Evaluation of triticale grain in high producing dairy cow rations

Graduation date: 1990The objective of this study was to evaluate triticale\ud grain fed as a concentrate in the diet of high producing\ud dairy cows. A lactation study, in vitro dry matter\ud digestibilities and a preliminary physiological effects\ud trial were conducted to evaluate triticale and used to\ud make feeding recommendations.\ud In the lactation study, thirty-two multiparous\ud Holstein cows were divided into two groups based on days\ud in milk and initial milk production. A switchback design\ud was employed. Diets were isocaloric, isonitrogenous, and\ud isofibrous total mixed rations. Triticale replaced barley\ud in the experimental ration. Daily feedings were recorded\ud and orts were weighed back biweekly. No significant\ud differences were noted in five day 4% fat corrected milk\ud weights or daily average milk weight for triticale and\ud control diets, 385.27 and 388.47 pounds, 77.05 and 77.69\ud pounds, respectively, when triticale replaced barley on an\ud equal weight basis. Triticale supported a peak production\ud for a five day period averaging 114.25 lbs. per day and\ud the control ration a peak five day average production of\ud 109.30 lbs. per day. No significant difference was noted\ud in % milk protein as treatment means were 3.14 and 3.16%\ud for triticale and the control ration. However, five day\ud weights for protein production were significantly higher\ud (P<.05) for animals fed the control TMR (13.09 lbs.) than\ud the animals fed the triticale TMR (12.45 lbs.). Triticale\ud fed cows had a significantly higher milk fat % (P<.03)\ud than the control group, 3.81 vs. 3.60%. Total lbs. of\ud milk fat produced were not different (3.02 and 2.98\ud lbs./day for triticale and control, respectively). No\ud difference was noted in ADFI as cows consumed 57.90 and\ud 56.94 # DM daily for the control and triticale TMR,\ud respectively.\ud Results of the in vitro study indicates that different\ud feedstuffs had different in vitro dry matter\ud digestibilities (IVDMD). Mean IVDMD for corn, barley,\ud 50/50 corn-barley and triticale grain was 92.38, 87.32,\ud 88.19 and 92.78%. Triticale and corn grain had similar\ud IVDMD, which were significantly higher than barley and the\ud 50/50 corn-barley mix. Data also indicated that their was\ud no difference in IVDMD between the control or triticale\ud ration.\ud Four cull cows were identified and placed on the\ud triticale TMR for approximately 120 days. Upon completion\ud of the feeding period, the cows were slaughtered and the\ud internal organs were examined. No lesions or abscesses\ud were noted in the liver or rumen of any of the animals.\ud Results from this trial indicate that triticale can\ud successfully be fed (at 24% of diet DM) to high producing\ud dairy cows without significantly effecting performance or\ud health of the animal. On the basis of the results of this\ud trial, constraints of feeding triticale in dairy rations\ud would be price and availability of triticale