HIGH MOISTURE GROUND EAR CORN, HIGH MOISTURE BARLEY OR SODIUM HYDROXIDE TREATED BARLEY FOR LACTATING COWS: MILK PRODUCTION AND RATION UTILIZATION

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Abstract
Whole barley was treated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in laboratory trials. Dry matter disappearance from nylon bags in the rumen of whole barley treated with 2.5, 3.5, or 4.9% NaOH for 30 h was 59.6, 72.4, and 93.0%, respectively, compared with 82.2% for untreated ground barley. In a subsequent lactation trial, 24 Holstein cows (eight per treatment) were fed high moisture ground ear corn, high moisture rolled barley or high moisture whole barley treated with 3.5% NaOH. Milk persistencies tended to be greater for cows fed high moisture rolled barley, next for ground ear corn and least for NaOH-treated barley. Milk composition was similar for all treatments. Dry matter intake was greatest for cows fed ground ear corn and lower for those fed the barley diets. Alpha-linked glucose and pH of feces were similar for cows fed ground ear corn and high moisture rolled barley diets, but fecal pH was lower and alpha-linked glucose concentrations three times greater for NaOH-treated barley. Digestibility percents of dry matter, acid detergent fiber and nitrogen were 61.4, 25.3, 64.7 for ground ear corn; 64.4, 38.0, 67.1 for high moisture rolled barley; and 56.8, 43.2, 54.8 for NaOH-treated barley, respectively. Rumen grain turnover estimated by excretion of ytterbium in feces was greatest for NaOH-treated barley (9.09%/h), intermediate for ground ear corn (6.10%/h) and lowest for high moisture rolled barley (4.93%/h). Key words: Dairy, sodium hydroxide, high moisture grains

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