Abstract
Corn grain particle size has the potential to influence the performance of lactating dairy cows and the overall profitability of a dairy farm. The objective of this study was to evaluate the productive performance of lactating cows fed diets containing finely or coarsely ground corn grain. Fifty lactating Holstein cows (n = 50; 10 primiparous and 40 multiparous), averaging (mean ± standard deviation, SD) 658 ± 64 kg of BW, 38.8 ± 7.3 kg of milk/d, and 155 ± 80 DIM, were fed diets with finely ground corn grain (FGC) or coarsely ground corn grain (CGC) in a randomized block design with a 28-d treatment period. Finely and coarsely ground corn grain had an average particle size of 660 and 915 µm, respectively. Dry matter intake (DMI) was reduced (p < 0.01) for cows fed FGC (22.1 vs. 21.2 kg d−1). Milk yield and efficiency were not affected by treatments (37.9 vs. 36.8 kg d−1; p = 0.12 and 1.78 vs. 1.79; p = 0.15). Concentrations of milk protein and fat, as well as other milk solids, were unaffected (p > 0.05) by treatments. Fecal starch (FS) concentrations were greater (p < 0.01) for cows fed CGC (7.0 vs. 4.9%), whereas plasma concentrations of D-lactate were greater (p < 0.05) for cows fed FGC (98.5 vs. 79.7 µM). Overall, feeding finely ground corn grain increased total-tract starch digestibility and reduced DMI while maintaining milk yield.
Data availability
The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to [REASON(S) WHY DATA ARE NOT PUBLIC] but are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
The authors wish to express their appreciation for the technical and financial support provided by Frísia Cooperativa Agroindustrial and acknowledge the producer Jacob Zijlstra for the assistance during this trial.
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This study was partially funded by Frísia Cooperativa Agroindustrial.
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All authors contributed to the study's conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Isabela Fonseca Carrari, Milaine Poczynek, and Aline Milani Fillus. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Isabela Fonseca Carrari, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of Federal University of Paraná. Protocol number 010/2019.
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Carrari, I.F., Poczynek, M., Fillus, A.M. et al. Short communication: Impact of corn grain particle size on production performance of lactating dairy cows. Trop Anim Health Prod 55, 404 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-023-03829-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-023-03829-4