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Response in Two Commercial Holstein Herds to Addition of Sodium Bicarbonate to Alfalfa Hay-Based Diets
OUR INDUSTRY TODAY Response in Two Commercial Holstein Herds to Addition of Sodium Bicarbonate to Alfalfa Hay-Based Diets D. L. B A T H , S. E. B I S H O P , ~ N. G. P E T E R S O N , 2 W. B. H I G H T ? and E. J. De P E T E R S 4 Animal Science Extension University o f California Davis 95616 ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
Feeding trials were conducted in two commercial dairy herds to evaluate the addition of .8% sodium bicarbonate to alfalfa hay-based diets. Approximately half of each herd served as controls and the other half was fed the same diet with sodium bicarbonate. A total of 1280 Dairy Herd Improvement Association lactation records were obtained in the two herds during the trials. Cows in herd 1 were milked three times daily and cows in herd 2 were milked twice daily. In herd 1, milk production from control and bicarbonate groups was: first lactation cows, 7491 and 7748 kg/cow; second lactation cows, 8363 and 8791 kg/cow; and third and higher lactation cows, 8713 and 9562 kg/cow. There were no differences in milkfat or solids-not-fat percentages between treatment groups. In herd 2, milk production from control and bicarbonate groups was: first lactation cows, 6800 and 7158 kg/cow; second lactation cows, 8487 and 8082 kg/cow; and third and higher lactation cows, 8807 and 8216 kg/cow. First lactation cows fed sodium bicarbonate had a lower milk fat percentage than controls. There were no other differences in milk fat or solids-not-fat percentages between treatment groups.
Early studies (3, 5, 6, 12) showed that addition of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) to high-concentrate, restricted roughage diets reduced the amount of fat depression normally observed with these types of diets. More recently, NaHCO3 addition to corn silagebased, early lactation diets at .8 to 1.5% of the dietary dry matter improved dry matter intake and milk yield in early lactation (7, 9). Intake responses were associated with peak intake of dry matter occurring earlier following parturition for cows receiving NaHCO3. Subsequent full lactation trials with NaHCO3 at 0, .4, .8, and 1.6% of the dry matter in corn silage-based diets showed maximum milk production and dry matter intake for diets with .8% NaHCO3 (2). However, benefits from NaHCO3 addition to diets based on alfalfa hay or hay crop silage as the only forage have not been observed in short-term studies (4, 13, 15). Diets based on alfalfa hay may have less need for supplemental buffers than corn silage-based diets because: 1) fiber usually is higher per unit of alfalfa resulting in more total fiber in rations with equal forage to concentrate proportions; 2) alfalfa has a higher buffering capacity than corn silage (14, 16); and 3) alfalfa fed as hay is not acidic as is the case for corn silage. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the addition of .8% NaHCO3 to alfalfa hay-based diets relative to its effect o n f u l l lactation milk production and composition from cows in two high-producing commerical dairy herds in California.
Received September 21, 1984. 1University of California Cooperative Extension, Riverside County. 2University of California Cooperative Extension, San Bernardino County. ~University of California Cooperative Extension, Madera County. 4Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis. 1985 J Dairy Sci 68:1835-1840
MATERIALS
AND METHODS
Trial 1
The feeding trial was conducted with a large commercial herd of Holstein cows located in the Chino Valley of southern California.
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BATH ET AL.
TABLE 1. Ingredient amounts offered in herd 1 (as fed basis). Feed ingredient
Alfalfa hay Alfalfa soilage Cottonseed hulls Almond hulls Barley grain Beet pulp, dried Citrus pulp, wet Cottonseed meal Cottonseed, whole Hominy feed Minerals
(kg/cow/day) 6.2 13.2 .5 1.5 5.0 1.5 6.6 .5 3.1 2.7 .5
Total dry matter offered
22.3
Because of size, the herd had been divided into two p e r m a n e n t strings that were milked in separate milking parlors. A l t h o u g h handled as two separate herds for p r o d u c t i o n purposes, all cows in b o t h strings were fed by the same person f r o m a c o m m o n source of feed ingredients. Dairy Herd I m p r o v e m e n t Association (DHIA) rolling herd averages for the t w o strings at the beginning of the trial were 7713 and 8178 kg/cow. Cows were milked three times daily (3 x ).
