The effect of feeding dried sugar-beet pulp on the intake and production of dairy cows

Abstract

SummaryThree rations were compared in a 15-week winter feeding experiment using 12 Ayrshire cows. All the cows received silage 3 times a day and concentrates; ration A contained no sugar-beet pulp whilst ration B contained 6 lb of pulp and ration C 12 lb.The total weights of dry matter consumed were 29·7, 32·3 and 33·4 lb/day, respectively, on treatments A, B and C. For every 1 lb of extra sugar-beet pulp dry matter eaten the decline in the dry weight of the other feeds consumed was 0·50 lb on treatment B and 0·55 lb on treatment C. The main decrease was in the silage part of the ration. The weights of starch equivalent (S.E.) consumed daily were 18·0, 19·8 and 20·7 lb on rations A, B and C, respectively, with mean daily milk yields of 38·2, 39·3 and 39·7 lb, giving a response of 0·55 lb milk/lb extra S.E. between rations A and C. The corresponding fat percentages of the milks did not differ significantly from each other but the solids-not-fat (SNF) percentages increased significantly from 8·76% on ration A to 8·88% on ration C. The average response per lb extra S.E. was 0·044% SNF and the increase was in the protein fraction of the milk. The cows were significantly heavier on rations B and C than on ration A. The inclusion of beet pulp in rations B and C had no adverse effect on the taste of the milk.