The effect of supplementary protein on the performance of dairy cows offered grass silage ad libitum

ABSTRACT Sixty-four lactating dairy cows (Ayrshire, British Friesian and Shorthorn × Ayrshire) were offered grass silage with a dry-matter content of 258 g/kg, and containing 75 g/kg digestible crude protein and 64·6% digestible organic matter in the dry matter for an average period of 16·7 weeks. The control and supplemented groups, each of 32 cows, received concentrates containing on a fresh basis 14% and 18% crude protein respectively which were offered at the rate of 0·4 kg/kg milk for yields above 2·3 kg/day. The mean daily yields of milk were 17·4 and 19·5 kg/cow, silage dry-matter intake 8·16 and 9·00 kg/cow per day and concentrate dry-matter intake 5·36 and 5·94 kg/cow per day on the control and supplemented treatments respectively and these differences were highly significant. The treatments had no significant effects on milk yield and composition in the post-experimental grazing period.