Effects of Feeding of Whole Crop Barley Silage on the Reproductive Performances of Holstein Heifers

청보리 사일리지 급여가 Holstein 젖소 미경산우의 번식 성적에 미치는 영향

This study was carried out between 2008 and 2009 in four dairy farms to investigate the effect of feeding of whole crop barley silage on the reproductive performance of Holstein heifers. Two diets, mixed hay or whole crop barley silage separately from concentrate were fed 6-month old Holstein heifers (=37). In control group (=CON), heifers (n=16) were fed 6 kg (/head) mixed hay and 4 kg (/head) commercial diet. In whole crop barley silage group (=WBS), heifers (n=21) were fed 10 kg (/head) whole crop barley silage, 4 kg (/head) mixed hay and 2 kg (/head) commercial diet. To manage body weight gain, the body condition score of heifers were measured every month. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Body weight in CON and WBS heifers at 13-, 14-, 15- and 17-month old were $340{\pm}17.9$ and $342{\pm}13.6\;kg$, $356{\pm}15.7$ and $366{\pm}14.7\;kg$, $382{\pm}13.1$ and $387{\pm}14.4\;kg$, and $429{\pm}15.0$ and $417{\pm}10.3\;kg$, respectively. 2. Body condition score in CON and WBS heifers at 9-, 12-, 15- and 17-month old were $2.88{\pm}0.04$ and $2.80{\pm}0.04$, $2.88{\pm}0.04$ and $2.80{\pm}0.04$, $2.89{\pm}0.08$ and $3.00{\pm}0.07$, and $2.89{\pm}0.08$ and $3.00{\pm}0.07$, respectively. 3. Average age of sexual maturity in CON and WBS heifers were $437.3{\pm}9.9$days and $939.6{\pm}12.5$days, WBS group heifers were significantly shorter (p<0.05) than CON group heifers. 4. First-service conception rates in CON or WBS group were 81.3% (13/16) and 66.7% (14121), respectively, and cumulative conception rate to 2nd artificial insemination were 87.5% for CON and 85.7% for WBS group. Conception rate was not different between treatments.