Use of Corn and Potato Chipping By-Products in Rations for Lactating Dairy Cattle

Abstract Modern corn and potato chipping plants produce large volumes of waste material consisting primarily of potato peelings, culls, and slivers as well as fragments of corn kernels and starch. The analysis of the material used in this trial was 33.6% dry matter, 4.70% crude protein, 18.5% acid detergent fiber, .248% calcium, and .16% phosphorus. This material had been examined for beef cattle rations but had not been tested with lactating dairy cattle. Therefore, we undertook to determine the feasibility of using this by-product in rations for lactating dairy cattle. Twenty-four Holstein cows were fed total mixed rations for a 238-day experimental period wherein 0, 12, 24, or 36% of the ration dry matter was provided by the wet by-product. The balance of the isonitrogenous rations was based on corn silage and a combination of commercial dairy concentrates. Means of daily dry matter intake, milk production, body weight gains, and fat percentage were: 20.5, 20.5, 18.6, and 18.4kg; 24.6, 26.7, 24.5, and 23.0kg; 248, 351, 328, and 381g; 3.75, 3.85, 3.93, and 3.82% for the 0, 12, 24, and 36% treatment groups.