All cows were fed the same diet, regardless of milk p r o d u c t i o n or stage of lactation. Alfalfa hay was the primary forage fed during the trial, but alfalfa soilage replaced some of the dry hay when seasonally available (8 m o out of the year). Rolled barley at the rate of 5 k g / c o w daily was fed to all cows in the milking parlor. The remainder of the ration was c o m p o s e d of various feed ingredients fed on top of the alfalfa hay from a m i x e r truck equipped with load cells. Mean a m o u n t s of feed ingredients offered to the cows, as measured during 12 m o n t h l y visits to the dairy, are shown in Table 1. Actual a m o u n t s varied during the year due to price and availability o f c o m m o d i t i e s , but both strings of cows were fed the same diet during the trial except for addition o f NaHCO3 at .8% of the dietary dry m a t t e r for the t r e a t m e n t group. The NaHCO3 was m i x e d with the other ingredients in the mixer truck for feeding. Feed ingredients were analyzed for dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, and ash by Association of Official Analytical Chemists m e t h o d s (1). Acid detergent fiber analyses were c o n d u c t e d by the m e t h o d of Goering and Van Soest (8). Chemical analyses of the dietary ingredients and calculated analyses of the total ration are shown in Table 2. Milk p r o d u c t i o n , milk fat percentage, and solids-not-fat (SNF) percentage of individual cows were taken from m o n t h l y D H I A records.
TABLE 2. Chemical analysis of feed ingredients (herd 1). Composition of dry matter Feed ingredient
Crude protein
Ash
Crude fiber
Acid detergent fiber
(%) Alfalfa hay Alfalfa soilage Cottonseed hulls Almond hulls Barley grain Beet pulp, dried Citrus pulp, wet Cottonseed meal Cottonseed, whole Hominy feed
20.6 19.9 5.8 5.8 12.1 10.8 9.9 46.8 26.9 10.5
11.5 12.7 3.4 6.6 2.6 6.3 4.4 7.1 4.6 2.0
26.1 28.2 45.2 13.8 5.2 17.9 16.4 11.6 27.9 2.7
32.1 32.2 66.3 20.1 8.6 22.4 27.7 18.8 37.4 4.5
Total ration I
16.6
8.2
17.7
23.4
1Total ration analyses calculated from mean ingredient amounts offered as listed in Table 1. Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 68, No. 7, 1985
OUR INDUSTRY TODAY Only data from cows that freshened after initiation of the trial were used in the analysis. Records from 262 cows that completed 215 or more days of lactation during the trial were extended to 305-day records (11). Milk production data from cows in their second or higher lactation were analyzed by a two-way analysis of covariance using the previous DHIA record as the covariate (10). Data from first lactation cows were analyzed by a one-way analysis of variance (10). Trial 2
This trial was conducted with a large commercial herd of Holstein cows located in the San Joaquin Valley of central California. Because of size, the herd had been divided into three permanent strings that were milked in separate milking parlors. Two of the strings were used in this trial. Although handled as three separate herds for production purposes, all cows were fed by the same person from a common source of feed ingredients. Initial DHIA rolling herd averages for the two strings used for the feeding trial were 8061 and 8010 kg/cow. Cows were milked twice daily (2x). Within each permanent string, cows were subdivided into three temporary strings according to quantity of milk production and stage of lactation and fed three diets with varying roughage and concentrate proportions. Cubed alfalfa hay was the major proportion of the forage fed during the trial, but some corn silage was fed also. A commercial grainconcentrate mix and various feed ingredients were mixed with the alfalfa cubes and corn
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silage and fed as a complete ration into a fenceline bunk from a mixer truck equipped with load cells. The grain-concentrate mix also was fed in the milking parlor. Mean amounts of feed ingredients offered to the cows, as measured during 12 monthly visits to the dairy, are shown in Table 3. As in Trial 1, actual amounts varied during the year, but corresponding temporary strings within both permanent strings were fed the same diets during the trial. Sodium bicarbonate was included at .8% of the dietary dry matter for the high and medium strings of the treatment group and was mixed with the other ingredients in the mixer truck for feeding. Sodium bicarbonate was not fed to the low-producing strings. Feed ingredients were analyzed as in Trial 1, with analyses summarized in Table 4. Milk production and composition data were from monthly DHIA records and were analyzed as described for Trial 1. Records from 503 cows that completed 215 or more days of lactation during the trial were extended to 305-day records (11). R ESU LTS
Trial 1
Milk production and composition are shown in Table 5. Cows fed NaHCO3 produced more milk than controls in all age groups; there were statistically significant differences between cows in their second lactation and cows in their third or higher lactations. No differences were observed in milk fat or SNF percentages.
TABLE 3. Ingredient amounts offered in herd 2 (as fed basis). Feed ingredient
High string
Medium string (kg/cow/day)
Alfalfa hay cubes Corn silage Almond hulls Beet pulp, wet Citrus pulp, wet Cottonseed, whole Grain-concentrate mix Total dry matter offered
10.8 7.4 1.6 4.7
9.7 8.7 1.4 4.8
1.0
.9
2.8 9.0 25.2
2.3 7.5 22.6 Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 68, No. 7, 1985
1838
BATH ET AL.
H o w e v e r , a m o u n t s o f milk fat were significantly higher f r o m all age groups fed NaHCO3 and a m o u n t s o f SNF were significantly higher f r o m s e c o n d lactation and third and higher lactation g r o u p s fed NaHCO3 b e c a u s e o f their higher milk p r o d u c t i o n . Changes in milk fat p e r c e n t a g e f r o m feeding NaHCO3 w o u l d n o t be e x p e c t e d because t h e ration c o n t a i n e d m o r e t h a n 17% crude fiber, an a m o u n t n o r m a l l y c o n s i d e r e d to b e a d e q u a t e to p r e v e n t milk fat d e p r e s s i o n .
