Sodium Bicarbonate in Diets for Milking Holstein Cows

Abstract

Holstein cows (62) were used to evaluate ingestion of sodium bicarbonate. Half of the cows were fed a control diet and the other half a diet in which the concentrate contained 1.5% sodium bicarbonate. Concentrate was fed at 1 kg per 2 kg milk above 9.1 kg milk daily. Amounts of concentrate consumed by both groups were equal. The bicarbonate group consumed more forage, and as a result crude fiber intake was greater. The forage, fed to appetite, was half corn silage and half alfalfa haylage as fed. Cows fed bicarbonate tended to produce more milk with no change in fat content and tended to gain more weight. Although mean milk fat was considered normal, low-fat milk (2.5% or below) was observed 28 times among 14 cows, but these observations were distributed equally among groups. Low-fat milk was produced most often during the 3rd and 4th mo. of lactation.