Effects of Feeding Unlike Forages, Singly and in Combination, on Voluntary Dry Matter Consumption and Performance of Lactating Cows

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Abstract
Three groups of 6 lactating dairy cows each were fed: grass-legume silage, ad libitum; succulent pasture, ad libitum; and silage, ad libitum plus 1 hr of pasture daily. Milk production, weight gains, and forage consumption of those fed the combination of forages were significantly greater than expected. Most of the beneficial interaction was attributed to an increase in forage consumption. Digestibility was not affected by the combination. However, some increase in efficiency of digested nutrients could not be excluded. In another study, 24 lactating cows were fed: Coastal Bermudagrass silage; Tift Sudangrass silage; or a combination of these silages in a double-reversal experiment. Cows fed Sudangrass silage produced more milk than those given the Bermudagrass. Dry matter consumption was significantly greater for the combination group. However, differences in milk production and weight gains were not significant. Thus, the nonadditive effects of the substances which cause low dry matter consumption of these 2 silages was not large under conditions of the experiment.