Trial 2
Milk p r o d u c t i o n a n d c o m p o s i t i o n are s h o w n in Table 6. Cows in first lactation fed NaHCO3 p r o d u c e d m o r e milk with a l o w e r fat test t h a n controls. Both d i f f e r e n c e s were statistically significant. However, s e c o n d lactation and t h i r d and higher lactation cows fed NaHCO3 p r o d u c e d significantly less milk t h a n t h e c o n t r o l s with n o d i f f e r e n c e s in milk fat or SNF percentages, Changes in milk fat p e r c e n t a g e w o u l d n o t be
TABLE 4. Chemical analysis of feed ingredients (herd 2). Composition of dry matter Crude protein
Feed ingredient
Ash
Crude fiber
Acid detergent fiber
(%) Alfalfa hay cubes Corn silage Almond hulls Beet pulp, wet Citrus pulp, wet Cottonseed, whole Grain-concentrate mix
19.9 7.6 5.3 9.1 7.4 23.8 22.2
10.9 6.4 6.6 5.8 4.8 4.3 7.6
24.8 24.3 14.4 23.2 13.0 26.1 6.9
30.5 31.6 17.2 30.5 20.9 40.3 11.2
High string ration ~ Medium string ration ~
18.6 18.1
8.3 8.3
18.4 18.8
24.6 25.0
1Total ration analyses calculated from mean ingredient amounts offered as listed in Table 3.
TABLE 5. Milk production 1 and composition in herd 1. Lactation number
Treatment 2
No. of cows
Milk
Milk fat
(kg)
Solids-not-fat (%)
1
Control NaHCO 3
62 95
7491 7748
3.37 3.42
9.18 9.12
2
Control NaHCO 3
50 68
8363 a 8791 b
3.32 3.40
8.87 8.96
3 and higher
Control NaHCO 3
98 106
8713 a 9562 b
3.36 3.35
8.83 8.89
a'bvalues with different superscripts within lactation number are significantly different (P<.05). Milk production of cows with two or more lactations adjusted using the previous Dairy Herd Improvement Association record as a covariate. 2NaHCO3 = Sodium bicarbonate. Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 68, No. 7, 1985
OUR INDUSTRY TODAY
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TABLE 6. Milk production ~ and composition in herd 2. Lactation number
Treatment 2
No. of cows
Milk
Milk fat
(kg) 1
Solids-not-fat (%)
Control NaHCOa
95 146
6800 a
7158 b
3.59 a 3.46 b
9.03 8.97
2
Control NaHCO 3
89 85
8487 a 8082 b
3.54 3.51
8.96 8.94
3 and higher
Control NaHCO 3
206
8807 a 8216 b
3.39 3.48
8.79 8.83
a b
.
180
.
' Values w~th different superscripts within lactation number are significantly different (P<.05).
Milk production of cows with two or more lactations adjusted using the previous Dairy Herd Improvement Association record as a covariate. 2NaHCO 3 = Sodium bicarbonate.
e x p e c t e d for t h e same r e a s o n s t a t e d for Trial 1. Yield o f milk fat was significantly lower f r o m t h i r d a n d higher l a c t a t i o n cows fed N a H C O 3 , w h e r e a s yields o f SNF were significantly higher f r o m first l a c t a t i o n cows a n d significantly lower f r o m t h i r d a n d h i g h e r l a c t a t i o n cows fed NaHCO3, again b e c a u s e o f d i f f e r e n c e s in milk production.
milking a n d higher average milk p r o d u c t i o n . T h e c o m b i n a t i o n of higher milk p r o d u c t i o n , 3× milking, a n d a higher-energy, lower-fiber diet w o u l d b e e x p e c t e d t o cause a s i t u a t i o n w h e r e N a H C O 3 w o u l d b e n e f i t cow h e a l t h a n d prod u c t i o n . However, t h e results o f these field trials i n d i c a t e t h a t beneficial effects can be m a s k e d or o v e r r i d d e n b y a n y n u m b e r of m a n a g e m e n t or h e a l t h - r e l a t e d p r o b l e m s .
