Participatory on-farm evaluation of the response to concentrate supplementation by cows in early lactation in smallholder peasant (campesino) dairy production systems in the highlands of central Mexico

2001 ◽  
Vol 137 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. M. ARRIAGA-JORDÁN, ◽  
F. J. FLORES-GALLEGOS ◽  
G. PEÑA-CARMONA ◽  
B. ALBARRÁN-PORTILLO ◽  
A. GARCÍA-MARTÍNEZ ◽  
...  

Concentrates are the main cash expenditure in smallholder campesino dairying in the highlands of Central Mexico. Improved, low-cost, appropriate feeding strategies have been therefore identified by campesinos as a priority. An on-farm trial was undertaken in 1998 to evaluate the response to supplementation with concentrates by dairy cows in early lactation during the rainy season with restricted access to grazing of ryegrass/white clover pastures. A base of 3·0 kg commercial concentrate/cow/day (S3) was compared against the higher rate used by farmers of 5·0 kg/cow/day (S5). Three farmers with one, and one farmer with two pairs of freshly calved upgraded Holstein cows participated in the trial (24±10·7 days into lactation). Data were analysed by a random block split-plot design where supplementation treatments were main plots and measurement periods were split-plots. Milk yield was recorded once per week for 9 weeks, and live weight and condition score for four 28 day periods. Milk yields were 21·8 for S3 and 21·9 for S5 (±0·714) kg milk/day/cow (P > 0·05); live weight S3 = 444·0 and S5 = 496·0 (±12·663) kg/cow (P > 0·05), and condition score S3 = 1·9, and S5 = 1·8 (±1·127) (P >0·05). There were no significant (P> 0·05) effects of measurement periods, and there was no significant (P > 0·05) interaction. The lack of response in milk yield, live weight or condition score to increased concentrate supplementation demonstrates that at these levels of production and management, the access to grazing of improved pastures, plus limited concentrate, enables cows in campesino systems to meet their nutrient requirements, and the feasibility of efficient milk production from grazed pastures as an appropriate technology. It is also concluded that it is an appropriate technology and that the results have implications for research and extension workers in rural development who have promoted large amounts of concentrate to dairy cows as the only way towards high yields and efficient milk production.

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 ◽  
pp. 19-19
Author(s):  
T. Yan ◽  
R. E. Agnew ◽  
C. S. Mayne

Body condition of lactating dairy cows varies at different stages of lactation. Cows usually mobilise their body reserves to provide energy and protein for milk production in early lactation, and gain weight to deposit energy and protein for pregnancy at a later stage. The objective of the present study was to examine relationships between body condition score (CS) and body concentration of lipid, CP and energy.


2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 ◽  
pp. 57-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Dillon ◽  
J. Kennedy ◽  
P. Faverdin ◽  
L. Delaby ◽  
F. Buckley ◽  
...  

Pre-1990 published responses to supplementation at pasture ranged from 0.4 to 0.6kg milk/kg concentrate fed. However since 1990 higher responses to concentrate supplementation at pasture have been published (Delaby 2001). The objective of this study was to determine if milk production responses of Holstein-Friesian dairy cows to concentrate supplementation at pasture are influenced by genetic merit (milk yield potential) in a spring calving grass based system of milk production.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-191
Author(s):  
Benjamin Cengic ◽  
Nazif Varatanovic ◽  
Tarik Mutevelic ◽  
Amel Cutuk ◽  
Ermin Saljic

Clinical and subclinical disorders and diseases cause reproductive failures and decline in milk production. Etiology of disorders is mainly because of pathological effect of microorganisms, lapses in nutrition and lodging, as well as in management. After partrition, body is under stress and milk yield is highest, which favors appearance of metabolic and infective diseases. Status of puerperium, number of lactation, body condition score and season of parturition, have highest effect to cyclic ovarian activity. Regular development of dominant follicles, ovulation, formation of corpus luteum and luteolysis is necessary for establishment of regular cyclic ovarian activity, which leads to better fertility. Experiment had included 50 cows during first 52 days of lactation. Cows were separated in two main groups, those with normal puerperium - NP (n=32) and abnormal puerperium - AP (n=18). Examinations have been performed during period of 6 to 52 days postpartum. Ovarian dominant follicles have been observed using diagnostic ultrasound linear scanner. The highest number of dominant follicles are present during first two examinations, then their number declines and later in last two examinations rise again. Decrease in number of dominant follicles in both groups is most expressed in period of 14-30 days. During first examination, left ovaries have more dominant follicles, compared with right ovaries, while during later examinations, it is changed in favor of right ovaries. Increased number of vital dominant follicles from period 38-45 days postpartum and absence of abnormal uterine content in lumen in same period postpartum is sign of upcoming fertile estrus.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1054
Author(s):  
Zelmar Rodriguez ◽  
Elise Shepley ◽  
Pedro P. C. Ferro ◽  
Nilon L. Moraes ◽  
Acir M. Antunes ◽  
...  

