Intake, digestibility and nitrogen metabolism in Holstein cows with different milk production levels

The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effect of milk production level on intake, digestibility of nutrients, microbial protein synthesis, and nitrogen (N) metabolism in Holstein cows. It was also of particular interest to compare spot urine sampling and total urine collection as methodologies to quantify yield of microbial N using purine derivatives (PD) as indirect microbial markers. Fifteen Holstein cows were grouped by milk yield (5.88 kg/day: LOW treatment; 18.54 kg/day: MEDIUM treatment; and 32.6 kg/day: HIGH treatment) and data analyzed as a completely randomized design. Animals were fed ad libitum corn silage plus one kg of concentrate per each three kg of milk produced. Except for NDF corrected for ash and protein (NDFap), intake of ail remaining nutrients was increased by milk yield. Digestibilities of DM and OM and dietary TDN content did not differ among treatments. However, digestibility of CP was higher and that of NDFap was lower on the greatest milk yielding cows (HIGH treatment). Concentrations of milk urea N and serum urea N as well as urinary N excretion were all greatest in the HIGH treatment and were also highly correlated with milk yield. Microbial protein synthesis estimated by PD was lowest on cows in the LOW treatment and did not differ when either spot urine sampling or total urine collection was used. Therefore, spot urine sampling can be used to estimate urinary excretion of nitrogenous compounds and microbial protein synthesis in Holstein cows with different production levels.