The performance of dairy cows with access to self-feed silage offered concentrates from a free-access dispenser

1984 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Chalmers ◽  
F. R. Moisey ◽  
J. D. Leaver
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Protein Concentration ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
The Self ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Rate Of Decline

ABSTRACTIn two experiments cows with access to self-feed grass silage were offered concentrates either twice daily in the milking parlour at a fixed level (controls) or in addition given free-access to a concentrate dispenser sited in the self-feed area (dispenser). A time-lapse mechanism on the dispenser limited successive 1 kg feeds to a minimum of 10 min in experiment 1 and 5 min in experiment 2. The ‘dispenser’ cows had significantly greater total concentrate intakes than had the controls (10·4 v. 7·1 kg/day in experiment 1, 13·4 v. 7·3 kg/day in experiment 2), but there was a large variation in intake between individuals. Access to the dispenser increased milk yields only slightly, reduced milk fat concentration and increased milk protein concentration and live-weight gain. Following turnout to grass in the spring, there was evidence that the cows that had been on the dispenser treatment showed a faster rate of decline in milk yield than did the controls, and this was supported by lower lactation yields in the dispenser group.

Complete diets for dairy cows: the effect of energy concentration and change in energy concentration of a complete diet on intake and performance of lactating dairy cows

1984 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. H. Phipps ◽  
J. A. Bines ◽  
R. F. Weller ◽  
Joanne Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Protein Concentration ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Energy Concentration ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Complete Diet ◽  
The Mean

SUMMARYNinety-two British Friesians (56 cows and 36 heifers) were divided into two groups during weeks 3–10 of lactation and received ad libitum either complete diet H (65% concentrates, 35% grass silage, 11·7 MJ ME/kg D.M.) or diet M (50% concentrates, 50% grass silage, 11·2 MJ ME/kg D.M.). In weeks 11· 20 half the animals of each group continued to receive the same diet (HH or MM) while the other half were changed from diet H to M (HM) or from diet M to L (ML). Diet L contained 35% concentrates, 65% grass silage and 10·7 MJ ME/kg D.M. The crude protein concentration of all diets was maintained at about 157 g/kg D.M. by the addition of soya-bean meal to diets M and L.During weeks 3–10 the mean D.M. intake (kg/day), milk yield (kg/day), milk protein (g/kg) and live-weight change (kg/day) for animals on diets H and M were 15·0, 21·7, 33·3, 0·50 and 12·9, 20·2, 31·5, 0·35 respectively. Differences were significant for D.M. intake, milk yield and milk protein concentration. Although milk-fat concentration of cows given diet H (40·2 g/kg) was similar to that of cows given diet M (39·9 g/kg), heifers receiving diet H had a significantly lower value (37·0 g/kg) than those given diet M (39·8 g/kg).When animals were changed from diet H to M or from M to L at week 11, D.M. intake, milk yield and milk-protein concentration decreased. However, milk-fat concentration and live-weight change were generally unaffected.During the complete experimental period, weeks 3–20, animals on treatments HH, HM, MM and ML had mean D.M. intakes and milk yields of 15·3, 14·2, 13·2, 12·4 kg/day and 19·7, 18·5, 17·8, 17·0 kg/day. Milk-protein concentration, was closely related to D.M. intake, but only with heifers did diet H significantly depress milk-fat concentration. The highest live-weight gain was recorded on treatment HH (0·40 kg/day) and the lowost on treatment ML (0·29 kg/day) with intermediate values for treatments HM and MM.In vivodigestibility coefficients of D.M. and organic matter for diet H (0·731, 0·757) were significantly higher than those of diet L (0·707, 0·734) with intermediate values for diet M. However, for acid-detergent fibre the digestibility coefficient for diet H was significantly lower (0·562) than for diet L (0·662). The digestibility coefficients for nitrogen in all three diets were similar.Estimates of mean efficiency of utilization of ME for lactation were made on a weekly basis and were 0·56 and 0·64 for animals on diets H and M in weeks 3·10. During weeks 11·20 the mean values for animals on treatments HH, HM, MM and ML were 0·46, 0·53, 0·51 and 0·59, respectively.

