Complete Rations for Dairy Cattle. VII. Dried Poultry Waste for Lactating Cows

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Abstract
Lactating Holstein cows (24) were in a partially balanced incomplete block design to study effects of graded percents of dried poultry waste (0, 10, 20 and 30% of complete ration) on milk production and composition. The dried poultry waste was a high-ash product due to loss of over 50% of organic nutrients during drying. Feed intake was similar for 0 and 10% rations but increasingly lower for 20 and 30%. Milk yield was reduced slightly (2.9%) for 10% in relation to 0% but progressively lower (19.4 and 34.5%) for 20 and 30%. The trend was the same for the rest of variables (protein percent, solids-not-fat percent, total solids percent and total yield of these same variables and fat yield) except for milk fat percent which did not show a specific trend. All milks had desirable flavors with no differences due to rations. In a 2nd trial, 10 lactating dairy cows were used to obtain apparent digestibility coefficients. Crude protein digestibility for complete ration was lower for 10% than 0%, and ether extract was lower for 30% than 20%. For 0 and 10% vs. 20 and 30%, energy and crude fiber dry matter, crude protein, ether contract and N free extract coefficients were lower for 20 and 30%. Up to 10% of complete rations for lactating dairy cows can be composed of dried poultry waste (even if high in ash) with little or no reduction in feed intake or milk production. Higher percents should be fed only if reduced feed intake and performance can be tolerated.