Sugarcane Silage, Sodium Hydroxide- and Steam Pressure-Treated Sugarcane Bagasse, Corn Silage, Cottonseed Hulls, Sodium Bicarbonate, and Aspergillis oryzae Product in Complete Rations for Lactating Cows

Five experiments compared silages, by-product roughages, and added sodium bicarbonate. Thirty-four cows were fed diets containing 1) 30% cottonseed hulls, 2) corn silage to supply 25% of dry matter intake from nongrain portion, 3) alkali-treated sugarcane bagasse silage, or 4) sugarcane silage both to supply 25% of dry matter intake. Only dry matter intake differed for diets 1 and 2 which excelled 3 and 4 for daily dry matter intake, milk yield, and protein percent. With 36 cows, sugarcane silage, enzyme-treated sugarcane silage, nongrain portion of corn silage, and pelleted cottonseed hulls with sodium bicarbonate (0 or 1%) and an enzyme product from Aspergillus oryzae (0 or 56.7 g/day) were compared. Milk yield was decreased and fat percent increased by silage compared with pelleted cottonseed hulls. Bicarbonate increased milk fat percent and fat-corrected milk in silage-containing rations. For the effect of sodium bicarbonate in early lactation, 36 cows were in a continuous feeding trial of corn silage, cottonseed hulls, or steam pressure-treated sugarcane bagasse, with sodium bicarbonate (0 or 170 g/cow per day). Lactation curves for feed intake, milk yield, and milk fat percent showed no effects of sodium bicarbonate. Cot-