Oliveira et al., 2007. Rev. Bras. Zootec., 36 (4 Supplement): 1172-1182

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of replacing corn meal with coffee hulls or soyhulls on intake and apparent digestibility of nutrients, milk yield and composition and change in body weight (BW) of lactating dairy cows. 12 purebred and crossbred Holstein cows were assigned to three replicates of 4*4 Latin squares and fed isonitrogenous (14% CP on DM basis) and control diet with 60% corn silage+40% concentrate. Three sugarcane based diets with 60% concentrate were used in control (without coffee hulls or soyhulls), 25% and 50% replacing corn meal by coffee hulls and soyhulls, respectively. Results showed that the dry matter intake was not different and averaged at 19.39 kg/day among diets. The CP intake and total digestible nutrients were different among treatments, but all diets were able to meet the nutrient requirements for milk production, 3.5% fat-corrected milk (FCM) and BW gain. The milk yield, FCM, BW change and plasma concentration of non-esterified fatty acids were not different among diets and averaged at 20.54 kg/day, 19.68 kg/day, 0.683 kg/day and 226.99 eq/litre, respectively, with the exception of lactose and solids not fat. It is suggested that the corn in sugarcane based diets for cows producing 20 kg of milk/day can be replaced by 25% coffee hulls or 50% soyhulls.