Animal Science Faculty

 Larry E. Chase - Professor & Extension Specialist in Dairy Nutrition

Email: lec7@cornell.edu

Current Research

My research interests focus in three general areas. The first area is silage fermentation and forage utilization. One challenge with silage fermentation is the quantity of true protein which is degraded to NPN type compounds during fermentation. The result can be that 50-80% of the total protein in the silage may be in the soluble or rapidly degraded form. These high levels of soluble protein make it difficult to balance ruminal fermentation to optimize microbial protein synthesis. This problem can be approached by considering both management factors and silage treatments. Factors such as length of the wilting period, moisture content of the forage, filling rate and packing during silo filling all have an impact on the degradation of true protein during fermentation.It may also be possible to use additives which will alter the pattern of fermentation and decrease protein degradation. The most viable candidates in this area are strong acids. Another area of investigation concerns differences in feed intake, forage digestibility and animal performance related to corn silage hybrids. It appears that fiber digestibility varies between hybrids. The goal in this segment of the research is to quantify this with animal data.

A second area of research pertains to the use of byproduct feeds in dairy cattle rations. These feeds offer the potential to lower feed costs for the dairy producer. As environmental regulations become more stringent, food manufacturers are examining disposal options for their byproduct materials. Animal feeds provide one option. We have examined a number of byproduct feeds including cocoa shell meal, hydrolyzed liquid whey permeate, condensed distillers solubles and gumball factory waste. Preliminary work is currently being done to evaluate composted poultry waste as a feed for dairy heifers. A recent project examined the use of soyhulls as a replacement for either forage or concentrate in dairy cattle rations.

A third area is the application of the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System model on dairy farms. This model has been used on a cooperating dairy farm for about 5 years. During this time, feed costs and protein intake were decreased while herd milk production has increased. The herd used has about 280 cows and a 26,000 lb herd average. It is estimated that nitrogen excretion by the cows has been decreased 20-25% as a result of the ration adjustments. A controlled research trial was also conducted to examine the question of protein feeding and nitrogen excretion. This trial verified that nitrogen excretion could be decreased by adjusting the protein content of the rations. A number of short courses have also been held to introduce the model to feed industry personnel.