The Effect of Protein Content of the Supplement on Milk Production of Dairy Cattle offered Low and High Digestibility Grass Silage Ad Libitum

Author(s):  
C S Mayne

Previous studies at this Institute have shown a marked interaction between level of supplementary feeding and protein content in the supplement with dairy cows offered high quality grass silage-based diets. For example, a given milk yield or yield of milk constituents can be obtained by offering supplements of high crude protein (CP) content, eg 340 g CP/kg fresh weight, at much lower levels than would be required with conventional supplements with a CP content of 180 g/kg fresh weight. The aim of the present study was to quantify if. the interrelationships established with high digestibility silages also applied with lower digestibility silage.The experiment was carried out with 60 autumn-calving British Friesian dairy cows. Twenty eight animals were offered early cut silage (E), harvested between 17-19 May, with the remaining thirty two animals offered late cut silage (L) harvested between 2-12 June. Both E and L silages were produced from the same swards and in both cases grass was direct harvested and treated with an inoculant of Lactobacillus plantarum, at the rate of 3.0 litres/t fresh herbage.

Author(s):  
C. S. Mayne

Previous studies at this Institute have shown that there is an interaction between level of supplementary feeding and protein content in the supplement. For example, a given milk yield can be obtained by offering supplements of high crude protein content at much lower levels than would be required with conventional supplements. Furthermore, this approach enables a greater reliance on the forage component of the diet, particularly where high quality grass silage is available. The objective of the present large scale study was to determine milk production responses to supplements of differing protein content, given with high quality grass silage, and to examine effects on ration digestibility.The experiment was carried out over a two year period, with a total of 168 autumn-calving British Friesian dairy cows. Supplements containing either 100, 220, 340 or 460 g crude protein (CP)/kg fresh weight were offered from day 14 of lactation. Each supplement was offered at four levels, with 9 animals per treatment.


2000 ◽  
Vol 2000 ◽  
pp. 145-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.S. Syed ◽  
J.D. Leaver

A previous study (Syed and Leaver, 1999) showed that offering maize and grass silages alternately either within days or between days resulted in higher intakes of maize than grass silage, and lower total intakes than when fed mixed together. The factors influencing the choice of forages are not well researched. The hypothesis tested was that as maize and grass silages are similar in ME value but very different in crude protein, nutrient demand for protein, and protein level in the supplement would influence forage selection. This experiment examined the influence of the milk yield level of the cow and the protein level of a supplement.


1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 9-9
Author(s):  
N. C. Friggens ◽  
G. C. Emmans ◽  
R. F. Veerkamp

There are marked differences between heifers, 2nd parity and older cows in their lactation curves, even when they are offered high quality rations ad libitum. These differences indicate different energy requirements, and thus should be taken into account when formulating rations for the different parities. The objective of this study was to quantify how the pattern of milk production relative to time from calving is affected by parity for incorporation into energy requirement predictions.


Author(s):  
A Reeve ◽  
R D Baker ◽  
R G Hodson

There has been much recent debate about the protein requirements of lactatinq dairy cows, and this issue has been heightened by a general reduction in concentrate feeding in response to the imposition of milk quotas. Furthermore, the value of silage as a source of protein has been questioned widely. The objective of the present trial was to determine the effect of increasing supplementary protein on the performance of cows with ad libitum access to high quality grass silage.The trial, using January/February calving British Frieslan cows in second or subsequent lactations, was performed at Ravenscroft Hall Farm, Middlewich, Cheshire. Four groups of 15 cows were offered either 3 or 6 kg/head/day of cereal/soya/fishmeal based compound feeds containing either 214 (L) or 403 (H) g CP/kg DM, and high quality grass silage ad libitum.


1995 ◽  
Vol 1995 ◽  
pp. 4-4
Author(s):  
J D Sutton ◽  
A L Abdalla ◽  
R H Phipps ◽  
S B Cammell ◽  
D J Humphries

Whole crop wheat (WCW) appears to offer an attractive alternative forage to grass silage for dairy cows, particularly in those areas where maize silage cannot be grown. However in previous feeding trials the inclusion of WCW with grass silage has increased food intake but has not led to a corresponding increase in milk yield (Phipps et al,1993). As part of a programme to try to overcome the low efficiency of diets containing WCW, the present experiment was designed to examine the effects on feed intake and digestibility and milk production of the step-wise replacement of GS by urea-treated WCW.Winter wheat (cv Hussar), harvested at 620g DM/kg fresh weight and preserved with 20 or 40 g urea/kg DM (WCW-2, WCW-4) was compared with first-cut perennial ryegrass silage (GS). Six multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows in mid-lactation were offered six diets over three 4-week periods in an incomplete change-over design. Diets were 6kg DM concentrates daily with forages ad lib. Treatments (DM basis) were GS alone, 2:1 GS:WCW-2 or WCW-4, 1:2 GS: WCW-2 or WCW-4, and WCW-4 alone. Feed intake and milk production were measured in weeks 3 and 4 and digestibility in week 4.