Monitoring the body condition score (BCS) of dairy cows is a management strategy that can assist dairy producers in decision-making. The BCS and its variations reflect the level of body fat reserves and fat mobilization throughout the different stages of lactation. Cows that mobilize excessive amounts of fat reserves in response to the increased energy requirements of the transition period are more likely to have higher beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentration in blood, leading to a higher incidence of hyperketonemia postpartum. In this study, our main objective was to evaluate how both BCS (at 21 d prior to the expected calving date, −21 BCS) and change in BCS during the late dry period (−21 d to calving, ∆BCS) are associated with temporal patterns of blood BHB concentrations during the first two weeks of lactation. Our secondary objective was to characterize the relationship between the change in BCS in the late dry period, and milk yield and milk composition in the first milk test postpartum. In this retrospective cohort study, we assessed BCS at 21 (±3) days before the expected calving date and within three days after calving. Blood BHB concentration was measured at days 3 (±1), 7 (±1), and 14 (±1) postpartum. Hyperketonemia (HYK) was defined as blood BHB ≥ 1.2 mmol/L. To evaluate how −21 BCS and ∆BCS during the late dry period were associated with BHB in early lactation, linear mixed-effects regression models with an unstructured covariate matrix were performed. The association between ∆BCS and incidence of postpartum HYK were determined using a multivariable log-binomial model. A linear regression model was used to evaluate the association between ∆BCS and milk yield and milk composition in the first monthly test-day. Covariates used for model adjustment include parity, season, and baseline BCS. We observed that cows with BCS ≥ 4.0 at 21 d before their expected calving date had the highest BHB concentration postpartum, but no evidence that BCS ≥ 4.0 at 21 d was associated with fluctuations of BHB over time. Cows that experienced a large BCS loss (larger than 0.5 units) during the late dry period had a 61% (95% CI: 1.04, 2.50) higher risk of developing HYK in early lactation and had higher BHB concentrations during early lactation compared with cows with no ∆BCS prepartum. These associations were observed independently of the BCS at −21 d prepartum (baseline). In addition, cows that lost more than 0.5 BCS unit in the late dry period produced 3.3 kg less milk (95% CI: −7.06, 0.45) at the first milk test compared to cows that had no ∆BCS during the late dry period. No evidence of an association between −21 BCS and ∆BCS in the late dry period and milk composition was observed in our study. These results suggest that dynamic measures of BCS during the late dry period, such as ∆BCS, are better at evaluating blood BHB patterns in early lactation than BCS measured at a single time point. Cows with larger BCS loss during the late dry period and with greater parity are more likely to have higher concentrations of blood BHB postpartum, with the highest concentrations reported at 7 d post-calving.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.R Sattarov ◽  
M.E Ashirov ◽  
F.B. Bahriddinov

Studies have found that increasing the salinity of dairy cows with Simmental breeds in the herd is important in increasing milk production and creating high-yielding herds. The amount of milk of the cows having 531-560 kg live weight with the type of milk production was 768-1153 kg (P>0,999), milk fat output was 21.6-27.9 kg, 4% milk volume was 540,3-697.1 kg) higher than the different living weight Equinox with the type of milk-meat, and these indicators were determined as 932.5-1401.3 kg), 26.9-38.5 kg.


2015 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-363
Author(s):  
László Könyves ◽  
Pál Rafai ◽  
Harry Miettinen ◽  
Péter Kovács ◽  
Viktor Jurkovich ◽  
...  

The study evaluated the effects of crimped corn preserved either with organic acids or with a microbial inoculant on a range of metabolic and production indicators of dairy cows. Two hundred and sixty in-calf, second and third parity cows were selected into pairs on basis of age, parity, milk production in previous lactation, days in milk and body condition score with the greatest possible conformity within pairs. Cow pairs were assigned into a 2-period crossover experiment (2 × 45 days) and kept in separate groups within the same shed. Dietary treatments were TMR with crimped corn preserved with either organic acids (treatment K) or microbial inoculant (treatment B). Ten superbly matched cow-pairs were selected to form nucleus pairs for metabolic studies. The preservatives had no effect on the nutrient content of crimped corn. Crimped corn preserved with the microbial inoculant were found mouldy, predominantly with Mucor sp. at a number high enough to inhibit the growth of lactic acid bacteria, and had significantly higher pH and ammonium concentration compared to the chemical treatment. The milk yield of treatment K cows was significantly higher than that of treatment B cows with identical feed intake. Blood beta-hydroxy-butyrate concentration was lower and blood aspartate amino transferase activity higher with treatment K compared to treatment B. Results of this study suggest the superiority of total mixed rations containing chemically preserved crimped corn in terms of ammonia and microbiological indicators of crimped corn, significantly higher milk yield, and balanced energy metabolism.


2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 472-472
Author(s):  
YangYi Hao

Abstract Our objective was to evaluate the effects of body condition score (BCS) on the milk production and energy balance of transition dairy cows. Seventy-five multiparous dairy cows were separated into four groups according to the BCS, HH (4.25 ± 0.23 and 3.35 ± 0.19 BCS, pre and postpartum, respectively, n = 17), HM (4.14 ± 0.15 and 2.92 ± 0.24, n = 19), MM (3.10 ± 0.21 and 2.78 ± 0.17, n = 23), ML (2.88 ± 0.23 and 2.46 ± 0.19, n = 16). The milk yield, rumen pH, etc., data were collected and analyzed using a one-way ANOVA model in SAS (SAS version 9.4, SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). The ML group had a higher milk yield and total solid yield than the MM group (P < 0.05), while the HH and HM groups had no difference with other groups. The HM and ML groups had a higher milk fat content than the MM group (P < 0.05), while the HH group had no difference with other groups. Milk protein content in the HH group was higher than the ML group (P < 0.05). The milk lactose, total solids, urea content in these groups had no difference. The ML group had a higher milk acetone content than the HH group (P < 0.05). The BCS change in the HH and HM groups was higher than the MM and ML groups, and that in the ML group was higher than the MM group (P < 0.05). The rumen pH had no difference within these groups. These findings collectively indicated the prepartum dairy cow with middle BCS would have a more efficient body fat utilization and a better milk production performance. Furthermore, reducing body fat loss is necessary to avoid the negative energy balance.


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