This study evaluated the effects of replacing ground corn with cassava root silage (CRS) in the supplement of grazing dairy cows on production yield, physicochemical characteristics, sensory attributes, and profitability of Minas Frescal cheese. Ten primiparous Girolando cows, with a mean weight of 373.45 ± 63.55 kg, a mean milk production of 12.48 ± 1.58 kg/d, and 76 days of lactation, were distributed into two 5 × 5 Latin squares. The animals were placed in the following five treatments: I, grazing without supplementation (WOS); II to V, grazing receiving 5 kg of dry matter (DM) of supplement without CRS (0 g/kg DM CRS) and with 260, 520 and 780 g/kg DM of CRS. Inclusion level of CRS did not affect (P > 0.067) physicochemical characteristics, sensory attributes, and production yield of cheese. However, cheese produced from supplemented animals had greater levels of protein (P = 0.025) and individual cheese production (kg of cheese/animal/day; P < 0.001) compared to WOS animals. Finally, the inclusion of CRS at up to 520 g/kg DM maximized cheese production by 0.73 kg of cheese/animal/day and gross revenue by 3.49 US$/animal/day, compared to WOS animals. In conclusion, replacement of ground corn with CRS in the supplement of dairy cows did not impact physicochemical characteristics and sensory attributes of Minas Frescal cheese. In addition, inclusion of CRS at up to 520 g/kg DM replacing ground corn in the supplement may be a suitable strategy for enhancing the profitability of Minas Frescal cheese production.

The present study was conducted to assess the inclusion of liquid protein feed (maize steep liquor; MSL) in growing lambs fed low-quality forage (400 g/kg wheat straw, dry mater basis) compared with two protein sources (soybean meal; SBM, and cottonseed meal; CSM). Eighteen male Farahani lambs, average body weight 36 ± 3.3 kg, were allocated to individual pens for 9 weeks. Three protein sources were: (1) MSL; (2) SBM and (3) CSM. Feed intakes did not differ among treatments. Growth rate and feed conversion ratio were improved in SBM-fed lambs. Nitrogen efficiency was improved in MSL v. CSM-fed lambs. Digestibility of fibre was enhanced in lambs fed SBM diet. Ruminal short chain fatty acid was highest in lambs fed SMB and lowest in lambs fed CSM. The urinary allantoin concentration was greater in SBM-fed lambs, with improved microbial crude protein synthesis. Blood urea nitrogen tended to be reduced in SBM-fed lambs. Dressing percentage improved in SBM-fed lambs. Lambs fed with SBM also grew faster and more efficiently than lambs fed either of the other two diets. However, regardless of the positive effects of SBM on the performance and ruminal fermentation profile observed in the current study, the MSL diet could be a profitable protein source in comparison to CSM in growing lambs fed low-quality forage. In conclusion, the present study indicates a positive outlook for feeding a liquid protein source to growing lambs fed low-quality forage such as wheat straw.