Comparison of Ordinary Dried and Ensiled Crimped Barley Grain in Dairy Cattle Diets

Abstract

Trial was conducted to examine nutrient composition and hygiene of dry barley (DB) and ensiled barley (MB) and to compare the effects of DB and MB on voluntary feed intake and milk production of dairy cows. The barley crop from one half of a 30-ha field was combined when the grains were at the cheesy ripe stage of maturity (564 g DM kg-¹), and the grains were subsequently crimped and conserved in a plastic tube using. Murska Crimper-Bagger. The barley crop from other half of the same field was combined when grains was at complete maturity (842 g DM kg-¹), and stored in aerated bin. Eighteen dairy milking cows were selected for the experiment according to parity, lactation, date of calving, present milk yield and last year milk yield and live weight. Cows which were randomly assigned to one of two groups (n=9) were given concentrate (containing different treated barley grain) at fixed amount. Control group (D) was fed concentrate mixture - DB-rapeseed meal-vitamin mineral supplement: 730-230-40 g kg-¹) and experimental group (M) was offered concentrates based on MB (with fixed DM proportion of MB to DB) supplemented with wqual value to group D of rapeseed meal and vitamin mineral supplement. Both groups were offered grass-legume silage ad libitum. Each forage was fed twice daily. The data were analysed using analysis of variance to test for the effect of silage treatments. [...].