Cactus Cladodes and Sugarcane Bagasse Can Partially Replace Earless Corn Silage in Diets of Lactating Dairy Cows

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of replacing earless corn silage (ECS) with cactus cladodes (CC; Opuntia spp.) and sugarcane bagasse (SB) on nutrient intake, digestibility, feeding behavior, milk yield (MY), and composition of lactating dairy cows. Ten Holstein cows, weighing 571 +/- 97.0 kg and producing 23.0 +/- 4.4 kg of milk per day, were assigned to two contemporaneous 5 x 5 Latin squares. Treatments consisted of five levels of ECS replacement with CC plus SB (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%). The results showed a linear increase in dry matter (DM) intake (p < 0.05) (15.98 and 18.73 kg/day) and a quadratic increase (p < 0.05) in crude protein and energy intake (2.97 kg/day and 27.52 Mcal/day at 95.4 and 88.6% substitution, respectively). Apparent DM digestibility increased (p < 0.05), but fiber digestibility decreased linearly (p < 0.05). Treatments had a quadratic effect (p < 0.05) on MY and fat-corrected MY (24.17 kg/day and 21.9 kg/day at 63.9% and 38.6% CC plus SB, respectively). Milk fat (3.26 and 2.35%) and total solids content decreased linearly (p < 0.05), whereas the percentages of protein, lactose, and nonfat solids increased (p < 0.05). Additionally, the CC-SB diets linearly reduced the time spent on feeding and rumination and total chewing time. For Holstein cows fed common semiarid diets, milk production can be maximized by replacing 38.6% of ECS with CC plus SB.