Abstract

CASTANEDA-SERRANO, ROMÁN-DAVID;; GONZALEZ-BERMEO, JOSÉ-FLAMINIO;  and  VELEZ-GIRALDO, ALEJANDRA-MARIA;. Supplementation with fruits silage on dual-purpose cow: digestibility and performance. Rev.Bio.Agro [online]. 2023, vol.21, n.1, pp.51-61.  Epub July 07, 2023. ISSN 1692-3561.  https://doi.org/10.18684/rbsaa.v21.n1.2023.1917.

In the Colombian tropic, it is necessary to establish feeding strategies that increase productivity and reduce costs. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of totumo, mango, and wild guava silage on in vitro digestibility, degradability, and productive parameters in dual-purpose cows. This study was carried out on a farm located in the municipality of Puerto Boyacá. Thirty-two Gyr x Holstein cows (Body weight = 460 ± 35 kg) in early lactation were enrolled and distributed in four groups of eight individuals: T1: control group: no silage; T2: Wild guava silage; T3: Totumo silage and T4: Mango silage. All the cows remained in a rotational grazing system with Brachiaria decumbens, water, and a salt-based mineral supplement ad libitum. There were no differences (p>0,05) in the daily milk production. However, protein levels in milk were higher (p<0,05) in the T2 and T4 treatments. NUL was more elevated in T2 and lower in T4. Silage consumption was higher (p<0,05) in T4, and the body condition score was higher for T2 and T4. For the degradability and digestibility parameters in vitro, treatments T2, T3, and T4 obtained the highest values. Fruits silage supplementation on dual-purpose cows with silage fruits can increase milk protein levels and body condition score. Those silages have a high rate of degradation and in vitro digestibility, representing a feeding alternative for ruminants.

Keywords : Alternative sources; Dairy cattle; Fat; Mango; Protein; Silage; Supplementation; Totumo; Tropic; Wild Guava.

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