Effect of using different levels of pistachio by-products silage on composition and blood parameters of Holstein dairy cows

Abstract

The goal of this research was to study about the effect of using pistachio hulls silage in cow's nutrition. The initial experiment was about the effect of several feed additives on chemical and fermentative characteristic of pistachio hulls silages. This experiment was designed with 5 treatments and 4 replications in each treatment in a complete randomized design. Additives for preparing pistachio hulls silage were in the sequence of 1.5% citrus pulp (in base of dry matter), 1.5% ground barley, 1.5% beet pulp, 1.5% molasses and one control treatment without any additives. Silages were sampled for chemical analysis and fermentative characteristics. Results of the analysis showed no significant variation between the treatments in respect of ash. In the second experiment, the application of pistachio hulls silage in the nutrition of lactating cows was studied. Eight lactating cows in one Latin square design experiment were used. Treatments included various amounts of pistachio hulls silage replaced with corn silage (in base of dry mater). The results show no significant variation between the treatments in milk, blood, rumen factors and digestibility factors that can show pistachio hulls silage that can be replaced with corn silage up to 15% (%dry matter) in dairy cows ration without any significant variation in cows production.

Key words: Dairy cattle's, milk production, pistachio by-product, silage, tannin.