An examination of the effect of method and level of concentrate feeding on milk production in dairy cows offered a grass silage-based diet

1996 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. W. Agnew ◽  
C. S. Mayne ◽  
J. G. Doherty
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Protein Concentration ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Food Level ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Complete Diet ◽  
Inclusion Level ◽  
Concentrate Inclusion

AbstractAn experiment was conducted to examine the effect of method and level of concentrate feeding on milk production characteristics in dairy cows offered a grass silage-based diet. Twelve treatments were used with 24 Holstein/Friesian dairy cows in a four-period change-over design experiment. Treatments consisted of three methods of concentrate feeding (twice daily, four times daily or complete diet) and four levels of concentrate feeding (2, 4, 6 or 8 kg/day). Offering a complete diet significantly reduced silage substitution rate (0·28 kg silage dry matter (DM) per kg concentrate DM) compared with concentrates offered twice daily (0·50 kg silage DM per kg concentrate DM; P < 0·01). Method of concentrate feeding had no significant effect on milk yield or milk fat concentration (P > 0·05), although the response in milk protein concentration to increased concentrate food level was significantly greater with twice and four times daily concentrate feeding than with complete diet feeding (0·59, 0·56 and 0·44 g/kg per kg increase in concentrate food level; P < 0·05). Increasing concentrate inclusion level significantly reduced silage DM intake (P < 0·001) but significantly increased (P < 0·001) total DM intake. Milk yield and milk protein concentration were significantly increased (P < 0·001) and milk fat concentration significantly reduced (P < 0·02) with increasing concentrate inclusion level. Total ration apparent digestibility coefficients were unaffected (P > 0·05) by either method of feeding or concentrate inclusion level. However, modified acid-detergent fibre apparent digestibility decreased significantly with increasing concentrate inclusion (P < 0·01). Results suggested that offering complete diets, with concentrates comprising on average 0·33 of total DM intake, increased both silage and total DM intake although this was not reflected in either increased milk yield or improvements in milk composition.

Replacing wheat with canola meal and maize grain in the diet of lactating dairy cows: Feed intake, milk production and cow condition responses

2017 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 240-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruairi P McDonnell ◽  
Martin vH Staines
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Canola Meal ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Holstein Friesian ◽  
Maize Grain ◽  
The Difference

This research paper describes the effect of partially replacing wheat with maize grain and canola meal on milk production and body condition changes in early lactation Holstein-Friesian dairy cows consuming a grass silage-based diet over an 83-d period. Two groups of 39 cows were stratified for age, parity, historical milk yield and days in milk (DIM), and offered one of two treatment diets. The first treatment (CON) reflected a typical diet used by Western Australian dairy producers in summer and comprised (kg DM/cow per d); 8 kg of annual ryegrass silage, 6 kg of crushed wheat (provided once daily in a mixed ration), 3·6 kg of crushed lupins (provided in the milking parlour in two daily portions) and ad libitum lucerne haylage. The second treatment diet (COMP) was identical except the 6 kg of crushed wheat was replaced by 6 kg of a more complex concentrate mix (27% crushed wheat, 34% maize grain and 37% canola meal). Lucerne haylage was provided independently in the paddock to all cows, and no pasture was available throughout the experiment. The COMP group had a greater mean overall daily intake (22·5vs20·4 kg DM/cow) and a higher energy corrected milk (ECM) yield (29·2vs27·1 kg/cow;P= 0·047) than the CON cows. The difference in overall intake was caused by a higher daily intake of lucerne haylage in COMP cows (4·5vs2·3 kg DM/cow). The CON group had a higher concentration of milk fat (42·1vs39·3 g/kg;P= 0·029) than COMP cows. Milk protein yield was greater in COMP cows (P< 0·021); however, milk fat yield was unaffected by treatment. It is concluded that partially replacing wheat with canola meal and maize grain in a grass silage-based diet increases voluntary DMI of conserved forage and consequently yields of ECM and milk protein.

The effects on milk yield and composition of incorporating lactose into the diet of dairy cows given protected fat

1996 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. Garnsworthy
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Beet ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Protein Concentration ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Basal Diet ◽  
Fat Supplementation ◽  
Holstein Friesian ◽  
Group A

AbstractTwenty-eight Holstein/Friesian dairy cows were divided into four groups of seven. From weeks 4 to 15 of lactation they were given a basal diet consisting of 8 kg hay, 2 kg sugar-beet feed and 2 kg grass nuts, together with a concentrate allowance of 8 kg/day. Concentrates for group A were based on cereals and soya (control). Concentrate B contained 60 g protected fat supplement per kg; concentrate C contained 100 g lactose per kg; concentrate D contained 60 g fat supplement and 100 g lactose per kg. Milk yields were 24·6, 27·7, 25·6 and 26·5 kg/day and milk protein concentrations were 32·3, 30·7, 32·7 and 31·9 g/kg for groups A, B, C and D respectively. The effect of fat supplementation on milk yield and protein concentration was significant (P < 0·05) but the effect of lactose was not significant. Milk fat concentration was not significantly affected by treatment. It is concluded that lactose can partially alleviate the depression in milk protein concentration often observed when cows are given protected fat.

