Frequent Feeding of a Corn Silage-Urea-Concentrate Blended Ration to Lactating Dairy Cows

A 120-day continuous study was conducted to determine effects of frequency of feeding a blended corn silage-concentrate ration containing a pelleted urea-alfalfa combination on 20 lactating Holstein cows. Cows were randomly assigned to two treatment groups of 10 each and fed individually in a tie-stall barn. One group was fed twice and the other four times daily. Average daily fat-corrected milk production, milk fat, solids-not-fat, milk protein, body weight, and dry matter intake by treatments were: twice daily feeding) 18.71 kg, 3.60%, 10.07%, 3.52%, 608.0 kg, and 16.0; and four times) 17.46 kg, 3.51%, 9.82%, 3.44%, 621.2 kg, and 14.49 kg. Analysis of covariance with data of the previous week as the covariate indicated no significant differences (P > .05) for daily fatcorrected milk production, milk composition, body weight, and ration intake. No significant differences (P > .05) were found in blood urea nitrogen, blood ammonia, urinary urea nitrogen, urine volume, urinary nitrogen, creatinine, and urinary amino acids. These results indicate that feeding four times daily had no additional benefit over twice daily feeding o a blended corn silage-concentrate ration containing a pelleted urea-alfalfa supplement.