Use of date palm leaves in high concentrate diets for lactating Friesian and Holstein cows

Two production experiments of 12 weeks duration, beginning in week 5 of lactation, were conducted in Kuwait with lactating Friesian and Holstein cows offered a high concentrate diet together with freshly cut alfalfa and either barley straw or shredded senescent date palm leaflets (DPL). Milk yields, milk composition and live weight gains of cows given either DPL or barley straw in the two experiments did not differ significantly. Individual intakes of either roughage, measured in experiment 2, were also similar. Date palm leaves, which are waste byproducts in Kuwait, are therefore an acceptable alternative to imported barley straw as a roughage for dairy cows in Kuwait.