High Fat Rations for Dairy Cows. Effects on Feed Intake, Milk and Fat Production, and Plasma Metabolites

Abstract

High fat diets (2.9 to 10.8% ether extract in total diet dry matter) for cows in early lactation were compared in two 4 x 4 Latin squares. In Trial I, grain concentrate was 42% of the ration dry matter. Total diets and their ether extract (percent) were: 1) control, 3.2; 2) ground raw soybeans, 5.9; 3) hydrolyzed fat, 5.7; and 4) hydrolyzed fat, 10.8. While dry matter intake of Holsteins was lowest with Diet 2 and highest with Diet 3, milk production, fat, and protein were not different. Jerseys produced the most fat-corrected milk per unit metabolic body size on Diet 4.