Effects of two new formulas of dietary buffers with a high buffering capacity containing Na or K on performance and metabolism of mid-lactation dairy cows.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of two new formulas of dietary buffers on intake, total tract digestibility, rumen pH, blood metabolites, and milk production of mid-lactation dairy cows. Nine multiparous cows (594 ± 46 kg BW; mean ± SD) averaging 120 ± 28 days in milk and producing 46.6 ± 3.4 kg/d were randomly assigned to a triplicate 3 × 3 Latin square. During each 21-d period, cows were offered one of three total mixed rations that varied in dietary buffer. The three types of dietary buffer were 1) 11.2 g/kg of dietary dry matter (DM) sodium bicarbonate (SB; control), 2) 8.7 g/kg of dietary DM high buffering capacity formula contained Na (HBNa), and 3) 7.4 g/kg of dietary DM high buffering capacity formula contained K (HBK). Each period was comprised of 14 d of dietary adaptation followed by 7 d of sampling. Measured buffering capacity was 102, 150 and 137 percent of NaHCO3 for SB, HBNa and HBK, respectively. The amount of Na and K were 270 and 0, 310 and 0, and 250 and 60 g/kg for SB, HBNa, and HBK, respectively. Dry matter intake (DMI) tended (P = 0.06) to be lower with HBK (20.6 kg/d) than SB (21.0 kg/d) and HBNa (21.2 kg/d). No treatment effects were observed on rumen pH (averaged 5.88) and DM digestibility in the total digestive tract (averaged 79.4%). Yields of actual milk (38.1 kg/d) and 3.5% fat corrected milk (31.6 kg/d) were not affected by treatments, whereas yields of solid corrected milk (P = 0.07) and milk fat (P = 0.10) tended to be greater with HBK than SB and HBNa. Milk fat concentration in cows fed HBK was greater than in cows fed other treatments (32.5 vs. 29.5 and 29.6 g/kg; P = 0.04). Concentration of milk protein (32.2 vs. 30.6 g/kg) and lactose (46.8 vs. 44.4 g/kg) also were greater in cows fed HBK than those fed SB (P = 0.02). Efficiency of milk production was greater in cows fed HBK than SB (1.86 vs. 1.80; P = 0.01), whereas efficiency of solid corrected milk production was greater in HBK than SB and HBNa (1.64 vs. 1.51 and 151; P = 0.02). Blood concentration of Ca was higher with HBK compared with SB and HBNa (10.4 vs. 9.7 and 9.9 mg/dL, respectively; P = 0.01). These results indicated that under the current experimental condition, supplementation of dairy cow diet with a high buffering capacity buffer containing 60 g/kg K decreased DMI and improved milk composition and milk efficiency of mid-lactation dairy cows.