Application of different proportions of sweet sorghum silage as a substitute for corn silage in dairy cows.

Lv X, Chen L, Zhou C, Zhang G, Xie J, Kang J, Tan Z, Tang S, Kong Z, Liu Z, Du Z

Published: 16 June 2023 in Food science & nutrition
Keywords: corn silage, dairy cows, sweet sorghum silage
Pubmed ID: 37324908
DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.3347

This experiment explored the effects of different proportions of sweet sorghum silage as a substitute for corn silage on dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, milk quality, apparent digestibility, rumen fermentation parameters, serum amino acid profile, and rumen microbial composition of dairy cows. A total of 32 mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows with similar body weights and parities were randomly divided into four treatments: 100% corn silage +0% sorghum silage (CON), 75% corn silage +25% sorghum silage (CS1), 50% corn silage +50% sorghum silage (CS2), and 25% corn silage +75% sorghum silage (CS3). The milk yield was increased (linear, p = .048) as the proportion of sweet sorghum increased. Linear (p = .003) and quadratic (p = .046) increased effects were observed in milk fat as corn silage was replaced with sorghum silage. Compared with the CON diet group, the CS2 and CS3 diet groups had lower dry matter (DM) (linear, p