title: On the effects of the concentrate proportion of dairy cow rations in the presence and absence of a fusarium toxin-contaminated triticale on cow performance.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of a deoxynivalenol (DON) contaminated ration with a concentrate proportion of 50%, on the performance of dairy cows (Period 1), and to examine the effects when the concentrate proportion was elevated to 60% compared to a ration with 30% concentrates (Period 2). In Period 1, 13 lactating German Holstein cows (Myco group, on average 29 days in milk) were fed the experimental diet (on average 5.3 mg DON/kg DM) as total mixed ration over 11 weeks, while another 14 cows (on average 33 days in milk) received a control diet. Both rations contained 50% concentrates (on DM basis). In Period 2 (18 weeks), the same 27 cows plus five additional cows were divided into four groups: Control-30 (30% concentrates), Myco-30 (30% concentrates, 4.4 mg DON/kg DM), Control-60 (60% concentrates), Myco-60 (60% concentrates, 4.6 mg DON/kg DM). The overall performance level was characterised by a mean daily DM intake of 17.9 kg and a mean daily milk production of 26.7 kg fat corrected milk (FCM) in Period 1 and 17.3 kg DM intake and 24.5 kg FCM in Period 2, respectively. In both periods cows fed the Fusarium toxin-contaminated diets consumed more DM (in Period 2 only significant for group Myco-30) resulting from stimulating effects on the ingesta passage rate of the natural contaminated Fusarium-infected triticale. In Period 1, cows fed the Fusarium toxin-contaminated diet had a significantly higher milk yield, milk urea and somatic cell count, whereas milk fat and protein concentration and fat-to-protein-ratio (FPR) were significantly lower. In Period 2, on a low concentrate level, FCM was significantly higher in group Myco-30. On a high concentrate level, group Myco-60 produced significantly more milk, but milk fat and protein concentration, FPR and milk urea were significantly lower. A concentrate proportion of 60% had a depressing effect on milk fat concentration but was significantly more pronounced in the presence of Fusarium toxin-contaminated and Fusarium damaged-triticale.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Nutrition, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keese
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rehage
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spilke
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boguhn
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Breves
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dänicke
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005670:Fusarium / Q000378:metabolism; D007774:Lactation / Q000187:drug effects; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011897:Random Allocation; D014255:Trichothecenes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D014908:Triticum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D014255:Trichothecenes; C007262:deoxynivalenol