Keywords: Maize, silage feed, milk production, dairy cow and buffalo

Effects of feeding different proportion of maize silage and rice straw on milk production and its quality was examined in lactating buffaloes and cows for a period of 56 days at IAAS livestock farm, Rampur, Chitwan, during February 2003 to April 2003. Eight lactating Murrah buffaloes, and 8 lactating Jersey and Hariyana crossbred cows were used for the experiment. Animals were mainly fed with different proportion of silage and rice straw. Besides, a constant amount (1/3^rd of the daily dry matter requirements) of concentrate mixture was also provided throughout the experiment period. The treatments employed were: only rice straw feeding (T1); 67% rice straw + 33% maize silage feeding (T2); 33% rice straw + 67% maize silage feeding (T3), and only maize silage feeding (T4). Results showed that the highest milk yield (MY) was obtained with the buffaloes fed with 100% maize silage (2.80 kg/day), however, the milk yield was similar (P>0.05) to the buffaloes fed either 67% or 33% maize silage in combination with rice straw (2.66, and 2.59 kg, respectively/day). Milk yield of only rice-straw fed buffaloes (2.32 kg/day) was, on the other hand, significantly (P<0.05) lower, indicating poor performance of rice straw compared to maize silage feeding. Similarly, the highest (P<0.05) solid not fat (SNF) as well as total solid (TS) contents in buffalo milk (9.21%, and 15.82%, respectively) were obtained with 100% maize silage feeding. This trend of milk yield for buffaloes with maize silage feeding was also obtained with cows as well. Accordingly, either 33%, 67% or 100% maize silage supplementation has a superior (P<0.05) milk yield (3.10, 3.20, and 3.36 kg, respectively / day) compared to rice straw feeding (2.73 kg/ day), with the highest yield from 100% maize silage feeding (3.36 kg /day). The other parameter that maize silage responded positively (P<0.05) in cows included the specific gravity (1.030) of milk. The higher milk yield (about 40% increment in buffalo and 35% in cows), and an improvement in the quality of milk from maize silage supplementation could have been associated with higher daily dry matter intake (DMI) together with an enhanced total digestible nutrients (TDN) intake. The gross margin analysis also revealed that feeding 33% maize silage with 67% rice straw would be comparatively beneficial to either 67% maize silage in combination with 33% rice straw; or 100% maize silage feeding. This suggests that in order to improve the milk yield as well as its quality in both Murrah buffaloes and crossbred cows particularly during winter to early spring, maize silage can be used as a supplement, at least 33% of the total daily roughage dry matter requirements.