The effect of compound composition and silage characteristics on silage intake, feeding behaviour, production of milk and live-weight change in lactating dairy cows

1991 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Jackson ◽  
C. L. Johnson ◽  
J. M. Forbes
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Weight Change ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Feeding Behaviour ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Productive Performance ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows ◽  
Principal Energy ◽  
Friesian Cows

ABSTRACTAn experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of compound composition and silage characteristics on silage intake, feeding behaviour and productive performance of dairy cows during the first 25 weeks of lactation. Over a period of 3 years, 36 lactating British Friesian cows (12 per year), in their third or later lactations, were divided into two groups. The cows in each group received either compound S, in which the principal energy source was cereal starch, or compound F containing a mixture of high quality digestible fibre. Cows given compound F ate 2·2 kg more silage dry matter per day (P < 0·05). The type of compound had no effect on the frequency of silage feeding and the time spent eating was significantly different only over weeks 10 to 25 of lactation (P < 0·05), with cows on compound F spending on average 20 min longer feeding per day. Cows on compound F produced 1·7 kg more milk per day than cows on compound S. Although there were no significant differences in the concentration of milk constituents, compound F was associated with higher yields of milk constituents. Significant differences were found between the years of experiment in the frequency of feeding (P < 0·05) and also in the concentration of milk protein and milk fat. There were no significant differences in the magnitude of live-weight change between treatments or year of experiment.

Effects of offering silage overnight in the early grazing season to autumn-calved cows

1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Aston ◽  
S. R. Daley ◽  
B. G. Gibbs
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Weight Change ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Average Quality ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Strip Grazing ◽  
Friesian Cows

ABSTRACTThree experiments were conducted in the early grazing seasons of 1982–84 inclusive. Autumn-calved lactating British Friesian cows grazed a perennial ryegrass pasture either by strip grazing to leave 80 mm residual herbage (SG) or by rotationally grazing six paddocks on a fixed pre-determined cycle (PG). They were offered grazing only or grazing and average quality grass silage (S) or a 1: 1 mix of silage and ensiled brewers' grains (SB) given individually overnight in a cubicle house.In experiment 1, cows received treatments SG or SGS. The intake of silage dry matter (DM) was 4·3 kg/day and the estimated intakes of herbage DM from measured animal performance were 15·2 and 8·9 kg/day respectively. Milk yields were 18·4 and 15·3 kg/day, the concentrations of fat and protein in the milk were 38·0, 41·8 and 33·3, 30·8 g/kg and live-weight change was +679 and +348 g/day for treatments SG and SGS respectively.For experiment 2, cows received treatments SG, PG or PGS and grazing stocking rates were 5·2, 5·5 and 11·0 cows per ha respectively. Silage intake was 6·1 kg/day DM and the estimated intakes of herbage DM were 14·2, 15·3 and 7·7 kg/day respectively. Milk yields were 18·2, 18·2 and 16·1 kg/day, the concentrations of fat and protein were 41·6, 39·8, 42·3 and 33·3, 33·0, 30·4 g/kg and live-weight change was +325, +540 and +161 g/day for treatments SG, PG and PGS respectively.For experiment 3, cows received treatments PG, PGS or PGSB and grazing stocking rates were 5·8, 11·6 and 11·6 cows per ha respectively. The intakes of silage and silage plus brewers' grains DM were 6·5 and 8·5 kg/day. The estimated intakes of herbage DM were 14·2, 7·2 and 7·3 kg/day, milk yields were 18·7, 14·6 and 18·9 kg/day, the concentration of fat and protein in the milk were 37·3, 42·1, 40·3 and 33·4, 32·6, 32·9 g/kg and live-weight change was +425, +415 and +441 g/day for treatments PG, PGS and PGSB respectively.The results show that offering silage overnight allowed grazing stocking rates to be doubled, raised the concentration of fat in the milk and depressed the yields of milk and protein. When brewers' grains were given with the silage, yields of milk fat and protein were greater compared with when silage was offered alone and the yield of fat was greater than for herbage alone.

Substitution and production responses when lactating dairy cows graze a white clover pasture supplemented with maize silage

1996 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 771 ◽  
Author(s):  
CR Stockdale
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Rumen Fluid ◽  
Ammonia Nitrogen ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows ◽  
Clover Pasture ◽  
Friesian Cows

Friesian cows (16) in late lactation grazed pure white clover (Trifolium repens cv. Haifa) swards for 32 days in autumn and were supplemented with maize (Zea mays) silage. Four groups of 4 cows were offered either 19 or 39 kg dry matter (DM)/cow.day of white clover with either 0 or 4.4 kg DM/cow.day of maize silage. All cows were individually fed maize silage and grazed the pasture as individual groups according to treatment. When maize silage was fed, total intake increased, this occurring to a greater degree at the low pasture allowance. The level of substitution of silage for pasture was 0.14 and 0.40 kg DM reduction in pasture intake per kg DM of maize silage eaten at the low and high allowances, respectively. At the low pasture allowance, milk yields were 10.1 and 13.7 kg/cow. day when 0 and 4.4 kg DM/cow.day of maize silage were fed, respectively, and were 15.5 and 15.9 kg/cow.day at the high pasture allowance. Liveweight and body condition increased as plane of nutrition increased but there were no effects of feeding on milk fat or protein contents. Feeding maize silage had little effect on any rumen or faecal variable although there was generally less ammonia nitrogen in rumen fluid when cows were supplemented with maize silage.

