This study evaluates the effects of fresh cassava root (CR) and a solid feed-block containing sulfur (S-FB) on fermentation in the rumen, feed utilization, milk yield, and milk composition in lactating dairy cows. Four Holstein-Friesian cows with 470 ± 50.0 kg body weight (BW), 10 ± 2 kg day−1 average milk yield, and 112 ± 15 days-in-milk were studied. A 2 × 2 factorial combination was arranged in a 4 × 4 Latin square design to evaluate the treatment-related effects. The treatments were obtained from a combination of two factors: (1) levels of CR at 10 g kg−1 BW (CR-1) and 15 g kg−1 (CR-1.5) and (2) levels of sulfur supplementation in solid feed-block at 20 g kg−1 (S-FB-2) and 40 g kg−1 (S-FB-4). The results showed that CR and S-FB had no interaction effect on feed intake, digestibility, fermentation, blood metabolites, milk yield, or its composition. Feeding CR up to 15 g kg−1 of the BW significantly increased (p < 0.05) the milk fat concentration while it decreased (p < 0.05) the somatic cell count. The S-FB-4 of the sulfur significantly (p < 0.05) increased the acid detergent fiber when compared with the S-FB-2 of the sulfur. CR could be fed up to 15 g kg−1 of BW with S-FB containing high sulfur (40 g kg−1) in dairy cows without a negative impact.

BACKGROUND The study aimed to evaluate the effect of Lactobacillus casei TH14, cellulase, and molasses combination fermented sugarcane bagasse (SB) as an exclusive roughage source in the total mixed ration (TMR) for mid‐lactation 75% crossbred Holstein cows on feed intake, digestibility, ruminal ecology, milk yield and milk composition. Four multiparous mid‐lactation crossbred (75% Holstein Friesian and 25% Thai native breed) dairy cows of 439 ± 16 kg body weight, 215 ± 5 days in milk and average milk yield 10 ± 2 kg d−1 were assigned to a 4 × 4 Latin square design. The unfermented SB (SB‐TMR), SB fermented with cellulase and molasses (CM‐TMR), SB fermented with L. casei TH14 and molasses (LM‐TMR), and SB fermented with L. casei TH14, cellulase and molasses (LCM‐TMR) were used as dietary treatments. RESULTS CM‐TMR, LM‐TMR and LCM‐TMR significantly (P < 0.01) increased dry matter and fiber digestibility, gross energy and metabolizable energy intake (P < 0.05), blood glucose, total volatile fatty acids (P < 0.05), propionic acid and milk yield, but decreased ammonia, acetic acid, acetic:propionic ratio and methane production (P < 0.05) when compared with the SB‐TMR. Compared with fermented SB treatments, LCM‐TMR had lower (P < 0.05) ruminal ammonia and greater blood glucose (P < 0.01); LCM‐TMR showed (P < 0.05) greater volatile fatty acids, propionic acid, milk yield and total solids, and lower acetic:propionic ratio (P < 0.01); methane, protozoa and somatic cell count were found to be lowest in LCM‐TMR. CONCLUSION Combination of L. casei TH14 and additives (LCM‐TMR) effectively enhanced feed use, rumen ecology and milk production of Holstein Friesian cows. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry

A seasonal residue of rice crop after harvesting, rice straw (RS), mainly serves as a conventional roughage feed for ruminants during time of low fresh grass availability (Cherdthong et al., 2014(Cherdthong et al., , 2020Wanapat et al., 2009). The RS contains relatively low protein, has high fibre content and has low digestibility (Cherdthong et al., 2020). Thus, feeding RS provides insufficient nutrients for optimum production (Wanapat et al., 2013). Therefore, other roughage sources or by-products are highly sought for substituting the conventional RS feeding.Sugarcane is one of the main industrial crops, and its residue from sugar factories, sugarcane bagasse (SB), is available in large amount (300 kg/ton of sugarcane) and at a low price (Chunhawong et al., 2018;Inácio et al., 2017). Using SB as ruminant feed might reduce waste into the environment and pollution. However, feeding

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of Lactobacillus, cellulase, and molasses on chemical composition, fermentation qualities, and microorganism count of sugarcane bagasse silage after 30-days fermentation. The treatments were arranged according to a factorial arrangement (2 × 2 × 2) + 1, in a complete randomized design. The first factor consisted of two levels of Lactobacillus casei TH14 (TH14, 0 and 0.05 g/kg fresh matter; the second factor consisted of two levels of cellulase enzyme (C, 0 and 10 4 U/kg fresh matter); and the third factor consisted of two levels of molasses (M, 0 and 5 g/ 100 mL distilled water). A treatment (+1) referred to the use of rice straw without any treatments. The result showed that dry matter increased by 4% and neutral detergent fiber decreased by 2% of sugarcane bagasse when ensiled as a combination of additives as compared to untreated sugarcane bagasse. The pH and ammonia nitrogen were significantly dropped to 3.5 and 2.3 g/kg dry matter. Furthermore, lactic acid was increased by 64% when compared to untreated sugarcane bagasse, respectively. Lactic acid bacteria count was increased by 28% as compared to untreated sugarcane bagasse. Based on this experiment, fermenting with L. casei TH14, cellulase, and molasses in combination resulted in the promotion of the best qualities of sugarcane bagasse silage.

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