Due to the increasing cost of soybean meal and concerns of excess N being excreted into the environment, new protein supplements have been developed. Two products that have shown potential in increasing N utilization efficiency are slow release urea (SRU; Optigen) and ruminal escape protein derived from yeast (YMP; DEMP). The objective of this study was to assess the effects of feeding these 2 supplements in high-forage [(54% of total dietary dry matter (DM)] dairy diets on nutrient utilization, feed efficiency, lactational performance of dairy cows, and their impacts on income-over feed costs. Twelve multiparous dairy cows were used in a triple 4 × 4 Latin square design with one square consisting of ruminally cannulated cows. Treatments included: 1) control, 2) SRU-supplemented total mixed ration (TMR, SRUT), 3) YMP-supplemented TMR (YMPT), and 4) SRU and YMP-supplemented TMR (SYT). The control consisted only of a mixture of soybean meal and canola meal (SBMCM) in a 50:50 ratio. The SRU and the YMP were supplemented at 0.49% and 1.15% DM, respectively. The experiment consisted of 4 periods lasting 28 d each (21 d of adaptation and 7 d of sampling). Cows fed YMPT and SYT had decreased intake of DM, and all supplemented treatments had lower crude protein intake compared to those fed the control. Milk yield tended to have the greatest increase in YMPT compared with the control (41.1 vs. 39.7 kg/d) as well as a tendency for increased milk fat and protein yields. Feed efficiencies based on yields of milk, 3.5% fat-corrected milk, and energy-corrected milk increased at 10-16% due to protein supplementation. Cows fed with protein supplements partitioned less energy toward body weight gain, but tended to partition more energy toward milk production. Efficiency of use of feed N to milk N increased by feeding SRUT and YMPT, and milk N-to-manure N ratio increased in YMPT. Cows fed SRUT or YMPT tended to improve income-over feed costs. Overall results from this experiment indicate that replacing SBMCM with SRU and YMP in high-forage dairy diets can be a good approach to enhance dairy profitability through improved nutrient utilization efficiencies by lactating dairy cows.

Overall hypothesis in a series of lactation studies reported in this dissertation was that supplementing different rumen modifiers would have consistent responses on ruminal fermentation and lactational performance under optimal ruminal fermentative conditions. First experiment investigated the influence magnesium exchanged zeolite on ruminal fermentation and lactational performance. Intake of dry matter (DM), milk yield, milk fat concentration, and feed efficiency were not affected. Milk protein concentration tended (P = 0.15) to be higher for the zeolite total mixed ration (TMR). Ruminal pH tended to increase (P = 0.11) by feeding the sodium bicarbonate or the zeolite. A second lactation experiment determined the influence of quebracho condensed tannin extract (CTE) on ruminal fermentation and lactational performance. Supplementing CTE decreased intakes of DM and nutrients regardless of forage level thereby increasing feed efficiency. Milk yield and components were not affected. Milk urea N (MUN) and total VFA concentration decreased by supplementing CTE. Cows fed CTE had decreased ruminal ammonia-N and MUN concentrations, indicating that less ruminal N was lost as ammonia. A third lactation trial assessed whole safflower seeds (SS) on ruminal fermentation, lactational performance, and milk fatty acids. Feeding the Nutrasaff SS TMR (NSST) decreased intake of neutral detergent fiber. Digestibilities of nutrients, milk yield and components, ruminal pH, ruminal VFA, and ammonia-N were similar. Ruminal C16:0 fatty acid (FA) concentration increased with the cottonseed TMR (CST), while C18:1 cis-9 and C18:2 n-6 tended (P = 0.10 and P = 0.09, respectively) to increase with SS supplementation. Supplementing SS decreased milk C16:0 concentration, whereas it increased C18:1 cis-9 and C18:1 trans-9. Milk C18:1 trans-11 FA and cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid increased and tended (P = 0.07) to increase with feeding the NSST. Feeding zeolite would cost-effectively replace sodium bicarbonate as a ruminal buffer, whereas CTE may change the route of N excretion, having less excretion into urine, but more into feces. Whole SS can be an effective fat supplement to lactating dairy cows without negative impacts on lactational performance and milk FA. These studies demonstrate that the three rumen modifiers can positively manipulate ruminal fermentation.

The objective of this experiment was to determine if nutrient utilization and energy partitioning by lactating dairy cows would differ in response to dietary corn grain (CG) types [steam-flaked corn (SFC) vs. high-moisture corn (HMC)] and to test if the types of CG would interact with slow-release urea (SRU) on lactational performance and energy utilization. Eight multiparous Holstein cows (32 ± 8.2 days-in-milk) were used in a duplicated 4 × 4 Latin square with one square consisting of ruminally cannulated cows. A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement was used to test 4 dietary treatments: SFC without SRU, SFC with SRU, HMC without SRU, and HMC with SRU. The experimental diets contained 60.5% dry matter (DM) of forages, whereas 12.9% or 14.4% DM of SFC or HMC was added in the diets, respectively. The SRU was supplemented at 0.46% DM, replacing a mixture of soybean meal and canola meal in a 50:50 ratio. Feeding HMC decreased intakes of DM, crude protein, and fiber compared with SFC. Supplementation of SRU did not affect intakes of DM and nutrients, whereas it tended to increase intakes of DM or increased crude protein intake under SFC but no effect under HMC, leading to CG ×SRU interactions on DM and crude protein intakes. Neither type of CG nor SRU supplementation affected milk production except that cows fed HMC-based diets tended to decrease energy-corrected milk yield compared to those fed SFC-based diets. Utilization of HMC in the diet had a tendency to increase dairy efficiency based on milk yield over SFC utilization. Cows fed HMC diets gained more body weight (BW) than those fed SFC diets, whereas supplementing SRU tended to reduce BW gain regardless of type of CG. Cows fed HMC diets shifted more net energy into BW compared with those fed SFC diets, whereas supplementing SRU tended to decrease a portion of net energy partitioned into BW gain under both SFC and HMC diets. Dietary treatments exerted minor impacts on ruminal fermentation profiles. Feeding HMC diets decreased fecal N excretion compared with SFC diets. In addition, supplementing SRU increased fecal N excretion under SFC, but it was decreased by SRU with HMC, leading to an interaction between CG and SRU. These collective results demonstrate that feeding HMC with SRU can be a practical option in high-forage lactation diets to maintain or improve nutrient and energy utilization efficiency and minimize negative environmental impacts.