CHROMIC OXIDE IN DIGESTIBILITY STUDIES WITH LACTATING DAIRY COWS

1969 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-388
Author(s):  
A. L. Hoogendoorn ◽  
C. M. Grieve
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Conventional Method ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Chromic Oxide ◽  
Daily Administration ◽  
Apparent Digestibility ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows ◽  
Holstein Friesian ◽  
Friesian Cows

Chromic oxide (Cr2O3) in paper pellets was used as an indicator for digestibility studies with four Holstein-Friesian cows fed rations composed of different roughage to concentrate ratios. Cows A and B received one pellet, or 3.46 g of Cr2O3, whereas cows C and D received three pellets, or 10.38 g of Cr2O3, daily.Recovery of Cr2O3 in the feces varied from 84 to 103% for animals A and B and from 92 to 95% for animals C and D. The coefficients of apparent digestion of dry matter were lower (P < 0.01) when the Cr2O3 method was used instead of the conventional method. When samples were taken at 0500, 0900, 1300 and 1700 hours, the Cr2O3 method gave average estimates of digestibility for animal pairs A, B and C, D that were 94.2 and 97.5% of those obtained by the conventional method. Standard deviations for both the Cr2O3 and conventional methods were relatively high.Excretion patterns of Cr2O3 were not signicantly correlated with those of crude protein, phosphorus and calcium. The average concentrations of crude protein, phosphorus and calcium in compounded feces samples collected at 0500, 0900, 1300 and 1700 hours were 101.3, 100.6 and 96.7% of those in samples of the total excretions.The daily administration of 10.38 g of Cr2O3 at 0900 hours for eight days, and the collection of fecal grab samples at 0500, 0900, 1300 and 1700 hours daily during the last five days seemed satisfactory for estimating apparent digestibility of dry matter.

The production and composition of milk from dairy cows fed hay and supplemented with either brewers' grains or rolled barley grain

1982 ◽  
Vol 22 (116) ◽  
pp. 155 ◽  
Author(s):  
SC Valentine ◽  
RB Wickes
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Barley Grain ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Energy Requirements ◽  
Price Ratio ◽  
Nutritive Values ◽  
Friesian Cows

Four groups of seven Friesian cows were offered 70% of their calculated metabolizable energy requirements as pasture hay and either 2.4, 4.8 or 7.2 kg/d of dry matter (DM) as wet brewers' grains or 3.9 kg DM/d as rolled barley. A further group of cows received no supplement. The quantities of brewers' grains offered were calculated from in vitro digestible DM content to provide lo%, 20% and 30%, respectively, of metabolizable energy requirements and the rolled barley 30% of metabolizable energy requirements. The cows consumed a mean of 2.2,4.3 and 6.1 kg DM/d, respectively, as brewers' grains and 3.9 kg DM/d as rolled barley. The daily yields of milk (litres), protein (kg) and solids not fat (kg), respectively, were greater (P < 0.05) for the cows offered brewers' grains at 4.8 kg DM/d (1 5.6,0.49, 1.36) and 7.2 kg DM/d (16.4, 0.54, 1.45) than for the cows offered rolled barley (13.3, 0.45, 1.21). Daily yields of milk fat from the cows offered either 4.8 or 7.2 kg DM/d of brewers' grains or rolled barley did not differ significantly. There were no significant differences between treatments in liveweight change. It was concluded that wet brewers' grains and rolled barley offered as supplements to dairy cows fed hay have similar nutritive values for milk production. It was calculated that for milk fat production the break even landed price ratio of brewers' grains to barley is 1:1.26.

The effect of ammoniated and roasted barley on rumen pH, milk yield and milk composition of lactating dairy cows

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 ◽  
pp. 107-107
Author(s):  
M. H. Fathi ◽  
A. Nikkhah
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Metabolic Disorders ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
Barley Grain ◽  
Nutrient Requirements ◽  
Rumen Ph ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows

Cereal grains can provide the major source of energy in diets in order to meet the nutrient requirements of high producing dairy cows. However the amount of starch that can be included in the diets of dairy cows is limited particularly if starch is rapidly fermented such as barley starch. Reduction of feed intake, rumen pH, milk fat test, microbial growth and other metabolic disorders are expected if ruminally degradable starch is fed in amount that cant be efficiently metabolized by rumen microbs. Various techniques for processing barley grain have been developed to decrease the degradability of dry matter in rumen without reducing its extent of digestion. McNiven (1995) showed roasting of barley is more effective treatment. The objective of this experiment was to study of effects the roasting and ammoniation of barley grain on rumen pH, feces pH, milk yield and milk composition in dairy cows.

