Nutritional Evaluation of Maize Top Hay and Maize Top Silage Based Diets in Lactating Crossbred Cows


67 / 5

Authors

Keywords:

Maize top silage, Maize top hay, Milk Yield, Milk composition, Nutrient Intake

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate maize top silage and maize top hay in lactating  crossbred cows on dry matter intake, nutrient intake, digestibility, milk yield, milk composition and composition yield. Six lactating crossbred cows (Avg. b.wt; 358; milk yield 9.08 kg/day) were divided into two groups of three cows each in switch over design comprising two periods and allocated one of the following treatments; T1 - maize top silage (MTS) based diet, T2 - maize top hay (MTH) based diet. The experimental cows were offered an average 2 kg of paddy straw, MTS (5kg DM from silage of total DMI), adlibitum of MTH, and CFM was offered to meet the requirement of nutrients (ICAR, 2013), in respective treatment. There was a significant difference in body condition score between the groups. The total dry matter intake in T1 and T2 were 10.43 and 11.27, kg/d respectively. There was no significant difference in DMI but significantly higher intake of MTH than MTS was noticed. No significant difference in the nutrients intake and digestibility of nutrients, MN supply to the intestine and also in nitrogen balance was observed. The corrected lactometer reading (CRL) of the milk of experimental cows were 28.90 and 28.97 and 4 % FCM yield (kg/d) was 9.86 and 9.72 in T1 and T2 groups, respectively and difference was non-significant. There was no significant difference between groups in the component of the milk and composition yield. It was concluded that MTS and MTH can efficiently be used either as a part of diet or as sole roughage source adlibitum in the feeding of lactating dairy animals so that benefit of nutritious part of the maize plant like tops can be better utilized before attaining higher lignification.

Author Biographies

  • U.Vishwanatha , KVAFSU, Bidar

    M.V.Sc., Scholar, Dept. of Animal Nutrition, Veterinary College, Shivamogga

  • T.Thirumalesh, KVAFSU, Bidar

    Professor and Head, Dept. of LFC, Veterinary College, Shivamogga

  • V.Nagabhushana, KVAFSU, Bidar

    Professor and Head, Dept. of Animal Nutrition, Veterinary College, Shivamogga

  • K. C.Veeranna, KVAFSU, Bidar

    Professor and Head, Dept. of VAE, Veterinary College, Shivamogga

  • M. M.Venkatesh, KVAFSU, Bidar

    Asst. Professor of Agronomy, Dept. of LFC, Veterinary College, Shivamogga

References

A.F.R.C., 1992. Energy and Protein Requirements of Ruminants. CAB International Wellington, UK.

Amer, S. and Mustafa, A. F., 2010. Effects of feeding pearl millet silage on milk production of

lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 93(12): 5921-5925

AOAC., 2016. Official methods of analysis. Association of official analytical chemists. 20th

Edn., Washington, D. C

A.R.C: Agricultural Research Council, 1984. The nutrient requirement of ruminant livestock.

Farham Royal, U. K

Babu, J., Nagireddy, N. K., Reddy, Y. R., Raghunandan, T. and Sridhar, K., 2014. Effect of

feeding sweet sorghum stover based complete ration on nutrient utilization in Nellore lambs. Veterinary World.,7(11)

Bhatti, J. A., Saadullah, M. Q. S. M., Mustafa, H., Ahmad, M., Nasar, M. A., Khan, R. and

Khan, A., 2018. Effect of replacing maize fodder with maize silage on feed intake, digestibility and milk yield of early lactation Nili Ravi buffaloes. Pure Applied Biology., 7(4): 1171-1176

Chen, B. and Gomest, M. J., 1992. Estimation of microbial protein supply to sheep and cattle

based on urinary excretion of purine derivatives – An overview of technical details. Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, UK.

Darshan, K. A., Krishnamurthy, U., Kiran, D., Bhaskaran, R. and Manjunath, V., 2007. Effect of

supplementation of finger millet straw with concentrate differing in their partition factor on dry matter intake, organic matter digestibility and nitrogen metabolism in Karan Friesian crossbred heifers. Animal Feed Science Technology, 137: 35-45.

Edmonson, A. J., Lean, I. J., Weaver, L. D., Farver, T. and Webster, G., 1989. A body condition

scoring chart for Holstein dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 72: 68-78

García-Martínez, A., Albarrán-Portillo, B., Castelán-Ortega, O. A., Espinoza-Ortega, A. and

Arriaga-Jordán, C. M., 2009.Urea treated maize straw for small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of Central Mexico. Tropical Animal Health Pro., 41(7): 1487

Gebrehawariat, E., Tamir, B. and Tegegne, A., 2010. Feed intake and production parameters of

lactating crossbred cows fed maize-based diets of stover, silage or quality protein silage. Trop. Anim. Health Pro., 42(8): 1705-1710

Giridhar, K. S., Nagabhushana, V., Venkatesha, M. M., Manju, G. U. and Ravindra, B. D. 2016.

Study on the feasibility of making silage from maize tops and its nutritive evaluation in sheep and goat. Mysure Journal of Agricultural Science, 50 (1): 88-99

Gouri, M., 2012. Effect of drying Versus Ensiling of maize stover on chemical composition and

feeding value to lactating crossbred cows. Ph.D., thesis, Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Bidar, India.