Effect of Metabolisable Protein on intake of grass silage and milk protein yield in dairy cows.

1994 ◽  
Vol 1994 ◽  
pp. 113-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.R. Newbold ◽  
B.R. Cottrill ◽  
R.M. Mansbridge ◽  
J.S. Blake
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Protein Yield ◽  
Holstein Cows ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Few Data

Few data are available to evaluate the Metabolisable Protein (MP) System (AFRC, 1992) as an aid to ration formulation for dairy cows. Responses of lactating dairy cows to MP were evaluated in two experiments.In Experiment One, groups of 10 Holstein cows were offered grass silage ad libitum and 7kg DM/d of one of six (treatments 1-6) compound foods from 39d after calving, for eight weeks. All rations were isoenergetic, assuming silage intake of 11kg DM/d (typical for the herd). Ratios between MP supply (calculated from in situ protein degradability measurements) and requirement (calculated for a standard cow: 565kg live weight, 281 milk/d, 40g/kg butterfat, 33g/kg milk protein, liveweight change =0kg/d) were 1.00, 1.02, 1.06, 1.06, 1.1 and 1.17 for treatments 1-6, respectively.

The influence of concentrate amount on locomotion and clinical lameness in dairy cattle

1988 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. J. Manson ◽  
J. D. Leaver
Keyword(s):  
Milk Fat ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Weekly Basis ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Metabolizable Energy Intake ◽  
Predisposing Causes

ABSTRACTAn experiment with two groups of 24 cows during weeks 3 to 22 of lactation examined the influence of 7 (L) or 11 (H) kg concentrates per day on the prevalence of lameness. Grass silage was offeredad libitum. The cows were scored on a 1 to 5 scale for their locomotion on a weekly basis (1 = normal locomotion; 5 = severely lame). Cows scoring 3 or more were considered to be clinically lame. This allowed the prevalence of lameness, its severity and duration to be measured and statistically analysed. There were significantly more observations of lameness in the H cows than the L cows (0·077 and 0·021 observations per cow week) and the severity and duration of lameness incidents were significantly greater. The major causes of lameness were solar problems in the hind feet. The prevalence declined in both treatments as lactation progressed. The predisposing causes of the higher incidence in treatment H could have been the higher concentrate: forage ratio, the greater daily metabolizable energy intake or the greater daily crude protein intake. For treatments L and H, mean milk yields were 20·5, 23·7 kg/day; milk fat 41·7, 39·0 g/kg; milk protein 31·4, 32·0 g/kg; live-weight change -0·12, +0·11 kg/day; and condition score 2·04, 2·18.

The effects of offering sucrose and fishmeal to dairy cows receiving different levels of concentrates on food intake and animal performance

1997 ◽  
Vol 1997 ◽  
pp. 87-87
Author(s):  
T.W.J. Keady ◽  
J.J. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Sugar Beet ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Protein Concentration ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Beet Pulp ◽  
Soyabean Meal ◽  
Forage Intake ◽  
Different Levels

Quota restricts the volume and butterfat content of milk at farm level. However there is no restriction on milk protein concentration. In a previous study in the present series, sucrose supplementation of cows in late lactation offered grass silage based diets increased milk protein concentration, while supplementation with sucrose and fishmeal increased protein concentration and the yields of milk, protein and fat plus protein equivalent to, or greater than, that obtained from the parent herbage. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of partially replacing a concentrate supplement with sucrose and/or fishmeal, over a range of concentrate feed levels, on forage intake, milk production and composition.Herbage was harvested from the primary growth of a predominantly perennial ryegrass sward, unwilted, precision chopped and treated with a formic acid based additive (Add-Safe, Trouw Nutrition) at 2.85 l/t. A concentrate was formulated consisting of unmolassed sugar beet pulp, barley, soyabean meal and minerals and vitamins. Four complete diets were prepared consisting of the silage and either concentrate (20 g/kg fresh silage) (SC), concentrate and sucrose (each at 10 g/kg fresh silage) (SCS) concentrate and fishmeal (each at 10 g/kg fresh silage) (SCF) or sucrose and fishmeal (each at 10 g/kg fresh silage) (SSF).