A note on the estimation of the body fat, protein and energy content of lactating Holstein-Friesian cows by measurement of condition score and live weight

1993 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 281-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Gibb ◽  
W. E. Ivings
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Energy Content ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
The Body ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows ◽  
Holstein Friesian ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Subjective Condition ◽  
Friesian Cows

The relationships between body composition, live weight (LW) and subjective condition score (CS) were examined in an experiment in which 54, second to fourth parity, lactating autumn-calving Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were slaughtered at 0, 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 19, 24 and 29 weeks post partum. Multiple regression analyses showed the weight of fat and the quantity of energy within the body were significantly correlated with both LW and CS. The weight of crude protein showed a linear correlation with LW. These results are discussed and compared with previously published investigations with non-lactating dairy cows.

Maize silage as a supplement for pasture-fed dairy cows in early and late lactation

1995 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
CR Stockdale
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Dietary Protein ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Marginal Return ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Yield Responses

Eight experiments were conducted over 2 years with 92 lactating dairy cows individually fed various combinations of irrigated perennial pasture and maize silage in an indoor feeding facility. Responses to different amounts of maize silage and pasture in early and late lactation were measured. Daily pasture intake ranged from 6.2 to 12.4 kg dry matter (DM)/cow, while maize silage intake ranged from 0 to 12.4 kg DM/cow. The marginal return to feeding maize silage at up to 5 kg DM/cow.day to cows in early lactation eating about 7 kg DM/day of pasture as their basal ration was 0.89 kg extra milk for each kg DM maize silage eaten. In late lactation, this was reduced to 0.63 kg milk/kg DM. Milk yield responses to maize silage at both stages of lactation were lower at higher levels of pasture feeding. Although milk fat content was maintained over a wide range of maize silage, feeding large quantities of maize silage in early lactation was detrimental to milk production. The likely explanation for poor animal performance at the high levels of maize silage was dietary protein insufficiency.

Effect of work applied at different stages of lactation on milk production, reproduction and live-weight change of F1 crossbred dairy cows used for draught

1999 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Zerbini ◽  
Alemu Gebre Wold
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Weight Change ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Natural Pasture

AbstractThis study examined whether work applied at different stages of lactation had any effect on reproduction of cows under two feeding regimes. Twenty-four F1 crossbred dairy cows (12 Friesian × Boran and 12 Simmental × Boran) were allocated one of two diets (H + 3: natural pasture hay + 3 kg concentrate per day; and H + 5: natural pasture hay + 5 kg concentrate per day) and one of three work treatments — starting 45 days (D45), 90 days (D90) and 135 days (D135) post partum — using a principal component analysis score based on milk yield, live weight, calving interval and parity. Cows pulled sledges for 50 days (pull = 108 N per 100 kg live weight). Over the experimental period of 315 days, cows on diet H + 5 travelled a similar distance and produced amounts of fat-corrected milk (FCM) similar to those of cows on diet H + 3. Total intake of dry matter per kg live weight 0·75 was higher for cows on diet H + 5 than for cows on diet H + 3 and was similar across work times. Hay dry-matter intake was greater for the H + 3 group than for the H + 5 group at 180 days post partum and thereafter. Cows on diet H + 5 lost less weight in early lactation and gained more in mid and late lactation than cows on diet H + 3. During the work period, live-weight change was similar across diets but it was different between work treatments D45 and D135. The interval from calving to conception decreased by 63 and 101 days when start of work was delayed from D45 to D90 and from D45 to D 135, respectively. Output/input ratios of metabolizable energy equivalents were 0·35 for H + 3 and 0·37 for H + 5 diet, and 0·34, 0·37 and 0·40 for work times D45, D90 and D135, respectively. These results indicate that work started in early lactation significantly increased days to conception and decreased overall productivity of lactating working cows. Farmers must weigh the relative importance and cost of delayed ploughing against those of delayed oestrus or against the cost of borrowing draught power.

Milk permeate as a dietary supplement for lactating dairy cows

1990 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 807
Author(s):  
RT Cowan ◽  
PC Upton ◽  
A Reid
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Dietary Supplement ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Fat Percentage ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Milk Permeate ◽  
Sorghum Grain

Milk permeate was evaluated as a supplement to replace part of the concentrate or roughage in the diet of lactating dairy cows. The basal d i e t was 6 kg cracked sorghum grain and 6 kg ryegrass dry matter, and permeate was offered ad libitum in place of either 3 kg of sorghum or 3 kg of ryegrass. Intake of permeate stabilised at 30 kg/cow.day (1.7 kg DM) after 6 weeks, with considerable variation among replicate groups. Milk fat percentage was increased from 3.8 to 4.5% (P<0.05) when permeate replaced grain in the diet. Where permeate replaced pasture there was apparently large variation among cows in permeate intake, and this was associated with large variation in the fat and protein contents of the milk. Milk yield (volume) was reduced in proportion to the reduction in total dry matter intake (r = -0.99). With high intakes of permeate, the C18:0 acids in milk fat were reduced and the C16:0 acids increased. It was concluded that permeate could replace about 1.7 kg grain in the diet and that, at this level, there would be advantages in milk fat percentage.

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