A comparative study at two different altitudes with two dietary nutrition levels on rumen fermentation and energy metabolism in Chinese Holstein cows

Summary The object of this study was to investigate the effect of two altitudes (1600 vs. 3600 m) with two nutritional levels [5.88 MJ/kg dry matter (DM) vs. 7.56 MJ/kg DM] on apparent total tract digestibility, rumen fermentation, energy metabolism, milk yield and milk composition in Chinese Holste...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition 2013-10, Vol.97 (5), p.933-941
Main Authors: Qiao, G. H., Shao, T., Yu, C. Q., Wang, X. L., Yang, X., Zhu, X. Q., Lu, Y.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Altitude
Animal Feed - analysis
Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Animals
Cattle - physiology
China
Chinese Holstein cows
Diet - veterinary
digestibility
Energy Metabolism - physiology
Female
Fermentation
nutrition
Rumen - physiology
rumen fermentation
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Summary:Summary The object of this study was to investigate the effect of two altitudes (1600 vs. 3600 m) with two nutritional levels [5.88 MJ/kg dry matter (DM) vs. 7.56 MJ/kg DM] on apparent total tract digestibility, rumen fermentation, energy metabolism, milk yield and milk composition in Chinese Holstein cows. Sixteen Chinese Holstein cows in their third lactation with close body weights, days in milk and milk yield were randomly divided into four groups, of which two were directly transferred from Lanzhou (altitude of 1600 m) to Lhasa (altitude of 3600 m). Four treatments (high plateau and high nutrition level, HA‐HN; high plateau and low nutrition level, HA‐LN; low plateau and high nutrition level, LA‐HN; and low plateau and low nutrition level, LA‐LN) were randomly arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial experimental design. Results indicated that the apparent total tract digestibility of a diet’s DM, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre and DM intake were not affected by either altitude or nutrition level (p > 0.05). Milk protein percentage was higher for the diet with the high level of nutrition than for the diet with low nutrition level irrespective of altitude (p  0.05). The metabolizable energy used for milk energy output was decreased by high altitude in comparison with that at low altitude (p  0.05).
ISSN:0931-2439
1439-0396
DOI:10.1111/j.1439-0396.2012.01339.x