Forage source alters nutrient supply to the intestine without influencing milk yield

Eight Holstein cows in early lactation and fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design experiment to determine the influence of forage source on microbial digestion in the rumen and nutrient supply to the intestine and to determine relationships between DMI, ruminal fill, and NDF content of silage. Cows were fed a TMR formulated to contain a 50:50 concentrate:forage ratio. A significant negative correlation was found between dietary NDF concentration (range 32.2 to 37.9%) and DMI (16.7 to 19.6 kg/d). In addition to forage NDF concentration, the lower DMI of cows fed oat or triticale silage (16.7 and 17.2 kg/d, respectively) relative to that of cows fed barley or alfalfa silage (18.6 and 19.6 kg/d, respectively) might reflect a lower true rate of NDF digestion (range 2.39 to 4.09%/h), higher ruminal turnover time (12.9 to 17.1 h), and lower rate of NDF intake (3.31 to 3.96%/h). However, differences in ruminal bacterial yield, ruminal metabolites, and nutrient supply to the intestine associated with different silages had no major effect on dairy cow performance. We concluded that the dairy cow can maintain similar milk yield despite marked differences in the type of end products arising from carbohydrate and protein digestion.