Effects of increasing dietary protein supplies on milk yield, milk composition, and nitrogen use efficiency in lactating buffalo.

Nitrogen efficiency of lactating buffalo can be increased by providing dietary crude protein (CP) precisely to the requirement. Twelve lactating Nili-Ravi buffaloes (6 primiparous and 6 multiparous) at 76 ± 37.5 days in milk (DIM) were used in this study. The treatments were diets providing three levels of CP (% DM basis): (1) low-protein = 11%; (2) medium-protein = 13.1%; (3) high-protein = 14.2% according to a 3 × 3 Latin square design. The period length of each treatment was 21 days and the total duration of experiment was 63 days. The diets were designed to provide similar energy. The nitrogen intake of buffalo increased linearly by increasing CP levels. Dry matter intake showed a tendency toward decrease in quadratic fashion, whereas milk yield decreased linearly in high-protein diet. No effect was observed on milk protein yield and content. Increasing the dietary CP levels increased plasma urea nitrogen, whereas glucose and triacylglycerol levels remain unaffected. Efficiency of dietary nitrogen utilization to milk averaged 21% and showed both linear and quadratic decreases by increasing the protein supply levels. In conclusion, low CP level showed higher milk production with low plasma urea nitrogen and high nitrogen efficiency in this experiment.