Graph Pad Prism 5.07, 2007. User’s Manual. Graph Pad Software Inc., San Diego, CA, USA

Haque, M. A., Aziz, M. N., Akbar, M. A., Rahman, M. S. and Paikar, M. K., 2018. Effect of

different types of silage on milk production of dairy cows. Int. J. Nat. Soc. Sci., 5(4):

-81

I.A.R.I., 2012. Crop residues management with conservation agriculture: Potential, constraints

and policy needs. Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 32 p.

I.C.A.R., 2013. Nutrient Requirements of Animals - Cattle and Buffalo (ICARNIANP), New

Delhi, India

Imran, A. G., Ankur, R., Sharma, Asifa, W. and Vivek S., 2017. Chemical composition and in

vitro dry matter degradability of combination of wheat and paddy straw for small ruminant feeding. International Journal of Pure Applied Bioscience, 5 (5):1755-1760

Jain, N., Bhatia, A. and Pathak, H., 2014. Emission of air pollutants from crop residue burning in

India. Aerosol Air Quality Research, 14(1): 422-430

Kolver, E. S., Roche, J. R., Miller, D. and Densley, R., 2001. Maize silage for dairy cows. In

proceedings of the conference-New Zealand Grassland Association, pp195-202

Mayne, C. S. and Cushnahan, A. 1994. The effects of ensilage on animal performance from the

grass crop. Pages 30–41in 68th Annual Report of the Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Belfast, U. K

Manjunatha, H.T., Thirumalesh, T., Nagabhushana, V. and Shettar, V.B. 2020.Effect of

different levels of energy and protein on performance of lactating Malnad gidda cows. Indian Journal of Animal Nutrition, 37(3): 227-234.

Mediksa, T., 2017. Comparison of In Sacco Rumen Dry Matter Degradability and Feeds intake

and Digestion of Crossbred Dairy Cows (Holestian Friesian X Horro) Supplemented with Concentrate Diet. American Journal of Bioscience Bioengineering, 5(6): 121

McDonald, P., Edwards, R.A., Greenhalgh, J.F.D. and C.A. morgan, 1999. Animal Nutrition.

Replika Press Pvt. Ltd. Delhi 110 040, India

Menke, K. H. and Steingass, H., 1988. Estimation of the energetic feed value obtained from

chemical analysis and in vitro gas production using rumen fluid. Animal Research. Development, 28: 7-55

Methu, J. N., Kiruiro, E. M., and Abate, A. N. 2006. Your feed shortage problem: Use maize

forage. KARI resource center, Nairobi. Web. Web.https://www.feedipedia.org/node/21898 (7th august 2018 date last seen).

Mrudhula, S. D., 2008. Effects of different levels of energu intake on milk yield and solid-not-fat

content in crossbred dairy cows. M.V.Sc thesis, Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Bidar, India.

NRC., 1989. Nutrient Requirement for Dairy Cattle. Edn. 6th revised. National Research Council,

National Academy Press, Washington. DC

Nagesh, A. M., 2009. Influence of feeding varying levels of energy on the milk yield and solids –

not fat constituents of milk in lactating dairy cows. M.V.Sc thesis, Karnataka Veterinary,

Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Bidar, India

Ningaraju, K., 2014. Effect of drying versus ensiling of sorghum stover on chemical composition

and feeding value to lactating crossbred cows. Ph.D, thesis, Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University,Bidar.

Petrovska, S., Jonkus, D. and Adamovics, A., 2015. The silage composition and its influence on dairy cows milk yield. Nordic View to Sustainable Rural Development., pp355-360

Rahman, M. M., Lam, M. R. and Das, N. G., 2010. Comparative study of the nutritive values of

the different varieties of rice straw. Bang. J. Anim. Sci., 39(1 -2): 75-82

Stockdale, C. R. 1995. Maize silage as a supplement for pasture-fed dairy cows in early and late

lactation. Aust. J. Exp. Agric., 35: 19-26

Tauqir, N. A., Sarwar, M., Jabbar, M. A. and Mahmood, S., (2009).Nutritive value of jumbo

grass (sorghum bicolour sorghum sudanefe) silage in lactating Nili-Ravi buffaloes. Pakistan Veterinary Journal, 29(1): 5-10

Thirumallesh, T and Krishnamoorthy, U., 2008. Effect of diets differing in partitioning factor on

nutrient intake, digestibility, nitrogen metabolism, milk yield and milk composition in crossbred lactating cows. Indian Journal of Animal Nutrition, 25: 324-329.

Tyrrell, H. F. and Reid, J. T., 1965. Prediction of energy value of cow’s milk. Journal of Dairy Science, 48: 215-1223

Van Soest, P. J., Robertson, J. B. and Lewis, B. A., 1991. Methods of dietary fibre, neutral

detergent fibre, and nonstarch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science, 74: 3583-3597

Xue, B., Yan, T., Ferris, C.F. and Mayne, C.S., 2011. Milk production and energy efficiency of

Holstein and Jersey-Holstein crossbred dairy cows offered diets containing grass silage. Journal of Dairy Science, 94(3), 1455-1464.

Downloads

Submitted

26-07-2023

Published

18-01-2025

Issue

Section

Ruminant

How to Cite

, U., T.Thirumalesh, V.Nagabhushana, K. C.Veeranna, & M. M.Venkatesh. (2025). Nutritional Evaluation of Maize Top Hay and Maize Top Silage Based Diets in Lactating Crossbred Cows. Indian Journal of Animal Nutrition, 41(3). https://epubs.icar.org.in/index.php/IJAN/article/view/139760