Peas and beans as a protein feed for dairy cows

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Date
2017Author
Osmane, B.
Konosonoka, I.H.
Trupa, A.
Proskina, L.
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The need for alternative protein sources to soybean meal, partially or fully substituted
in the diets of dairy cows, is an urgent problem in farming nowadays. Soybean meal is the most
common protein source included in feed concentrate for dairy cows in Latvia and in other
European countries as well. Among possible alternatives, grain legumes seem interesting for
dairy cow diets because of their rapid degradation in the rumen and readily available energy. Peas
and beans will be an important source of proteins in feed. Biochemical tests were done on eight
samples of domestically grown dried peas of average size, 11 samples of dried beans of average
size and some samples of soybean meal to examine the chemical composition of the peas and
beans. Peas and beans were included in the feed ration during a feeding trial on dairy cows. Milk
yields and milk quality parameters were examined in the trial. The digestibility of peas of most
varieties and breeding lines examined was considerably higher than that of soybean meal, while
the digestibility of beans of all the varieties and breeding lines examined and of soybean meal
was the same. The peas contained more reducing sugars, starches and had a higher value of NEL
than the tested beans, which meant the peas had a higher nutritional value. The diets comprising
beans and peas fed to the dairy cows increased the fat and protein contents of milk, compared
with the control group and the beginning of the trial. The total amount of amino acids increased
in the bulk milk samples of all the trial groups during the feeding trial.