DISCUSSION
It is difficult to explain t h e differing results f r o m t h e t w o herds. O n e c o n f o u n d i n g f a c t o r in Trial 2 m a y have b e e n m o r e m a s t i t i s p r o b l e m s in t h e NaHCO3 fed group. However, e l i m i n a t i o n of d a t a f r o m 12 cows in Trial 1 a n d 80 cows in Trial 2 t h a t h a d scored a 3 o n t h e California Mastitis Test (CMT-3) during t h e trials did n o t change t h e general t r e n d s n o r t h e results o f t h e statistical analyses. Tables 5 a n d 6 do n o t include d a t a f r o m t h e 92 cows t h a t scored a CMT-3 d u r i n g t h e trials. F e e d i n g a n d m a n a g e m e n t p r a c t i c e s at the t w o dairies differed, a f a c t o r t h a t m a y have c o n t r i b u t e d to differing results. Cows in Trial 1 were m i l k e d 3× a n d were fed t h e same diet regardless of milk p r o d u c t i o n . Cows in Trial 2 were m i l k e d twice a n d were fed a c c o r d i n g to milk p r o d u c t i o n in p r o d u c t i o n strings. T h e diet fed in Trial 1 was higher in energy a n d lower in fiber t h a n were t h e diets fed in Trial 2. It is likely t h a t t h e cows in Trial 1 were u n d e r higher m e t a b o l i c d e m a n d s because o f 3x
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
T h e a u t h o r s are g r a t e f u l to C h u r c h and D w i g h t C o m p a n y , Inc., Piscataway, N J, for s u p p l y i n g s o d i u m b i c a r b o n a t e a n d financial s u p p o r t ; to T e u n i s Holsteins, C o r o n a , a n d 6T R a n c h , Madera, for s u p p l y i n g cows, facilities, and labor; to Michael G a r o f a l o a n d Daniel M o r a for c o l l e c t i o n of t h e field data a n d l a b o r a t o r y analyses; a n d to S u z a n n e Strasser f o r statistical analysis o f t h e data. REFERENCES
1 Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 1980. Official methods of analysis. 13th ed. Assoc. Offic. Anal. Chem., Washington, DC. 2 Chase, L. E., W. Chalupa, R. W. tlemken, L. D. Muller, D. S. Kronfeld, G. T. Lane, C. J. Sniffen, and T. J. Snyder. 1981. Milk production responses to 0, .4, .8, and 1.6% sodium bicarbonate. J. Dairy Sci. 64(Suppl. 1):29. (Abstr.) 3 Davis, C. L., R. ['. Brown, and D. C. Beitz. 1964. Effect of feeding high-grain restricted roughage rations with and without bicarbonates on the fat
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4
5
6
7
8 9
10
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c o n t e n t of milk produced and proportions of volatile fatty acids in the rumen. J. Dairy Sci. 47:1217. De Peters, E. J., A. H. Fredeen, D. L. Bath, and N. E. Smith. 1984. Effect o f sodium bicarbonate addition to alfalfa hay-based diets on digestibility o f dietary fractions and r u m e n characteristics. J. Dairy Sci. 67:2344. Emery, R. S., and L. D. Brown. 1961. Effect of feeding sodium and potassium bicarbonate on milk fat, r u m e n pH and volatile fatty acid production. J. Dairy Sci. 44:1899. Emery, R. S., L. D. Brown, and J. W. Thomas. 1964. Effect of sodium and calcium carbonates on milk production and composition of milk, blood, and r u m e n c o n t e n t s o f cows fed grain ad libitum with restricted roughage. J. Dairy Sci. 47:1325. Erdman, R. A., R. L. Botts, R. W. Hemken, and L. S. Bull. 1980. Effect of dietary sodium bicarbonate and m a g n e s i u m oxide on production and physiology in early lactation. J. Dairy Sci. 63:923. Goering, H. K., and P. J. Van Soest. 1970. Forage fiber analyses. USDA Agric. Handbook 379. Kilmer, L. H., L. D. Muller, and T. J. Snyder. 1981. Addition o f sodium bicarbonate to rations of p o s t p a r t u m dairy cows: Physiological and metabolic effects. J. Dairy Sci. 64:2357. Kim, J.-O., and F. J. Kohout. 1975. Analysis o f variance and covariance: Subprograms A N O V A
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11
12
13
14
15
16
and ONEWAY. Page 398 in SPSS: Statistical package for the social sciences. 2nd ed. McGrawHill, New York, NY. McDaniel. B. T., R. H. Miller, and E. L. Corley. 1965. DHIA factors for projecting incomplete records to 305 days. Natl. Coop. Dairy Herd I m p r o v e m e n t Program Newslett., ARS-44:164, Vol. 41, No. 6. Miller, R. W., R. W. Hemken, D. R. Waldo, M. Okamoto, and L. A. Moore. 1965. Effect of feeding buffers to dairy cows fed a high-concentrate, low-roughage ration. J. Dairy Sci. 48:1455. Moss, B. R., A. G. Prier, and R. T. Parker. 1978. The use of high levels of barley and sodium bicarbonate with barley in lactating dairy cow rations. Page 60 in Proc. 29th Annu. Montana Nutr. Conf. Playne, M. J., and P. McDonald. 1966. The buffering constituents o f herbage and of silage. J. Sci. Food Agric. 17:264. Vandermark, L. L., M. R. Stokes, L. S. Bull, and C. K. Walker. 1981. Effect of buffers on performance by early p o s t p a r t u m cows fed diets based on hay crop silage. J. Dairy Sci. 64(Suppl. 1):135. (Abstr.) Whittenbury, R., P. McDonald, and D. G. BryanJones. 1967. A short review of s o m e biochemical and microbiological aspects of ensilage. J. Sci. Food Agric. 18:441.
