy estimates suggest greater energy content of diets containing RFDDGS than diets containing a mixture of corn and soybean meal in lactating dairy cows.