Performance of lactating dairy cows fed alfalfa haylage with microbial inoculant

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding alfalfa haylage with microbial inoculation dry matter intake, milk yield and composition in Holstein cows, at 135 +/- 16.4 days in milk. A cross-over design with two periods of sampling was used. Treatments were alfalfa haylage (50.0% DM and 16.5% CP) control or microbially inoculated with Silobac(R) product (Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus). Each experimental period extended for twenty-one days, the last five used for data collection. The inoculation did not influence DMI (inoculated = 17.8 vs. control = 17.8 kg/animal/day), 4% FCM (21.0 vs. 20.4 kg/day), milk yield (23.0 vs. 22.4 kg/day), fat (3.46 vs. 3.47%), protein (2.96 vs. 2.93%), lactose (4.64 vs. 4.67%), total solids (11.9 vs. 11.9%) and fat free solids percentage (8.49 vs. 8.48%). SCC (5.43 vs. 5.16 log cell/10(3)/mL), MUN (11.7 vs. 12.1 mg/dl), acidity (15.9 vs. 16.4degreesD), density (1030.1 vs. 1030.0) and cryoscopic index (-0.529 vs. -0.53 degreesH).