INTRODUCTION
Feeding trials were conducted in two commercial dairy herds to evaluate the addition of .8% sodium bicarbonate to alfalfa hay-based diets. Approximately half of each herd served as controls and the other half was fed the same diet with sodium bicarbonate. A total of 1280 Dairy Herd Improvement Association lactation records were obtained in the two herds during the trials. Cows in herd 1 were milked three times daily and cows in herd 2 were milked twice daily. In herd 1, milk production from control and bicarbonate groups was: first lactation cows, 7491 and 7748 kg/cow; second lactation cows, 8363 and 8791 kg/cow; and third and higher lactation cows, 8713 and 9562 kg/cow. There were no differences in milkfat or solids-not-fat percentages between treatment groups. In herd 2, milk production from control and bicarbonate groups was: first lactation cows, 6800 and 7158 kg/cow; second lactation cows, 8487 and 8082 kg/cow; and third and higher lactation cows, 8807 and 8216 kg/cow. First lactation cows fed sodium bicarbonate had a lower milk fat percentage than controls. There were no other differences in milk fat or solids-not-fat percentages between treatment groups.
Early studies (3, 5, 6, 12) showed that addition of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) to high-concentrate, restricted roughage diets reduced the amount of fat depression normally observed with these types of diets. More recently, NaHCO3 addition to corn silagebased, early lactation diets at .8 to 1.5% of the dietary dry matter improved dry matter intake and milk yield in early lactation (7, 9). Intake responses were associated with peak intake of dry matter occurring earlier following parturition for cows receiving NaHCO3. Subsequent full lactation trials with NaHCO3 at 0, .4, .8, and 1.6% of the dry matter in corn silage-based diets showed maximum milk production and dry matter intake for diets with .8% NaHCO3 (2). However, benefits from NaHCO3 addition to diets based on alfalfa hay or hay crop silage as the only forage have not been observed in short-term studies (4, 13, 15). Diets based on alfalfa hay may have less need for supplemental buffers than corn silage-based diets because: 1) fiber usually is higher per unit of alfalfa resulting in more total fiber in rations with equal forage to concentrate proportions; 2) alfalfa has a higher buffering capacity than corn silage (14, 16); and 3) alfalfa fed as hay is not acidic as is the case for corn silage. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the addition of .8% NaHCO3 to alfalfa hay-based diets relative to its effect o n f u l l lactation milk production and composition from cows in two high-producing commerical dairy herds in California.
Received September 21, 1984. 1University of California Cooperative Extension, Riverside County. 2University of California Cooperative Extension, San Bernardino County. ~University of California Cooperative Extension, Madera County. 4Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis. 1985 J Dairy Sci 68:1835-1840
MATERIALS
AND METHODS
Trial 1
The feeding trial was conducted with a large commercial herd of Holstein cows located in the Chino Valley of southern California.
1835
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BATH ET AL.
TABLE 1. Ingredient amounts offered in herd 1 (as fed basis). Feed ingredient
Alfalfa hay Alfalfa soilage Cottonseed hulls Almond hulls Barley grain Beet pulp, dried Citrus pulp, wet Cottonseed meal Cottonseed, whole Hominy feed Minerals
(kg/cow/day) 6.2 13.2 .5 1.5 5.0 1.5 6.6 .5 3.1 2.7 .5
Total dry matter offered
22.3
Because of size, the herd had been divided into two p e r m a n e n t strings that were milked in separate milking parlors. A l t h o u g h handled as two separate herds for p r o d u c t i o n purposes, all cows in b o t h strings were fed by the same person f r o m a c o m m o n source of feed ingredients. Dairy Herd I m p r o v e m e n t Association (DHIA) rolling herd averages for the t w o strings at the beginning of the trial were 7713 and 8178 kg/cow. Cows were milked three times daily (3 x ).
All cows were fed the same diet, regardless of milk p r o d u c t i o n or stage of lactation. Alfalfa hay was the primary forage fed during the trial, but alfalfa soilage replaced some of the dry hay when seasonally available (8 m o out of the year). Rolled barley at the rate of 5 k g / c o w daily was fed to all cows in the milking parlor. The remainder of the ration was c o m p o s e d of various feed ingredients fed on top of the alfalfa hay from a m i x e r truck equipped with load cells. Mean a m o u n t s of feed ingredients offered to the cows, as measured during 12 m o n t h l y visits to the dairy, are shown in Table 1. Actual a m o u n t s varied during the year due to price and availability o f c o m m o d i t i e s , but both strings of cows were fed the same diet during the trial except for addition o f NaHCO3 at .8% of the dietary dry m a t t e r for the t r e a t m e n t group. The NaHCO3 was m i x e d with the other ingredients in the mixer truck for feeding. Feed ingredients were analyzed for dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, and ash by Association of Official Analytical Chemists m e t h o d s (1). Acid detergent fiber analyses were c o n d u c t e d by the m e t h o d of Goering and Van Soest (8). Chemical analyses of the dietary ingredients and calculated analyses of the total ration are shown in Table 2. Milk p r o d u c t i o n , milk fat percentage, and solids-not-fat (SNF) percentage of individual cows were taken from m o n t h l y D H I A records.
