Effects of different protein plants in cows diet on milk for Parmigiano Reggiano production

Abstract

Two homogeneous groups of dairy cows were fed the same base diet added with a concentrate containing 10 % of soybean meal or 10.1 % of faba bean and 10.1 % of pea. The substitution of soybean meal with faba bean + pea reduced dry matter intake (?0.83 kg/head/day equivalent to 3.5%) and milk yield (?1.29 kg/head/day equivalent to 3.9%), but increased fat and casein concentrations in milk and, as a consequence, cheese yield at 32 hours (P<0.01). The present data show that is possible feed a GMO free diet to dairy cows, without using soybean meal.