Comparison of Red Clover and Ryegrass Silage for Dry Cows and Influence on Subsequent Lactation Performance

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the use of red clover (RC) silage as a forage for dry dairy cows, primarily relative to its impact on tissue mobilization and repletion during the transition period and performance during the first 10 wk of lactation. Forty multiparous lactating Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were divided into 2 paired groups at 70 d before predicted calving dates; a subset (n = 8) of the cows were used for N and P balance measurements twice during the study. From the start of the experiment until 4 wk before predicted calving date all cows were offered ad libitum access to a ryegrass (RG) silage with no concentrate. At 4 wk before predicted calving date, one group of cows remained on the same diet, and the other group was changed to a diet of ad libitum access to RC silage. There was no difference in feed intakes, but CP intake was higher in cows fed RC silage, whereas ME intake was higher in cows fed RG silage. Cows fed RG silage gained more weight over the last 4 wk of the dry period (DP) than those fed RC silage, but there was no treatment effect on BCS. During the DP fecal N excretion was higher for cows fed RC silage, and there were no treatment differences in urine N excretion or overall N balance. At birth, calves from cows fed the RC silage were heavier. After calving, all cows were offered the same diet of ad libitum access to the same RG silage and a standard lactation concentrate. During the first 10 wk of lactation there was no difference in feed intake between the 2 previous treatment groups, and feed intake reached a maximum at approximately 4 wk of lactation. Cows on the RG treatment during the DP gained more longissimus dorsi muscle depth during the DP and retained it during early lactation. Mobilization of this muscle occurred before calving, indicating repartitioning of amino acids to other body tissues. There were no carryover effects of DP treatment on apparent partitioning of N from diet to milk, urine, or feces at wk 3 of lactation. Feeding RC silage during the DP had almost no impact on subsequent performance of dairy cows in early lactation, probably because the 2 silages were nutritionally very similar.

Efficiency of use of metabolizable energy for body weight gain in pasture-based, nonlactating dairy cows

“…Apparent efficiency values for Psil (app_k g = 0.50) were also within the range of values reported by the NRC ( 2001) and CSIRO (2007) for spring pasture, from which the silage was made, as well as with the reportedly greater k g of pasture in spring compared with autumn (Blaxter et al, 1971;MacRae et al, 1985). Consistent with the relatively high app_k g for pasture silage, Moorby et al (2008) studied differences in the BW gain of late-gestation dairy cows and associated calf birth weights, when cows were fed either pasture silage or red clover silage. That study revealed a greater BW gain in cows on pasture silage, whereas cows on clover silage gave birth to heavier calves.…”

“…These physiological changes could increase partitioning of ME from Mgr to conceptus metabolism rather than BW gain, and may explain the lower app_k g of Mgr in these late-gestation dairy cows. Differences in BW gain and calf birth weight reported by Moorby et al (2008) in cows fed either pasture silage or red clover silage supports this hypothesis, with greater BW gain on pasture silage and greater calf birth weight on the red clover silage treatment. The effect of treatment in the current study cannot be used to test this hypothesis, because the time on feed treatment and number of cows per treatment does not provide the statistical power to detect differences in calf birth weight if they occurred.…”

Assessment of dietary ratios of red clover and corn silages on milk production and milk quality in dairy cows

“…This may be related to changes in the rumen microbial population resulting from the difference in the forage components of the diets because P digestion is influenced by microbial phytase activity, with absorption from the gut by the small intestine, and recycling of P back into the rumen via saliva (Hill et al, 2008). Previous work found little difference in P digestibility or whole-body P partitioning when feeding red clover and ryegrass silages to dry dairy cows (Moorby et al, 2008), but whole-tract P digestibility was much lower than in the current study, possibly because no supplemental concentrates were fed to the dry cows, and therefore no supplemental inorganic P (as part of a mineral premix in a concentrate) was supplied.…”

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“…The reason was probably harvesting time of grass Silage. 28,67 According to Moorby et al 68 feed efficiency was higher for normal grass silage over Red clover legume silage, and authors Broderick et al 60 and Fisher, et al 61 states similarly, for Ryegrass silage feed efficiency was higher than alfalfa legume silage. Generally, although legume silage was observed high significant difference on milk yield and DMI over grass-based fed diet but feed efficiency was not significantly differed.…”