Combining starch and sugar in lactating cow diets

Carbohydrates create up to 70% of the lactating cow’s diet and are fermented by microorganisms in the rumen to provide energy for bodily function, growth, maintenance, and production. Corn is a common carbohydrate component of lactating cow diets which comprises of 70% starch. Bovine nutritionists recommend 23-30% dry matter of starch in lactating cow diets, due to negative impacts on neutral detergent fibre concentration and digestibility, ruminal fermentation, overall health, and producti