title: The effect of maize silage type on the performances and methane emission of dairy cattle.
abstract: To examine whether type of maize silage is important for milk production performances, maize silage LG30224 (LG) was compared with Falkone (FA), the latter having a 4.0% points lower rumen NDF digestibility and 19 g/kg dry matter (DM) more starch. To bridge the lower energy content of FA, a third treatment was involved by adding maize meal (MM) in a ratio of 92/8 on DM (FA+MM). Maize and grass silage were fed ad libitum in a ratio of 65/35 on DM basis. Concentrates were supplemented individually to meet energy and protein requirements. The experiment was set up as a Latin square with three groups of nine Holstein cows during three periods of 3 weeks. In the last 2 weeks of each period, DM intake (DMI) and milk performances were measured. Each group included one cannulated cow to study effects on rumen fermentation. During the last 4 days of each period, two cows from each group were placed in gas exchange chambers to measure nutrient digestibility and methane production. Total DMI was higher (p < 0.05) for FA+MM (20.8 kg/day) than for FA (20.3 kg/day), while DMI for LG was intermediate (20.6 kg/day). Treatment did not affect milk production nor composition, whereas fat-protein-corrected milk was higher for LG (30.5 kg/day) and FA+MM (30.3 kg/day) than for FA (29.9 kg/day). The ration did not affect pH nor volatile fatty acid composition in the rumen. Further, total tract digestibility of OM, crude protein, NDF and starch did not differ among treatments. The ration with LG gave higher methane production per day and per kg NDF intake than both rations with FA, but the difference was not significant when expressed per kg DMI or FPCM. Thus, maize silage type is of little importance for milk production if energy and physical structure requirements are met.
authors.affiliation: Animal Sciences Unit, Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Melle, Belgium.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: De Boever
authors.affiliation: Animal Sciences Unit, Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Melle, Belgium.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goossens
authors.affiliation: Animal Sciences Unit, Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Melle, Belgium.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Peiren
authors.affiliation: Plant Sciences Unit, Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Merelbeke, Belgium.|Department of Plant Production, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Swanckaert
authors.affiliation: Animal Sciences Unit, Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Melle, Belgium.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ampe
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Production, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reheul
authors.affiliation: Animal Sciences Unit, Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Melle, Belgium.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: De Brabander
authors.affiliation: Animal Sciences Unit, Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Melle, Belgium.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Campeneere
authors.affiliation: Animal Sciences Unit, Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Melle, Belgium.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vandaele
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism; D008892:Milk; D009753:Nutritive Value; D012417:Rumen / Q000378:metabolism; D012820:Silage / Q000032:analysis*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008697:Methane
keywords: cell wall digestibility; dairy cow; maize silage; methane; starch