The Replacing Effect of Corn Silage with Triticale Silage on Feed Intake, Digestibility, and Milk Production in Lactating Cows

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.

2 Graduate student of Animal Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tarbiat Modares, Tehran, Iran.

10.22059/ijas.2025.397292.654083

Abstract

This research sought to evaluate triticale (a winter crop) as a suitable alternative to corn silage in dairy cow diets, examining its advantages over conventional forage in relation to feed consumption, nutrient digestibility, milk yield and quality, along with an economic assessment. The experiment involved 10 Holstein-Simmental crossbred dairy cows with similar production levels and physiological states, divided into two 30-day trial periods. A completely randomized factorial design was used to compare two treatments and each treatments with 10 replications: 1) a control diet containing corn silage and 2) a diet incorporating triticale silage. Based on National Research Council standards, the experimental diets were balanced for protein and energy content. The data were then analyzed using SAS software. When compared to corn silage, triticale silage resulted in lower feed intake as well as reduced organic matter and protein digestibility. However, neutral detergent fiber digestibility improved with triticale silage. No significant differences (P<0.05) were observed in milk yield or composition between the two treatments. Due to its lower cost, reduced feed intake, and the same milk output, the triticale-based diet proved significantly more economically viable than corn silage (P<0.01). In sum, it can be concluded that secondary cultivation of triticale with low water requirements, especially in areas with abundant rainfall such as Mazandaran Province, can be a suitable solution to compensate for the shortage of forage and improve the country's livestock farming conditions.

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Iranian Journal of animal Science

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 October 2025

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History

  • Receive Date: 22 June 2025
  • Revise Date: 21 September 2025
  • Accept Date: 21 September 2025

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