Performance of Dairy Cows Fed Pelleted and Baled Coastal Bermudagrass and Alfalfa Hay

Abstract

Summary Twenty-one cows were fed: (a) baled Coastal bermudagrass, (b) ground and pelleted Coastal bermudagrass plus 2.0lb of baled Coastal hay per day, and (c) baled alfalfa hay. Following a standardization period, in which both concentrates and baled Coastal hay were fed ad libitum, the treatment rations were fed continuously for the 8th-37th wk of the lactation in one replicate, and the 8th-27th wk in a second replicate. Initially, concentrates were fed with the treatment forages at the rate of 1 to 5lb of FCM, with the amount reduced 6% each 4 wk. Cows fed the pelleted Coastal produced more milk and FCM, ate more forage, gained more weight, and produced milk higher in milk fat, solids-not-fat, and protein than those fed the baled Coastal. They also produced milk higher in solids-not-fat than those fed alfalfa hay. Consumption of alfalfa hay was higher than that of baled Coastal but lower than that of pelleted Coastal. Cows receiving alfalfa hay produced more FCM than those fed baled Coastal. All of these differences were significant statistically.