Effects of fermentative quality of corn silage on lactation, blood metabolites, and rumen fermentation in dairy cows

We investigated the effect of fermentation quality of corn silage on dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, ruminal fermentation, methane (CH4) emissions, and plasma metabolites in lactating cows. Six lactating Holstein cows were used in a 2 x 2 crossover design with two dietary treatments containing high quality corn silage with lower pH (high group) or low quality corn silage with higher pH (low group). The cows were fed partial mixed ration (PMR containing 50%DM of each corn silage) ad libitum plus 0.7 kg/day of concentrates at milking. The DMI of cows in the low group (24.8 kg/day) tended to be lower (p < 0.10) than that in the high group (26.8 kg/day). The dietary treatment did not affect milk yield or milk fat, protein, or lactose concentrations. The ruminal acetic acid proportion of the low group was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of the high group. The CH4 emission per DMI of the low group tended to be higher (p < 0.10) than that of the high group. The plasma concentration of the total cholesterol (TCHO) and the activity of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase of the low group were significantly higher than those of the high group.

Automated summary

We explored the impact of corn silage fermentation quality on various aspects of lactating cows. The study found that cows fed high-quality corn silage had slightly higher dry matter intake compared to those fed low-quality corn silage. The dietary treatment did not significantly affect milk yield or the composition of milk. However, the low-quality corn silage group had higher levels of ruminal acetic acid and tended to produce more methane per dry matter intake. Additionally, cows in the low-quality group showed higher plasma cholesterol levels and increased activity of certain enzymes.