Table 2.
Ingredients and chemical composition (% of DM unless otherwise stated) of the experimental diets containing either corn or sorghum grain ground either finely or coarsely fed as TMR to lactating dairy cows
| Item |
Treatment | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corn | Sorghum | |||
| Finely | Coarse | Finely | Coarse | |
| Alfalfa hay | 41.5 | 41.5 | 41.5 | 41.5 |
| Wheat straw | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| Corn | 37.7 | 37.7 | _ | _ |
| Sorghum | _ | _ | 37.7 | 37.7 |
| High protein concentrate1 | 18.9 | 18.9 | 18.9 | 18.9 |
| Nutrient composition2, % of DM | ||||
| DM, % as fed | 50.7 | 50.3 | 50.6 | 50.2 |
| OM | 93.0 | 93.0 | 92.9 | 92.8 |
| Ash | 7.0 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.2 |
| Starch | 26.3 | 26.2 | 25.0 | 24.7 |
| CP | 17.3 | 17.4 | 18.9 | 19.2 |
| EE | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| NDF | 31.5 | 32.1 | 30.8 | 31.5 |
| uNDF | 16.2 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 16.3 |
| ADL | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.4 |
| pdNDF3 | 15.3 | 16.1 | 14.7 | 15.2 |
| NFC4 | 41.7 | 40.8 | 40.5 | 39.5 |
1Sourced from Afgri (Afgri Animal Feeds, Centurion, GP, South Africa), contained Amminomax soya, Gluten 21, Blood meal spray dried, Molasses, Urea, Limestone, Salt, Mineral Premix, Poultry by-product, Monocalcium Phosphate.
2DM, dry matter; OM, organic matter; CP, crude protein; EE, ether extract; NDF, neutral detergent fiber; uNDF, undigestible NDF; ADL, acid detergent lignin; pdNDF, potentially digestible; NFC, non-fibrous carbohydrates.
3Calculated as NDF − uNDF.
4Calculated as 100 − (CP % + NDF % + ether extract % + ash %); NRC, 2001.