Comparison of whole sugar cane and corn silage as roughage for milking cows

Abstract

Twelve Holstein and Brown Swiss cows were used in a switch-back design, with three treatments: A) corn silage + 1,50 kg soybean meal; B) 50% corn silage + 50% sugar cane + 2,25 kg soybean meal; C) sugar cane + 3.00 kg soybean meal. The females received concentrates on a daily basis of 1 kg per 2.5 kg of milk produced above 8 kg. The daily milk production (FCM) per cow was: A) 19,63 kg, B) 18,94 kg, C) 18.07 KG and differences were not significant (P>0.05). Treatments did not affect the fat content of milk or the live weight of the cow, but dry matter intake and total digestible nutrients decreased, when levels of sugar cane in the diets increased. In this trial, com silage and sugar cane were used with similar results, as roughages for dairy cows producing 18 kg milk by cow by day.