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Effects of substituting sweet potato flour for ground corn on performance, feeding behavior, and metabolism of dairy cows

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of substituting sweet potato flour for ground corn in rations fed to lactating dairy on milk yield and composition, blood metabolites, and feeding behavior. Twenty lactating Holstein cows from 30 to 60 days postpartum were randomly assigned to one of two groups (n = 10 each) and used in a cross-over design trial with two treatments: a standard concentrate with ground corn as an energy source or experimental concentrate with sweet potato flour (SPF) replacing all of the ground corn. Each of the 35-day periods consisted of 14 days for adaptation to diet and 21 days for data and sample collection. Milk yield, dry matter intake (DMI), and feeding behavior were evaluated daily throughout the trial. Milk samples were collected weekly and blood samples were collected every 3 days. Milk was analyzed for fat, protein, lactose, and total solid constituents. Blood was analyzed for glucose, non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total protein (TP), albumin, and urea concentrations. Milk yield (P = 0.62) and composition (fat: P = 0.71; protein: P = 0.12; lactose: P = 0.82; total solids: P = 0.56) were not affected by dietary treatments. There were no differences between treatments in DMI or meal frequency, but total eating time (P = 0.001), feeding time (P = 0.001), and meal duration (P = 0.001) was higher for control compared with SPF. However, feeding rate (P = 0.001) and serum urea concentration (P = 0.001) were higher for SPF compared with control. No differences were observed in serum metabolites and enzymes measured among treatments. The results of this trial indicate that SPF can be substituted for ground corn without impairing the performance, feeding behavior, and metabolism in dairy cows.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPQ), and Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS) for financial support. C.C. Brauner, F. A. B. Del Pino and M. N. Corrêa were supported by a fellowship from CNPq. Appreciation is also extended to Granjas 4 Irmãos S/A which provided animals and farm facilities and Sistema de Crédito Cooperativo (SICREDI).

Funding

This study is funded in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamente de Pesquisa de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) [Finance code 001] and Cooperativa Sicredi.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Núcleo de Pesquisa, Ensino e Extensão em Pecuária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil

    Michelle de Almeida Ollé, Claudia Faccio Demarco, Jordani Borges Cardoso, Antônio Amaral Barbosa, Josiane de Oliveira Feijó, Viviane Rohrig Rabassa, Eduardo Schmitt, Marcio Nunes Corrêa, Cássio Cassal Brauner & Francisco Augusto Burkert Del Pino

  2. Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia, Pelotas, RS, Brazil

    Lisandre de Oliveira

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  1. Michelle de Almeida Ollé
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Performed the experiments: MAO and CFD. Analyzed the data: MAO, CFD, and CCB. Funding acquisition: MNC, ES, CCB, FABDP, LO, AAB, JOF, and VRR. Resources: MNC, ES, CCB, FABDP, LO, AAB, JOF, and VRR. Wrote the paper: MAO, CFD, AAB, and CCB. Edited the paper: MAO and CCB.

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Correspondence to Cássio Cassal Brauner.

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This study was approved by the Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Pelotas, registered under number 3255.

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de Almeida Ollé, M., Demarco, C.F., de Oliveira, L. et al. Effects of substituting sweet potato flour for ground corn on performance, feeding behavior, and metabolism of dairy cows. Trop Anim Health Prod 53, 390 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-021-02836-7

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