Effects of dried molassed sugar beet pulp on milk production, milk composition and blood components of dairy cows

Twenty multiparous Friesian cows, 70 to 90 days postpartum, were allotted to two groups of 10 cows according to calving date, lactation number, and daily milk production and were assigned randomly to one of two diets in a crossover design experiment. The control diet was 50% maize silage (dry basis); 14% ground maize, 7% soybean meal, and 29% concentrate. The concentrate contained ground maize, wheat bran, soybean meal, and mineral-vitamin mix. Dried molassed sugar beet pulp pellets were 14% in the treatment diet, replacing an equal proportion of ground maize. The two diets contained similar quantities of crude protein and metabolizable energy. The diets were offered individually as total mixed rations in two equal portions at 09:00 and 20:00 h at amounts to achieve ad libitum intake. The two groups of cows were allowed to exercise in an open lot without shade from 11:00 to 16:30 h and 22:00 to 05:30 h. The cows were milked daily at 06:00 and 17:00 h. The dry matter, metabolizable energy and crude protein intakes, milk production, and milk protein, lactose, total solids and solids not fat contents, as well as milk fat and protein yields, were not significantly affected by the addition of dried molassed sugar beet pulp pellets to diet. In contrast, sugar beet pulp supplementation increased milk fat content (4.31 vs. 3.90%; P < 0.05). No differences were observed in the blood serum concentrations of glucose, total protein, albumin, urea, triglycerides, cholesterol, Na, K, Ca, P, and Mg.