Author(s):  
C. S. Mayne

There is now a considerable volume of evidence to indicate that, with high quality, grass silage-based diets, good animal performance can be achieved by offering supplements of high crude protein content at much lower levels than would be required with conventional supplements. Given the current constraint on milk output at farm level, there is considerable interest in lower cost milk production systems and high protein supplements would appear to have a role to play in this context. However, there is little information available which enables prediction of milk yield responses to increasing levels of supplements of differing protein content. The objective of this study was to determine response curves to supplements of differing protein content, given in addition to grass silage, thereby facilitating a least-cost diet type approach to achieving a given level of milk output.Concentrates containing either 100, 220, 340 or 460 g crude protein (CP)/kg fresh weight were offered to 72 autumn-calving dairy cows from day 14 of lactation, with each concentrate offered at four levels of feeding.


1990 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 455-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jai-Jun Choung ◽  
David G. Chamberlain ◽  
Phillip C. Thomas ◽  
Ian Bradbury

SummaryResponses of dairy cows given silage diets to the intraruminal infusion of urea in progressively increasing doses were studied in four experiments, two with non-lactating cows and two with lactating cows. No clinical symptoms of NH3 toxicity were observed in any of the experiments. When urea was infused continuously, silage intake was depressed (P < 0·05) when the total supply of N exceeded the equivalent of 250g crude protein (CP)/kg DM in the total diet. However, when the urea load was administered twice daily, as opposed to continuously, intake depression (P < 0·05) occurred at the equivalent of 170g CP/kg DM. At the higher doses of urea, concentrations of NH3 in peripheral blood increased and were accompanied by increased concentrations of glucose and reduced levels of insulin in plasma. In general, responses of milk production followed those of silage intake but there was evidence of greater proportional reductions in the yield of lactose relative to that of fat and protein. It is concluded that the voluntary intake of high-protein silages may be depressed by factors associated with high rates of absorption of NH3 from the rumen.


1981 ◽  
Vol 21 (109) ◽  
pp. 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
KR King ◽  
CR Stockdale

The effect of hay supplementation on the performance of dairy cows on a restricted intake of paspalum-dominant perennial pasture was studied in two 21 -day periods in the eighth and ninth months of lactation. In each period, there were three groups fed pasture only at mean intakes of 15.2, 11.5 and 7.3 kg/cow day-1, two groups fed at similar pasture restriction levels and supplemented with hay ad libitum, and one further group fed an average of 7.3 kg of pasture supplemented with only 4.3 kg of hay. The data were analyzed by regression, using total dry matter intake as the dependent variable, and pseudovariables were used to examine the effects of hay feeding. The relations between total dry matter intake and milk, butterfat, protein and solids-not-fat production, and change in body condition of dairy cows were not altered by ration composition. Milk production declined linearly by 0.66 kg and 0.31 kg/cow day-1 in the eight and ninth months of lactation, respectively, for each kg reduction in total dry matter intake. Similar responses were obtained for butterfat, protein and solids-not-fat production. Gain in body condition of the cows also decreased as total intake fell, but the relation was curvilinear and not affected by stage of lactation. It was concluded that high quality hay can be used to overcome shortages of paspalum-dominant perennial pasture in autumn, and that it has similar. nutritive value to pasture in terms of milk production and body condition.


1988 ◽  
Vol 60 (7) ◽  
pp. 711-721
Author(s):  
Pekka Huhtanen ◽  
Hannele Ala-Seppälä ◽  
Matti Näsi

A duplicated 4 x 4 Latin Square experiment was conducted to determine the effects of a gradually increased level of barley fibre in the diet on ad libitum grass silage intake and milk production. Barley fibre is a fibrous ethanol-starch by-product (120 g crude protein, 550 g neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and 120 g starch/kg dry matter (DM)). The four supplements, given at the rate of 6.5 kg/d on DM basis, were barley (B) and barley of which 333 g/kg (BF), 667 g/kg (FB) and 1000 g/kg (F) were replaced by barley fibre. In addition the cows were given 1 kg of rapeseed meal and 0.25 kg of mineral mixture. As the proportion of barley fibre in the diet increased there was a linear (P


2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 ◽  
pp. 5-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.G. McIlmoyle ◽  
D.C. Patterson ◽  
D.J. Kilpatrick

In a previous experiment with dairy cows at this Institute, in which fodder beet was included as a third component of the diet along with grass silage and concentrate, fodder beet considerably increased metabolisable energy intake (MEI), but there was little effect on milk yield (unpublished data). The main objectives of the present study were to examine the effects of including fodder beet versus concentrate in a grass silage diet, on milk production, digestibility of nutrients and the utilization of nitrogen (N) and energy at equal ME intake in lactating dairy cattle.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document