Effects of substituting sweet potato flour for ground corn on performance, feeding behavior, and metabolism of dairy cows.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of substituting sweet potato flour for ground corn in rations fed to lactating dairy on milk yield and composition, blood metabolites, and feeding behavior. Twenty lactating Holstein cows from 30 to 60 days postpartum were randomly assigned to one of two groups (n = 10 each) and used in a cross-over design trial with two treatments: a standard concentrate with ground corn as an energy source or experimental concentrate with sweet potato flour (SPF) replacing all of the ground corn. Each of the 35-day periods consisted of 14 days for adaptation to diet and 21 days for data and sample collection.