Effect of diet on dairy cow nitrogen balance and live weight change during the dry period

1996 ◽  
Vol 1996 ◽  
pp. 84-84
Author(s):  
J.M. Moorby ◽  
S. Miles ◽  
R.T. Evans ◽  
W.J. Fisher ◽  
D.W.R. Davies
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Nitrogen Balance ◽  
Protein Concentration ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Dry Period ◽  
Body Protein ◽  
Foetal Growth ◽  
Condition Score

Increases in yields of milk and milk protein have been observed from dairy cows offered a high protein supplement during the dry period (Van Saun et al., 1993; Moorby et al., 1994). One possible mechanism for this is a decrease in the mobilisation of maternal body protein to support foetal growth as more dietary protein is supplied and used for this purpose. This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of offering diets differing in protein concentration on whole body nitrogen balance in dairy cows and change in live weight (LW) and condition score (CS) over the dry period.

The influence of the fat concentration of the diet on the response by dairy cows to body condition at calving

1992 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. Garnsworthy ◽  
C. D. Huggett
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Beet ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Protein Concentration ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Sugar Beet Pulp ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Beet Pulp ◽  
Ad Libitum

AbstractTwenty-four Friesian dairy cows were divided into two groups of 12 between 12 and 18 weeks prior to calving and fed to achieve condition scores at calving of 3·2 (F) or 2·3 (T). For the first 11 weeks of lactation, six cows from each group (H) were given daily 9 kg of a high-fat compound (acid ether extract (AEE) 96 g/kg dry matter (DM)), 3 kg molassed sugar-beet pulp and hay ad libitum. The other six cows in each group (L) were given 10 kg of a low-fat compound (AEE 29 g/kg DM), 2 kg sugar-beet pulp and hay ad libitum. Allowances of compound and sugar-beet pulp were designed to provide equal amounts of energy, neutral-detergent fibre and protein. The fat source used in compound H was a calcium salt of palm acid oil (Megalac®).DM intake was not affected by treatment but fat intake was significantly higher on diet H (P < 0·001). Group TH had higher intakes of digestible energy (DE) than group FH (249 v. 229 MJ/day; P < 0·05), but condition at calving did not affect DE intake with diet L (FL = 230, TL = 233 MJ/day). Milk yield was not significantly affected by treatment, although cows in group TL tended to yield less milk than other groups (28·3, 27·3, 28·0 and 24·3 kg/day for FH, FL, TH and TL respectively). The concentration of milk fat was higher and of milk protein lower with diet H compared with diet L (milk fat 48·1, 42·2, 42·9 and 39·6; milk protein 28·0, 31·0, 28·4 and 30·5 g/kg for FH, FL, TH and TL respectively). Loss of condition score was greater for cows in group F (0·65 units) than for those in group T (0·04 units). Within group F, loss of condition tended to be greater with diet L.It is concluded that the increased intake of fat with diet H tended to decrease loss of condition in cows that were fat at calving but increase milk yield in cows that were thin at calving. It also tended to increase milk fat concentration but decreased milk protein concentration.

Effect of duodenal proline infusion on milk production and composition in dairy cows

1991 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Bruckental ◽  
I. Ascarelli ◽  
B. Yosif ◽  
E. Alumot
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Protein Concentration ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Protein Yield ◽  
Energy Utilization ◽  
Dietary Energy ◽  
Arginine Uptake ◽  
Friesian Cows

AbstractFour Israeli-Friesian cows, two at peak and two at mid lactation, were fitted with duodenal cannulas. They were given proline or water infusions for 8-day periods to evaluate the effect of duodenal infusion of proline on arginine uptake by the mammary gland and on milk yield and composition of dairy cows. Milk fat content and 40 g/kg fat-corrected milk yield increased for all cows due to proline infusion. Milk protein concentration during either early or mid lactation and milk protein yield during early lactation, were not affected by proline infusion. Milk protein yield during mid lactation was increased due to proline infusion. Arginine uptake by the udder dropped by one-half during proline infusion. Results suggest that post-ruminal administration of supplemental proline reduced requirements for arginine by the udder and improved efficiency of dietary energy utilization.

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