Heat stress interactions with protein, supplemental fat, and fungal cultures

Cows that were subjected to hot environmental temperatures yielded less milk (3.1 kg/d) on a diet high in CP (18.4%) and of medium degradability (65%) than on diets high in CP of low degradability (59%) or medium in CP (16.1%). The high CP diets were associated with decreased DMI and higher water intake, ruminal NH4, and blood urea. Negative effects on yield from the high CP, medium degradability diet were not observed at moderate temperatures. Evaporative cooling of cows in hot weather resulted in a greater milk yield response to low versus medium rumen-undegradabale protein diets than for uncooled cows. Evaporative cooling of cows also affected response to protein quality. For cooled cows, high Lys diet (soybean, fish, and blood meals) increased milk yield 14% over that with low Lys diet (corn gluten meal), but, for uncooled cows, a high Lys diet only increased yield by 9%. Percentage of CP, degradability, and protein quality had no effect on body temperatures or respiration rates of lactating cows. Some, but not other, reports showed that supplementation of 2 to 2.5% fat to diets fed under hot summer conditions resulted in less yield response than when fat was added at moderate temperatures. In several studies, fungal cultures (3 to 5 g/d) in the diet decreased body temperatures and respiration rates in hot, but not cool, weather. Increased milk yields and cellulose digestibility also resulted from dietary fungal cultures in some, but not all, trials. The mechanism of action exerted by fungal cultures on body temperature and respiration rate is unclear.