Milk production by dairy cows fed hammermilled lupin grain, hammermilled oaten grain or whole oaten grain as supplements to pasture

Abstract

Friesian cows in early lactation were fed 3.5 or 7.0 kg DM daily of either hammermilled lupin grain, hammermilled oaten grain or whole oaten grain as supplements to a pasture-based diet. Milk production and composition and the amount and composition of whole oaten grain excreted in the faeces were measured. There were no significant differences between treatments in the yields of milk, fat or protein. There was a tendency towards lower milk fat content in milk from cows fed 7.0 kg DM daily of the hammermilled grains. Differences between grain types were not significant for all production parameters except milk protein content. Protein content was significantly (P<0.01) higher in milk from cows fed hammermilled and whole oaten grain compared with that from cows fed lupin grain. Yield of milk fat was significantly (P<0.05) higher and ratio of milk protein to fat significantly (P < 0.05) lower for cows fed 3.5 kg DM of grain than for those fed 7.0 kg DM of grain. There was a significant (P< 0.05) interaction between grain type and grain level for the ratio of protein to fat in the milk. Cows excreted 24% of the whole oaten grain at both levels of grain fed and there were no significant differences in composition of the whole oaten grain fed or excreted in the faeces. There was no benefit to production either from feeding hammermilled lupin grain compared with hammermilled or whole oaten grain or from feeding 7.0 compared with 3.5 kg DM daily of grain to cows grazing pasture.