Intake, total apparent digestibility of nutrients and milk production and composition were evaluated in mid lactation cows fed with increasing levels of crude protein (CP) in the concentrate (20, 23, 26 and 29% natural matter-NM). Twelve Holstein crossbred lactating cows were assigned to three latin square (4x4), in four periods of 15 days each (one week of adaptation). The feeding consisted of 70% of corn silage and 30% of concentrate. Intakes and digestibilities of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), ether extract (EE), total carbohydrates (TCHO), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) were not altered, while CP intake and digestibility increased in response to CP levels in the concentrate. Corrected milk production (MP) for 3.5% fat, fat and protein concentrations in milk increased linearly with an increasing of CP levels in the concentrate. Nonetheless, for CP levels of 23% in the natural matter of the concentrate, MP of 19.21 kg/day and corrected MP for 3.5% fat of 20.74 kg/day were very close to the values obtained for 26 and 29% CP levels in the concentrate. The 23% CP level in the natural matter of the concentrate, in a proportion of 30%, correspondent to 12.3% of CP in DM, showed better results of milk production. Average milk production for mid lactation cows fed with corn silage was of 20 kg/day.
chemical composition; corn silage; efficiency of nitrogen compounds assimilation; protein in the diet; ruminal degradability; soybean meal
