The effect of hybrid type and dietary proportions of corn silage on the lactation performance of high-producing dairy cows

We evaluated the effects of corn silage hybrids [control vs. brown midrib (BMR)] and the proportion of corn silage in rations on the performance of high-producing dairy cows. The chemical composition of the corn silages was similar except for lignin, which was higher in the control hybrid [3.09%, dry matter (DM) basis] compared with the BMR hybrid (2.19%). The 30-h in vitro neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility was also higher (62.8% of NDF) in the BMR hybrid than in the control hybrid (52.2%). Twenty-seven Holstein cows were fed 1 of 3 diets comprising 62% forage and 38% concentrate (DM basis) containing 35% (DM basis) corn silage from the control hybrid (NLO), 35% of the BMR hybrid (BLO), or 50% of the BMR (BHI). Cows were fed the diets in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with 28-d periods. Intake of DM was similar among treatments but milk production was greater for cows fed BLO (50.1 kg/d) and BHI (51.1 kg/d) than for NLO (47.9 kg/d). Milk fat percentage was lower for cows fed BHI (3.37%) than for those fed BLO (3.55%) and NLO (3.56%) but yield of milk fat was similar among treatments. Yield and percentage of milk protein was higher for cows in BHI compared with NLO. The concentration of milk urea N was lower in cows fed BHI (14.0 mg/dL) than in those fed NLO (14.7 mg/dL) and intermediate for BLO (14.5 mg/dL). The yield of 3.5% fat-corrected milk was higher in cows fed BLO (50.2 kg/d) than in NLO (48.2 kg/d) and was intermediate for BHI (49.8 kg/d). The total-tract digestibility of dietary DM, organic matter, starch, and crude protein was lower for cows in NLO compared with the other treatments. The total-tract digestibility of NDF was highest for BHI (54.4%), intermediate for BLO (50.9%), and lowest for NLO (43.2%). We conclude that BMR corn silage can be included in rations at moderate and high proportions of a total ration, resulting in high levels of milk production.