Effect of Rumen-Protected Methionine and Lysine on Casein in Milk When Diets High in Fat or Concentrate are Fed

To examine the effect of supplying methionine and lysine on milk N composition, isoenergetic, isonitrogenous diets containing 50:50 with 3.9% added fat or 25:75 forage to concentrate with no added fat were fed with or without rumen-protected methionine and lysine to four primiparous and four multiparous early lactation (36 d in milk) Holstein cows in two 4 x 4 Latin squares. Diets contained 1.7 Mcal NE1 and were fed for ad libitum intake. Periods were 21 d. Rumen-protected methionine and lysine increased total N and casein N percentage with the 3.9% fat, but did not increase total N and casein N percentage with the diet without fat. Whey N percentage was greater with the no fat than with the 3.9% fat diet. Whey N percentage was not affected by adding amino acids. Nonprotein N percentage was greater for the diet with the 3.9% fat than with no fat. Proportions of casein N or whey N to total N were unaffected by treatments. Adding methionine and lysine to diets did not increase yields of total N and casein N. The 3.9% fat diet increased proportions of long-chain (C18:0 and C18:1) and decreased proportions of short- to medium-chain fatty acids (C8 to C16) in milk fat. Plasma nonesterified fatty acids and triglyceride concentrations were greater with the 3.9% fat as compared to the no fat diet. Methionine and lysine decreased plasma triglyceride concentrations with the 3.9% fat diet. Milk yields, DM intakes, and plasma glucose concentrations were unaffected by treatment.