Crambe meal (CM; Crambe abyssinica H.) is a byproduct obtained after oilseed extraction with high protein content and with great potential of use in the feeding of ruminants. We evaluated the effects of CM (CP = 38.2% DM; glucosinolates = 450 mg/kg DM) inclusion in partial total mixed ration (pTMR; 0, 4.5, 9 and 13.5% DM), as a replacement of soybean meal, on intake, total-tract diet digestibility and nitrogen metabolism of lactation dairy cows. Twelve crossbred Holstein × Zebu dairy cows (456 ± 91 kg BW) were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin squares design with 4 21 d experimental periods. The pTMR diets were isonitrogenous (CP = 13.0% DM) and offered ad libitum between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. the cows remained in pastures of Panicum maximum cv. Mombaça (NDF = 56.4% DM; CP = 9.04% DM). Milk yield and intake the pTMR were recorded from d 15 to 21 of each period. The milk samples were collected on d 17 and 18. Daily samples of feces from each animal were collected between d 17 and 21 for fecal excretion (using titanium dioxide as an external indicator) and pasture intake (using indigestible neutral detergent fiber after 288 ruminal incubation in situ). Spot urine samples were obtained 3 h supplement post-feeding on d 20. Data were analyzed using a mixed model (treatment as fixed effect; square, period and cows(square) as random effects). Treatment effects were decomposed on 3 orthogonal contrast: linear, quadratic, and cubic effects. Inclusion of CM did not affect pTMR intake (P = 0.173; 11.47 ± 0.20 kg DM/d), pasture intake (P = 0.185; 0.90 ± 0.07 kg DM/d), CP intake (P = 0.481; 1.49 ± 0.01 kg DM/d), organic matter total-tract digestibility (P = 0.254; 0.749 ± 0.01 g/g), CP total-tract digestibility (P = 0.545; 0.747 ± 0.02 g/g), ruminal microbial protein synthesis (P = 0.348; 0.83 ± 0.08 kg/d), milk yield (P = 0.462; 13.29 ± 0.24 kg/d), nitrogen (N) milk (P = 0.566; 64.2 ± 1.3 g/d), milk urea-N (P = 0.178; 10.6 ± 0.94 mg/dL), N urinary excretion (P = 0.717; 90.9 ± 1.9 g/d) and N milk efficiency (P = 0.622; 0.268 ± 0.01 g N milk/g N intake). Crambe meal can be used up to 13.5% of DM in pTMR without affecting intake, total-tract diet digestibility and nitrogen metabolism of dairy cows.