ABSTRACT
Evaluation of sugar beet molases for Iactating dairy cows

Hugo Vyhmeister B.1, Ernesto Jahn B.1 y Jorge Trucco B.2
 

Twenty seven Hoistein cows, with and average of 2.3 calvings and 37 days of lactation, were assigned in a randomized block design to 3 treatments: 0,4, and 8 kg of molases per cow per day, for a period of 120 days. The experiment was carried out at the Quilamapu Experimental Station (INIA), Chillán, Chile, during the winter of 1979. lri addition to molases, the cows received 5 kg of red dover hay (Trifolium pratense), 3 kg of sugar beet puIp, and 1.5 kg of rape seed meal. Red dover silage was offered ad Iibitum and minerais were suplemen ted at a rate of 150 g of bone meal and 50 g of salt, per cow per day. Results for the treatments with 0,4, and 8 kg of molases/cow/day were, in the same order: 13.5a, 14.4b, and 14.7b kg/day of 4 percent fat corrected milk (P < 0.05); fat percentage was similar between treatments (P > 0.05); -0,08; -0,04, and -0,12 kg/day of daily weight loss (P > 0.05); 5.24; 3.41, and 2.34 kg/cow/day of silage dry matter ntake; and 0.99; 0.96, and 0.83 kg of 4 percent corrected milk produced/kg dry matter intake, for conversion efficiency.

Keywords:
1 Ing. Agr. e Ing. Agr., Ph.D., respectivamente. Estación Experimental Quilamapu (INIA), Casilla 426, Chillán, Chile.
2 Ing. Agr., Esc. de Agronomia, U. de Concepción, Casilla 537, Chillán, Chile.