Partial Replacement of Concentrate with Corn and Quinoa Residue Silages in Holstein Cows
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55204/trc.v6i1.e701Keywords:
Agricultural residues, Chenopodium quinoa, dairy production, ruminant nutrition, silage, Zea maysAbstract
Introduction: Commercial concentrates increase feeding costs in pasture-based dairy systems, whereas ensiled crop residues may provide local supplements. Objective: To evaluate productive performance and direct supplementation cost under three feeding strategies in Holstein cows managed in a high-Andean rotational grazing system. Methods: Nine early-lactation cows were blocked by parity. For 28 days, they received S1: 4 kg concentrate/cow/day; S2: 1.5 kg concentrate plus 10 kg corn-stover silage; or S3: 1.5 kg concentrate, 8 kg corn-stover silage and 2 kg quinoa-residue silage. Milk yield and composition, body weight, body condition score and supplementation cost were evaluated using ANOVA and Tukey’s test at 5%. Results: No differences were detected in accumulated milk yield per cow (p = 0.1255), milk fat, milk protein, body weight or body condition score. Accumulated yields were 509.17, 553.17 and 630.50 kg/cow, and supplementation costs per kilogram of milk at 2016 prices were USD 0.117, 0.060 and 0.052 for S1, S2 and S3. Conclusions: Silage-based strategies reduced concentrate use and direct supplementation cost without detectable productive differences; the sample size does not support a conclusion of dietary equivalence.Downloads
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