The effects of replacing pumpkin silage (Cucurbita pepo) with corn silage on performance and nutrients digestibility in Holstein dairy cows

Regarding to scarcity of feedstuff for animal feeding, the use of agricultural by products is a necessity. So, the present study was designed and conducted to investigate the effects of replacing different levels of corn silage with ensiled pumpkin on performance of lactating Holstein cows.
Material and this study was conducted as a merged Latin square experimental design using 12 lactating Holstein cows (BW 650±20 kg, DIM 70± 10 and average daily milk production 31± 3 kg) divided in 3 treatments with 4 replicates. Experiment was conducted in 3 periods of 28 days each and the treatments were: 1) replacement of zero percent corn silage with pumpkin silage, 2) replacement of 30 percent corn silage with pumpkin silage and, 3) replacement of 60 percent corn silage with pumpkin silage. The ensiled pumpkin was comprised of 80% pumpkin by product and 20% of a mixture of wheat straw (85%), wheat bran (8%), molasses (5%) and urea (2%). At the last week of each period, milk and feces samples were collected from each cow and DMI was recorded. Digestibility of nutrients was determined using chromium oxide as an external indicator.
Founding: Replacing corn silage with ensiled pumpkin by products at the levels of 30 and 60 % had no significant effect on average milk production, average milk production corrected for 4 % fat, yields of fat, protein, lactose and SNF, percentages milk protein and lactose, SCC, efficiencies of milk and 4% FCM production. However milk fat and SNF percentages were significantly lower in cows receiving ensiled pumpkin than cows receiving corn silage. Digestibility of DM, OM, CP, EE and NDF were not affected by replacing corn silage with ensiled pumpkin at the levels of 30 and 60%, but digestibility of ADF was significantly lower in ensiled pumpkin fed cows.
Overall results of this study showed that ensiled pumpkin without any adverse effect can be replaced with corn silage in the diet of lactating cows.