Utilization of Faba Bean (Ficia faba) By-Products as Feed Ingredients for Lactating Cows

Sixteen Friesian Cows were allocated equally into 4 groups in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design to evaluate the effects of utilizing bean by-products on the feed intake and milk production. Cows were fed on 4.5% of their body weight fresh alfalfa; the remainder of their requirements were covered by one of 4 experimental concentrate treatments: 1) commercial concentrate (CC), 2) 70% CC + 30% bean hulls (BH), 3) 70% CC + 30% Polished bean (PB) and 4) 70% CC+ 15% BH + 15% PB. Results showed that the inclusion of bean hulls at 30% improved (p<0.05) milk yield, 4% fat corrected milk yield, feed conversion ratio and fat percent of the milk over the other treatments. Feeding cows on a commercial concentrate plus 30% BH or 30% PB or 15% from each of BH and PB decreased the cost of feed per kg milk by 13.6, 2.5 and 1.3 %, respectively, lower than those fed on the commercial concentrate.