Sixteen 7/8 Holstein-Zebu multiparous cows averaging 30 DIM were used in a complete randomized block design with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement to study the effects of supplementing monensin and/or soybean oil on production of early lactating dairy cows. The experimental period lasted 84 days and was divided in three phases as follows: I - 5th to 8th, II - 9th to 12th, and III - 13th to 16th week of lactation. The following treatments were used: control diet without monensin and soybean oil (CT); diet with 33 ppm of monensin with no soybean oil (MN); diet with 3.9% of the dry matter (DM) as soybean oil with no monensin (OL); or diet with a combination of soybean oil and monensin (OM). Cows were fed twice a day a diet containing 52% of corn silage and 48% of concentrate on DM basis. Although energy intake did not differ across treatments, DMI was reduced on cows fed diets supplemented with soybean oil. Despite similar milk yield among treatments, cows fed diets not supplemented with soybean oil increased both DMI and milk production as lactation advanced while no changes were observed for those fed diets containing soybean oil. Feeding soybean oil to early lactating dairy cows reduced corrected milk yield whereas content of milk fat decreased when either monensin or soybean oil was added to the diet; milk fat content was reduced in phases II and III of lactation on diets with supplemental fat while the opposite was observed on diets with no fat inclusion. Feeding monensin increased milk protein content but milk protein content and yield were both reduced by feeding soybean oil to dairy cows. Diets supplemented with soybean oil had greater feed efficiency but their lower energetic efficiency suggested that energy was switched from milk yield to weight gain in the current trial.
ionophores; lipids; milk composition; milk yield