TABLE 2. Chemical analysis of feed ingredients (herd 1). Composition of dry matter Feed ingredient
Crude protein
Ash
Crude fiber
Acid detergent fiber
(%) Alfalfa hay Alfalfa soilage Cottonseed hulls Almond hulls Barley grain Beet pulp, dried Citrus pulp, wet Cottonseed meal Cottonseed, whole Hominy feed
20.6 19.9 5.8 5.8 12.1 10.8 9.9 46.8 26.9 10.5
11.5 12.7 3.4 6.6 2.6 6.3 4.4 7.1 4.6 2.0
26.1 28.2 45.2 13.8 5.2 17.9 16.4 11.6 27.9 2.7
32.1 32.2 66.3 20.1 8.6 22.4 27.7 18.8 37.4 4.5
Total ration I
16.6
8.2
17.7
23.4
1Total ration analyses calculated from mean ingredient amounts offered as listed in Table 1. Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 68, No. 7, 1985
OUR INDUSTRY TODAY Only data from cows that freshened after initiation of the trial were used in the analysis. Records from 262 cows that completed 215 or more days of lactation during the trial were extended to 305-day records (11). Milk production data from cows in their second or higher lactation were analyzed by a two-way analysis of covariance using the previous DHIA record as the covariate (10). Data from first lactation cows were analyzed by a one-way analysis of variance (10). Trial 2
This trial was conducted with a large commercial herd of Holstein cows located in the San Joaquin Valley of central California. Because of size, the herd had been divided into three permanent strings that were milked in separate milking parlors. Two of the strings were used in this trial. Although handled as three separate herds for production purposes, all cows were fed by the same person from a common source of feed ingredients. Initial DHIA rolling herd averages for the two strings used for the feeding trial were 8061 and 8010 kg/cow. Cows were milked twice daily (2x). Within each permanent string, cows were subdivided into three temporary strings according to quantity of milk production and stage of lactation and fed three diets with varying roughage and concentrate proportions. Cubed alfalfa hay was the major proportion of the forage fed during the trial, but some corn silage was fed also. A commercial grainconcentrate mix and various feed ingredients were mixed with the alfalfa cubes and corn
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silage and fed as a complete ration into a fenceline bunk from a mixer truck equipped with load cells. The grain-concentrate mix also was fed in the milking parlor. Mean amounts of feed ingredients offered to the cows, as measured during 12 monthly visits to the dairy, are shown in Table 3. As in Trial 1, actual amounts varied during the year, but corresponding temporary strings within both permanent strings were fed the same diets during the trial. Sodium bicarbonate was included at .8% of the dietary dry matter for the high and medium strings of the treatment group and was mixed with the other ingredients in the mixer truck for feeding. Sodium bicarbonate was not fed to the low-producing strings. Feed ingredients were analyzed as in Trial 1, with analyses summarized in Table 4. Milk production and composition data were from monthly DHIA records and were analyzed as described for Trial 1. Records from 503 cows that completed 215 or more days of lactation during the trial were extended to 305-day records (11). R ESU LTS
Trial 1
Milk production and composition are shown in Table 5. Cows fed NaHCO3 produced more milk than controls in all age groups; there were statistically significant differences between cows in their second lactation and cows in their third or higher lactations. No differences were observed in milk fat or SNF percentages.
TABLE 3. Ingredient amounts offered in herd 2 (as fed basis). Feed ingredient
High string
Medium string (kg/cow/day)
Alfalfa hay cubes Corn silage Almond hulls Beet pulp, wet Citrus pulp, wet Cottonseed, whole Grain-concentrate mix Total dry matter offered
10.8 7.4 1.6 4.7
9.7 8.7 1.4 4.8
1.0
.9
2.8 9.0 25.2
2.3 7.5 22.6 Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 68, No. 7, 1985
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BATH ET AL.
H o w e v e r , a m o u n t s o f milk fat were significantly higher f r o m all age groups fed NaHCO3 and a m o u n t s o f SNF were significantly higher f r o m s e c o n d lactation and third and higher lactation g r o u p s fed NaHCO3 b e c a u s e o f their higher milk p r o d u c t i o n . Changes in milk fat p e r c e n t a g e f r o m feeding NaHCO3 w o u l d n o t be e x p e c t e d because t h e ration c o n t a i n e d m o r e t h a n 17% crude fiber, an a m o u n t n o r m a l l y c o n s i d e r e d to b e a d e q u a t e to p r e v e n t milk fat d e p r e s s i o n .
