Use of High Level Soybean Hulls in Dairy Cow Diet

Abstract

Twelve crossbred Holstein Friesian lactating cows  were arranged according to lactating period and average  milk yield into 2 treatments. All cows were fed fresh grass ad libitum and fed concentrate   (16% CP) at the rate of one kilogram per two kilograms of milk yield. The composition of concentrate feed in group 1 contained no soybean hulls while that of group 2 had this ingredient at 60% of the ration. Feed were fed  two times daily at the morning and afternoon milking. The feeding trial  lasted  56 days. The result showed that total dry matter  intake of both groups were 11.54 and 13.37 kilogram per head per day, respectively (P>0.05). 4% FCM yield, milk protein content, as well as the contents of milk lactose and solid non-fat were not significantly affected by the diets (P>0.05). In contrast, soybean hulls   inclusion increased milk fat content (4.16 vs 3.44 %, P<0.05) and milk total solid content as compared to the control (13.22 vs 12.26 %, P<0.05). The feed cost per unit of milk yield (4% FCM) was lower (5.30 vs 6.92 Baht per kilogram, P>0.05) while profit from 1 kilogram of milk yield (4%FCM) was higher when fed with ration containing soybean hulls (8.45 vs 6.94 Baht, P<0.05).