Milk production and composition of Holstein cows fed diets in which sunflower silage replaced corn silage as the forage component were studied. Five Holstein cows with 25kg milk/day, 60 to 82 DIM, were arranged in a 5×5 Latin Square design. Periods were 21 days and treatments were: 100% sunflower silage plus concentrate (100SG); 66% sunflower silage, 34% corn silage plus concentrate (66SG); 34% sunflower silage, 66% corn silage plus concentrate (34SG); 100% corn silage plus concentrate (100SM); or 100% corn silage plus whole cottonseed (16.5% of dry matter) and concentrate (16.5CA). Milk yield, milk protein yield, and total milk solids yield were lower for 100SG compared to 100SM (P<0.05). Partial replacement of corn silage with sunflower silage did not affect milk, fat and protein yield. Partial replacement of concentrates with whole cottonseed did not affect any of the studied variables.
dairy cows; silage; sunflower
