Ammonia-treated straw in the feeding of dairy cows and growing cattle

In recent years much attention has been paid in Finland to the improvement of the feeding value of straw by ammonia.

In an 11-week trial milk cows were fed untreated barely straw, ammonia-treated straw or hay ad libitum, grass silage at 30 kg per day and barely meal and protein concentrate according to milk yield. The intakes of untreated straw, treated straw and hay were 1.1, 1.4 and 3.4 kg DM per day and milk yields (4%) 16.7, 16.4 and 17.7 kg per day, respectively. In the succeeding trial of 8 weeks the same feeds were used but the amount of silage was decreased to 20 kg per day. The intake of untreated straw DM was 3.5 kg, treated straw 3.1 kg and hay 5.9 kg per day. The milk yields (4%) were 21.6, 20.9 and 21.4 kg, respectively.

In a trial with growing cattle the diet included straw, barley meal and pr otein concentrate. The average daily intakes of untreated and treated barley straw from the age of 101 days to 381 days were 0.9 and 0.9 kg DM and live weight gains 1066 and 1092 g per day, respectively. In another trial from the age of 83 days to 363 days the animals consumed untreated barley straw 1.6 and treated straw 1.7 kg DM per day, and the live weight gains were 893 and 973 g per day, respectively.