A brief review of hay or silage use in dairy cow diets and their effect on milk and dairy products

Abstract

Hay versus silage and their effect on the diet and performance of high-yield dairy cows, as well as on milk production and the quality of cheese has been the subject of research and a brief review of the issue is given here. Hay production and silage are the two most common methods of preserving green mass today and are important nutrients in the diet of cows. However, there has been much controversy about which feed is better and more useful in feeding highly productive cows, hay or silage? Based on studies that have dealt with this issue, information indicates that in recent years in European alpine regions of Switzerland, hay is returning to use in dairy cow diets, not so much because of the yield and quality of milk, but because of the dairy products that are of better quality and tastier if they are made from the milk of hay-fed rather than silage-fed cows. It was also found that the milk of cows with hay in their diet has a higher content of essential fatty acids, which have a beneficial effect on human health.