Trial 2
Milk p r o d u c t i o n a n d c o m p o s i t i o n are s h o w n in Table 6. Cows in first lactation fed NaHCO3 p r o d u c e d m o r e milk with a l o w e r fat test t h a n controls. Both d i f f e r e n c e s were statistically significant. However, s e c o n d lactation and t h i r d and higher lactation cows fed NaHCO3 p r o d u c e d significantly less milk t h a n t h e c o n t r o l s with n o d i f f e r e n c e s in milk fat or SNF percentages, Changes in milk fat p e r c e n t a g e w o u l d n o t be
TABLE 4. Chemical analysis of feed ingredients (herd 2). Composition of dry matter Crude protein
Feed ingredient
Ash
Crude fiber
Acid detergent fiber
(%) Alfalfa hay cubes Corn silage Almond hulls Beet pulp, wet Citrus pulp, wet Cottonseed, whole Grain-concentrate mix
19.9 7.6 5.3 9.1 7.4 23.8 22.2
10.9 6.4 6.6 5.8 4.8 4.3 7.6
24.8 24.3 14.4 23.2 13.0 26.1 6.9
30.5 31.6 17.2 30.5 20.9 40.3 11.2
High string ration ~ Medium string ration ~
18.6 18.1
8.3 8.3
18.4 18.8
24.6 25.0
1Total ration analyses calculated from mean ingredient amounts offered as listed in Table 3.
TABLE 5. Milk production 1 and composition in herd 1. Lactation number
Treatment 2
No. of cows
Milk
Milk fat
(kg)
Solids-not-fat (%)
1
Control NaHCO 3
62 95
7491 7748
3.37 3.42
9.18 9.12
2
Control NaHCO 3
50 68
8363 a 8791 b
3.32 3.40
8.87 8.96
3 and higher
Control NaHCO 3
98 106
8713 a 9562 b
3.36 3.35
8.83 8.89
a'bvalues with different superscripts within lactation number are significantly different (P<.05). Milk production of cows with two or more lactations adjusted using the previous Dairy Herd Improvement Association record as a covariate. 2NaHCO3 = Sodium bicarbonate. Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 68, No. 7, 1985
OUR INDUSTRY TODAY
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TABLE 6. Milk production ~ and composition in herd 2. Lactation number
Treatment 2
No. of cows
Milk
Milk fat
(kg) 1
Solids-not-fat (%)
Control NaHCOa
95 146
6800 a
7158 b
3.59 a 3.46 b
9.03 8.97
2
Control NaHCO 3
89 85
8487 a 8082 b
3.54 3.51
8.96 8.94
3 and higher
Control NaHCO 3
206
8807 a 8216 b
3.39 3.48
8.79 8.83
a b
.
180
.
' Values w~th different superscripts within lactation number are significantly different (P<.05).
Milk production of cows with two or more lactations adjusted using the previous Dairy Herd Improvement Association record as a covariate. 2NaHCO 3 = Sodium bicarbonate.
e x p e c t e d for t h e same r e a s o n s t a t e d for Trial 1. Yield o f milk fat was significantly lower f r o m t h i r d a n d higher l a c t a t i o n cows fed N a H C O 3 , w h e r e a s yields o f SNF were significantly higher f r o m first l a c t a t i o n cows a n d significantly lower f r o m t h i r d a n d h i g h e r l a c t a t i o n cows fed NaHCO3, again b e c a u s e o f d i f f e r e n c e s in milk production.
milking a n d higher average milk p r o d u c t i o n . T h e c o m b i n a t i o n of higher milk p r o d u c t i o n , 3× milking, a n d a higher-energy, lower-fiber diet w o u l d b e e x p e c t e d t o cause a s i t u a t i o n w h e r e N a H C O 3 w o u l d b e n e f i t cow h e a l t h a n d prod u c t i o n . However, t h e results o f these field trials i n d i c a t e t h a t beneficial effects can be m a s k e d or o v e r r i d d e n b y a n y n u m b e r of m a n a g e m e n t or h e a l t h - r e l a t e d p r o b l e m s .
