Production and composition of milk from dairy cows fed hydrolyzed sugarcane under different conditions

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the dry leaves of sugarcane and the interference of the time of preparation of lime suspension of calcium oxide (CaO) to its hydrolysis on nutrient intake in Holstein cows. Five cows were distributed to treatments in the latin square: CIN, in natura sugarcane with dry leaves; DLT0 and DLT72, sugarcane with dry leaves hydrolyzed with 0.5% of CaO prepared zero and 72h before hydrolysis (respectively); NLT0 and NLT72, sugarcane without dry leaves hydrolyzed with 0.5% of CaO prepared zero and 72 hours before hydrolysis. Cows were confined in individual stalls for measuring the intake and roughage: concentrate ratio was 60: 40. Data were compared by Tukey test at 5 % significance. Milk production (12.49 kg/d) and the fat-corrected milk 3.5% (12.82 kg/d) were constant between treatments. Milk composition was not influenced by the presence of dry leaves on sugarcane, or different times of prepare the suspension lime (0.5% of CaO in 2L of water per 100 kg of chopped sugarcane). The value obtained for fat was 3.67%, protein 3.48%, lactose 4.95% and defatted milk 8.87%. From the point of view of production and composition, sugarcane can be supplied to dairy cows in any way, with or without dry leaves, in natura or hydrolyzed conditions.