Lactational Performance of Early-Lactation Dairy Cows Fed Forages Produced by Two Different Crop Production Programs

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Dairy Nutrition
• Forage Quality

Background:

• High-producing dairy cows in early lactation have elevated nutritional demands.
• Digestibility of forages is a critical factor influencing dairy cow performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of soil and crop additives (SCA) on forage quality and its subsequent effects on early-lactation dairy cow performance.
• To determine if SCA supplementation during crop production enhances milk yield and composition.

Main Methods:

• Thirty early-lactation dairy cows were assigned to control (CON) or SCA-treated forage diets.
• Milk production, dry matter intake, and milk composition were measured.
• Total-tract apparent digestibility of fiber and starch was assessed.

Main Results:

• Cows fed SCA forages showed increased milk production (36.9 vs 32.6 kg/d) compared to CON.
• Milk protein, lactose, and total solids yields were significantly higher in the SCA group.
• Neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber digestibility improved with SCA forages.

Conclusions:

• Supplementing soil and crop additives (SCA) during forage production enhances forage digestibility.
• Feeding these improved forages to early-lactation dairy cows boosts milk production and improves milk composition.
• SCA represents a promising strategy for optimizing dairy cow nutrition and performance.