Quality of forage sorghum at second cut on milk production

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine effects of quality of purple guinea grass (Panicum maximum TD 58) and forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) at second cut on dry matter intake, milk production, liveweigh change, metabolic profiles and economic return in dairy cows. Using twelve multiparous cows. Two groups (six cows in each groups) of GT=75 percent Holstein Freesian dairy cows were imposed by Group comparison. Group 1 were fed fresh purple guinea grass. While in group 2, cows were fed fresh forage sorghum, All the cows were also supplemented with concentrate (18.33 percent CP, 70 percent TDN) twice daily at milking (i.e. at 05.00 am. and 02.00 pm.). T-test was used in order to mean comparison between treatments. The results revealed that cows in group 2 had higher daily roughage dry matter intake, percent BW of total daily dry matter than those in group 1, but were not significantly different. In addition, actual milk yield and 4 percent fat corrected milk, milk composition, blood glucose and blood urea nitrogen in AM and PM feeding in both treatments were not significantly different. Economic return cows in group 2 were higher than cows in group 1, but were not significantly different. In conclusion, forage sorghum at second cut can be utilized and replaced purple guinea grass in dry season with higher profits and no deteriorative effect on dairy production.