The aim was to evaluate levels of energy and protein concentrates on performance of crossbred Holstein x Zebu dairy cows, with body weight of 452 ± 77kg, third and fourth lactation, 80 days post-partum and with a production of 12.8kg of milk per day. Nine cows were distributed in three 3 x 3 Latin squares, with experimental periods of 10 days, distributed according to the number of lactations, with treatment levels of soybean meal (SBM) replacing corn meal (CM) (0.8; 1.6 and 2.4kg/cow/day completing 3.2kg/cow/day with CM); CM or SBM levels (0.8; 1.6 and 3.2kg/cow/day) and corn silage as forage. Only crude protein consumption rose with the increase in levels of SBM in diets containing CM + SBM, while the daily consumption of dry mass (DM) and the nutrient fractions increased with the elevation of CM or SBM. The coefficients of digestibility of DM and nutrients did not differ in diets containing CM + SBM. The crude protein (CP) digestibility increased when changing from 1.6 to 3.2kg/day of SBM. There was reduction of digestibility of DM, OM, and NFC when passing from 0.8 to 3.2kg/day of CM and decrease of TDN when changing from 1.6 to 3.2kg/day of CM. The requirements for TDN and CP were only fully satisfied fully in diets containing 0.8+2.4kg (CM+SBM) and 3.2kg of SBM. Diets containing CM did not attend even the demands of TDN. Milk production and composition, as well as the body weight and food efficiency related to the DMI were not influenced by the treatments. Feed efficiency in relation to the supply of concentrate decreased when increasing levels of CM or SBM were added. Having corn silage as forage, the supply of corn meal or soybean meal in quantities analyzed in this experiment does not promote increase in production of milk or their constituents, and the efficiency of the use of concentrate decreases when raising the level of supplementation.
corn meal; digestibility; intake; milk; soybean meal