Browsing by Author "Päkkilä, Liisa-Maria"

The aim of this study was to investigate effect of faba bean on amino acid, glucose, NEFA, BHBA, acetate and insulin concentration in plasma. In addition, AV-difference, extraction, and uptake of nutrients by mammary gland was investigated. The primary purpose of this study was to examine suitability of faba bean as protein feed for dairy cows. Firstly, faba bean was compared to grain based control feed, which did not contain any protein supplement, and it was fed with restrictively fermented silage. Secondly, faba bean was compared to rapeseed meal and mixture of rapeseed meal and faba bean as isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets. Eight multiparous cows in the experiment were divided into two blocks and replicated 4 × 4 latin square design was used. Concentrates were fed at a rate of 14 kg/d and silage was fed ad libitum. Cows were approximately 100 days in milk in the beginning of the experiment. Rapeseed meal did not increase silage intake as much as expected according to results of earlier experiments. When rapeseed meal was replaced with faba bean, milk production, energy corrected milk production, protein production and fat production increased quadratically. When protein content of the concentrate increased, concentration of essential amino acids increased in plasma. When rapeseed meal was replaced with faba bean, concentration of non-essential amino acids increased linearly. Concentration of histidine in plasma was high on all treatments compared to results of earlier experiments. Concentration of methionine in plasma was at the same level as results of earlier experiments. Extraction of methionine was exceptionally high when rapeseed meal was fed, but uptake rate of methionine by mammary gland was bigger than output rate. Concentration of glucose in plasma was high compared to results of earlier experiments on every treatment. Relative and absolute uptake of glucose by mammary gland was especially high when mixed protein feed was fed. Supply of energy and amino acid profile corresponded well to cows needs with mixed protein feed.