Dried poultry manure as a feed ingredient for dairy cows

Authors

• Matti Näsi Department of Animal Husbandry University of Helsinki SF-00710 Helsinki 71, Finland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.72021

Abstract

The study investigated the utilisation of dried poultry manure as a protein source for lactating cows and its influence on the blood metabolic profile and rumen fermentation. Two consecutive feeding trials were carried out for the comparison of dried poultry manure (DPM) 20 %, soybean meal (SBM) 10 % and urea 1.5 % as protein supplement in a concentrate mixture. Eighteen cows were used in each of the two experiments. The experimental period was 13 weeks in Expt. 1 and 15 weeks in Expt. 2. The apparent DM digestibilities of the DPM, SBM and UREA rations were 69.9, 72.0 and 74.0 % (P < 0.05) and crude protein digestibilities were 72.0, 71.8 and 76.0 % (P < 0.01). The FU-value of the DPM ration was lower (P < 0.01) than the SBM and UREA rations. The palatability of the concentrate including DPM was depressed (P < 0.05). The differences in milk yield and milk constituents between groups were not statistically significant. Feed utilisation was equal in Expt. 1 0.37 FU/kg FCM but in Expt. 2 value of 0.39 for the DPM group was lower than 0.45 for the SBM or 0,43 for the UREA group (P < 0.05). The values obtained in hematological and blood chemical analyses were within normal ranges. The blood metabolic parameters indicate that DPM can be used as feed for dairy cows without any detrimental effect on health. The rumen fermentation was investigated with rumen fistulated cows in two experiments. With a constant feeding level and the DPM inclusion adjusted to 0, 10, 20 and 40 % of concentrate mixture, the rumen fluid ammonia-N increased with the increasing amount of DPM in the diet (P < 0.05). The NH3-N concentration was still lower (P < 0.05) in the isonitrogenous SBM diet. Furthermore, with increasing DPM inclusion the molar percentage of acetic acid of the total volatile fatty acids increased (P < 0.05), the percentages of propionic acid and butyric acid decreased. The total volume of microbial mass was 10—20 % higher with the SBM diet than the various DPM diets.