Improving intestinal amino acid supply of pre- and postpartum dairy cows with rumen-protected methionine and lysine.

Eighty-four Holstein cows were assigned to a randomized block experiment to determine effects of supplementing pre- and postpartum diets containing highLys protein supplements with rumen-protected Met and Lys. Before parturition, cows received a basal diet with 1) no rumen-protected amino acids (AA), 2) 10.5 g/d of Met from rumen-protected Met, or 3) 10.2 g/d of Met and 16.0 g/d of Lys from rumen-protected Met plus Lys. After parturition, cows continued to receive AA treatments but switched to diets balanced for 16.0 or 18.5% crude protein (CP). Diets were corn-based; supplemental protein was provided by soybean products and blood meal. Cows received treatments through d 105 of lactation. Compared with basal and Met-supplemented diets, Met + Lys supplementation increased yield of energy-corrected milk, fat, and protein, and tended to increase production of 3.5% fat-corrected milk. Significant CP x AA interactions were observed only for milk protein and fat content. Supplementation of the 16% CP diet with Met and Met + Lys had no effect on milk true protein and fat content. However, Met and Met + Lys supplementation of the 18.5% CP diet increased milk protein content by 0.21 and 0.14 percentage units, respectively, and Met supplementation increased fat content by 0.26 percentage units. Results of this study indicate that early-lactation cows fed corn-based diets are responsive to increased intestinal supplies of Lys and Met and that the responses depend on dietary CP concentration, supply of metabolizable protein, and intestinal digestibility of the rumen-undegradable fraction of supplemental proteins.