DISCUSSION
It is difficult to explain t h e differing results f r o m t h e t w o herds. O n e c o n f o u n d i n g f a c t o r in Trial 2 m a y have b e e n m o r e m a s t i t i s p r o b l e m s in t h e NaHCO3 fed group. However, e l i m i n a t i o n of d a t a f r o m 12 cows in Trial 1 a n d 80 cows in Trial 2 t h a t h a d scored a 3 o n t h e California Mastitis Test (CMT-3) during t h e trials did n o t change t h e general t r e n d s n o r t h e results o f t h e statistical analyses. Tables 5 a n d 6 do n o t include d a t a f r o m t h e 92 cows t h a t scored a CMT-3 d u r i n g t h e trials. F e e d i n g a n d m a n a g e m e n t p r a c t i c e s at the t w o dairies differed, a f a c t o r t h a t m a y have c o n t r i b u t e d to differing results. Cows in Trial 1 were m i l k e d 3× a n d were fed t h e same diet regardless of milk p r o d u c t i o n . Cows in Trial 2 were m i l k e d twice a n d were fed a c c o r d i n g to milk p r o d u c t i o n in p r o d u c t i o n strings. T h e diet fed in Trial 1 was higher in energy a n d lower in fiber t h a n were t h e diets fed in Trial 2. It is likely t h a t t h e cows in Trial 1 were u n d e r higher m e t a b o l i c d e m a n d s because o f 3x
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
T h e a u t h o r s are g r a t e f u l to C h u r c h and D w i g h t C o m p a n y , Inc., Piscataway, N J, for s u p p l y i n g s o d i u m b i c a r b o n a t e a n d financial s u p p o r t ; to T e u n i s Holsteins, C o r o n a , a n d 6T R a n c h , Madera, for s u p p l y i n g cows, facilities, and labor; to Michael G a r o f a l o a n d Daniel M o r a for c o l l e c t i o n of t h e field data a n d l a b o r a t o r y analyses; a n d to S u z a n n e Strasser f o r statistical analysis o f t h e data. REFERENCES
1 Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 1980. Official methods of analysis. 13th ed. Assoc. Offic. Anal. Chem., Washington, DC. 2 Chase, L. E., W. Chalupa, R. W. tlemken, L. D. Muller, D. S. Kronfeld, G. T. Lane, C. J. Sniffen, and T. J. Snyder. 1981. Milk production responses to 0, .4, .8, and 1.6% sodium bicarbonate. J. Dairy Sci. 64(Suppl. 1):29. (Abstr.) 3 Davis, C. L., R. ['. Brown, and D. C. Beitz. 1964. Effect of feeding high-grain restricted roughage rations with and without bicarbonates on the fat
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c o n t e n t of milk produced and proportions of volatile fatty acids in the rumen. J. Dairy Sci. 47:1217. De Peters, E. J., A. H. Fredeen, D. L. Bath, and N. E. Smith. 1984. Effect o f sodium bicarbonate addition to alfalfa hay-based diets on digestibility o f dietary fractions and r u m e n characteristics. J. Dairy Sci. 67:2344. Emery, R. S., and L. D. Brown. 1961. Effect of feeding sodium and potassium bicarbonate on milk fat, r u m e n pH and volatile fatty acid production. J. Dairy Sci. 44:1899. Emery, R. S., L. D. Brown, and J. W. Thomas. 1964. Effect of sodium and calcium carbonates on milk production and composition of milk, blood, and r u m e n c o n t e n t s o f cows fed grain ad libitum with restricted roughage. J. Dairy Sci. 47:1325. Erdman, R. A., R. L. Botts, R. W. Hemken, and L. S. Bull. 1980. Effect of dietary sodium bicarbonate and m a g n e s i u m oxide on production and physiology in early lactation. J. Dairy Sci. 63:923. Goering, H. K., and P. J. Van Soest. 1970. Forage fiber analyses. USDA Agric. Handbook 379. Kilmer, L. H., L. D. Muller, and T. J. Snyder. 1981. Addition o f sodium bicarbonate to rations of p o s t p a r t u m dairy cows: Physiological and metabolic effects. J. Dairy Sci. 64:2357. Kim, J.-O., and F. J. Kohout. 1975. Analysis o f variance and covariance: Subprograms A N O V A
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and ONEWAY. Page 398 in SPSS: Statistical package for the social sciences. 2nd ed. McGrawHill, New York, NY. McDaniel. B. T., R. H. Miller, and E. L. Corley. 1965. DHIA factors for projecting incomplete records to 305 days. Natl. Coop. Dairy Herd I m p r o v e m e n t Program Newslett., ARS-44:164, Vol. 41, No. 6. Miller, R. W., R. W. Hemken, D. R. Waldo, M. Okamoto, and L. A. Moore. 1965. Effect of feeding buffers to dairy cows fed a high-concentrate, low-roughage ration. J. Dairy Sci. 48:1455. Moss, B. R., A. G. Prier, and R. T. Parker. 1978. The use of high levels of barley and sodium bicarbonate with barley in lactating dairy cow rations. Page 60 in Proc. 29th Annu. Montana Nutr. Conf. Playne, M. J., and P. McDonald. 1966. The buffering constituents o f herbage and of silage. J. Sci. Food Agric. 17:264. Vandermark, L. L., M. R. Stokes, L. S. Bull, and C. K. Walker. 1981. Effect of buffers on performance by early p o s t p a r t u m cows fed diets based on hay crop silage. J. Dairy Sci. 64(Suppl. 1):135. (Abstr.) Whittenbury, R., P. McDonald, and D. G. BryanJones. 1967. A short review of s o m e biochemical and microbiological aspects of ensilage. J. Sci. Food Agric. 18:441.