Abstract
The present study was conduced at the Livestock Experimental Station, Department of Livestock Management,
University of Agriculture Faisalabad to determine the effect of feeding mott grass, mott silage and their
combinations on the production performance of lactating Sahiwal cows. Treatments were MC= Mott grass without
molasses, SC= mott silage without molasses, OM= mott grass supplemented with molasses, MM= 75% mott
grass + 25% silage ensiled with molasses, MS= 25%mott grass + 75% silage ensiled with molasses and OS=
100% mott silage ensiled with molasses. Dry matter intake (DMI) ranged from 9.46 to 10,08 kg/day. Maximum
intake was in cows fed matt grass in green form supplemented with molasses and minimum in those fed silage
ensiled with molasses. Dry matter intake as a percent body weight ranged from 2.69 to 2.80. However, difference
in DMI was non significant. Daily CP intake varied from 1.21 to 1.30 and NDF intake ranged from 7.08 to 7.60 kg.
In the present study, the concentration of CP in all experimental diets was almost similar and variation in CP
intake was attributed to variation in DM!. Milk yield (4% FCM) ranged from 7.84 to 9.06 Lt/day. Maximum FCM
yield was in cows fed mott grass/silage in combination and minimum in those cows fed mott silage in which no
additive was used. Statistically, difference in milk yield was non-significant (p>0.05) in cows fed mott grass alone
and mott silage alone. Milk composition of cows fed experimental diets remained unaltered. Fat content ranged
from 4.20 to 4.80%, protein from 3.20 to 3.62, total solids from 13.20 to 13.90 and solids not fat from 9.07 to
9.20%. Maximum dry matter digestibility (62.20-62.84%) was found in cows fed mott grass/silage in combination
and minimum (58%) in cows fed silage in which no additive was used. NDF and CP digestibilities ranged from
46.90 to 48 and 70.60 to 71.35%, respectively. Statistical analysis indicated that there was non significant
difference (p>0.05) among digestibilities of mott grass /silage based diets in which molasses was used but these
differ significantly from mott grass/ silage where no molasses was used (Control). However, a non significant
difference in NDF and CP digestibilities was found across all treatment means.
