Cited by 87Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive PhysiologyPasture and Agricultural SystemsAnimal Nutrition and Physiology

Alfalfa cut at sundown and harvested as baleage improves milk yield of late-lactation dairy cows

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Brito, A.F., Tremblay, G.F., Bertrand, A., Castonguay, Y., Bélanger, G., Michaud, R., Lapierre, H., Benchaar, C. +3 more·2008·Journal of Dairy Science

Abstract

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cut at sundown has been shown to contain greater concentration of total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC) than that cut at sunup. Fourteen multiparous (8 ruminally cannulated) and 2 primiparous lactating dairy cows were randomly assigned to 2 treatments in a crossover design (2 periods of 24 d) to investigate the effects of alfalfa daytime cutting management on ruminal metabolism, nutrient digestibility, N balance, and milk yield. Half of each alfalfa field (total of 3 fields) was cut at sundown (PM) after a sunny day, whereas the second half was cut at sunup (AM) on the following day. Both PM and AM cuts were field-wilted and harvested as baleage (531 +/- 15.0 g of dry matter/kg of fresh matter). Bales (PM and AM) were ranked according to their concentrations of TNC, paired, and each pair of PM and AM baleages was then assigned to each experimental day (total of 48 d). The difference in TNC concentration between PM and AM baleages fed during the 10 d of data and sample collection varied from -10 to 50 g/kg of dry matter. Each pair of baleage was fed ad libitum to cows once daily with no concentrate. Ruminal molar proportion of acetate and total volatile fatty acid concentration were greater in animals fed the AM baleage, whereas the proportion of valerate was greater with PM baleage; no other significant changes in ruminal molar proportions of volatile fatty acids were observed between forage treatments. Digestible organic matter intake, organic matter digestibility, and plasma Lys concentration were significantly greater in cows fed PM alfalfa, suggesting that more nutrients were available for milk synthesis. Significantly lower body weight gain and retained N as a proportion of N intake were observed in cows fed PM alfalfa, thus suggesting that nutrients were channeled to milk synthesis rather than to body reserves. Intake of dry matter (+1.0 kg/d), and yields of milk (+1.0 kg/d), milk fat (+70 g/d), and milk protein (+40 g/d) were significantly greater in cows fed PM vs. AM alfalfa. Concentration of milk urea N and excretion of urea N as a proportion of total urinary N were significantly reduced, and milk N efficiency was increased when feeding PM vs. AM alfalfa, indicating an improvement in N utilization. Increasing the TNC concentration of alfalfa by shifting forage cutting from sunup to sundown improved N utilization and milk production in late-lactation dairy cows.

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Crossref · 10.3168/jds.2008-1282

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  • Cows fed afternoon-mowed alfalfa silage had significantly greater feed intake and milk yield than cows fed morning-mowed alfalfa silage.

    “Additionally, cows fed afternoon-mowed alfalfa silage had significantly greater feed intake and milk yield.”

    From Silage review: Factors affecting dry matter and quality losses in silages (2018) · cites this paper as Brito et al., 2008

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Authors
Brito, A. F., Tremblay, G. F., Bertrand, A., Castonguay, Y., Bélanger, G., Michaud, R., Lapierre, H., Benchaar, C., Petit, H. V., Ouellet, D. R., & Berthiaume, R.
Affiliations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (CA)
Corresponding author
Berthiaume, R.
Venue
Journal of Dairy Science
Published
2008-10
Volume
91
Issue
10
Pages
3968-3982
ISSN
0022-0302 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2135388274
Cited by
87
References
59
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 10
FWCI
8.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Dairy Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Forestry › Pasture and Agricultural Systems
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Nutrition and Physiology
Keywords
baleage, milk yield, milk protein, milk fat, ruminal metabolism, volatile fatty acids, nitrogen balance, milk urea nitrogen, nitrogen use efficiency, nutrient digestibility, lysine, weight gain, forage quality, ruminally cannulated cows
MeSH terms
Medicago sativa, Amino Acids, Animals, Blood Chemical Analysis, Cattle, Circadian Rhythm, Dairying, Dietary Carbohydrates, Digestion, Eating, Female, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Lactation, Milk, Random Allocation, Rumen, Weight Gain

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