Choices by lactating cows between concentrates high or low in digestible undegraded protein

2000 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 515-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Lawson ◽  
E. J. Redfern ◽  
J. M. Forbes

AbstractTo determine whether lactating cows select a nutritionally appropriate diet when given grass silage ad libitum and a choice of concentrates high or low in digestible undegradable protein (DUP), 24 mid-lactation Holstein-Friesian cows were given, in different 3-week periods, a concentrate high in DUP (HP), one low in DUP (LP), or a choice between the two (CHOICE), all at an allowance of 5·4 kg dry matter per day. Milk yield was significantly lower, and silage intake slightly but significantly higher, on LP than on either HP or CHOICE. The mean proportion of HP taken in the CHOICE period was 0·47 which was greater than the proportion required to satisfy the cows’ calculated requirements for effective rumen degradable protein, DUP or metabolizable protein but not significantly different from the ratio of 0·50 expected if no choice was made. Individual cows had a strong tendency initially to continue to eat from the feeder from which they had obtained concentrates in the period before CHOICE but this changed to eating significant amounts of both foods within about a week. The fact that the relationship between the proportion of HP in the concentrate intake and milk protein output was significant and positive, and became more so as the CHOICE period progressed, supports the hypothesis that protein demand was directing diet selection but must be viewed with caution as it was heavily influenced by the results of one animal: the highest-yielding cow which also chose to eat the greatest proportion of HP.

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Carlos Santos ◽  
Carlos Moniz ◽  
Cristina Roseiro ◽  
Vera Medeiros ◽  
Isabel Afonso ◽  
...  

<em>Longissimus thoracis</em> and <em>lumborum</em> (LTL) and <em>Gluteus medius</em> (Gm) muscles of culled dairy cows, differing in production status (Ps) at slaughter and carcass weight were assessed for intramuscular fat and myoglobin, color, shear force (SF) and sensorial characteristics, after being aged for 2, 7, 14, 28 and 42 days. Meat from dried-off cows was lighter, redder and had higher yellowness and chroma (<em>P </em>&lt; 0.05) than lactating cows. Meat of finished fed cows improved in color in relation to counterparts directly slaughtered, but not significantly. Color parameters increased with aging time and the mean values of LTL and Gm significantly differed mostly among lactating cows. SF of meat was affected by aging time, muscle type, Ps and by their respective interactions (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), with a greater impact in LTL muscle. Meat from LTL muscle of dried-off cows had lower SF (47.30 N) than that of lactating cows (65.61 N) (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), but such differences were not significant for Gm muscle. Meat tenderness of finished fed cows was higher than counterparts not finished (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). Main effects and the results from their interactions were significant for all sensorial attributes (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001).


1990 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
SC Valentine ◽  
BD Bartsch

Milk production and composition was determined in Holstein-Friesian cows fed either 3.5 or 7.0 kg dry matter (DM) daily of lupin grain, pea grain, faba bean grain or barley grain with or without 1.5% added urea, as supplements to an oaten hay based diet. All the grains were hammermilled. Daily yields of milk (L), fat (kg) and protein (kg) were significantly (P<0.05) higher for cows fed lupin (20.0, 0.81, 0.57), pea (18.9, 0.80, 0.56) and faba bean (18.9, 0.79,0.55) grains compared with those of cows fed barley grain with (17.8, 0.73, 0.51) or without (18.0, 0.71, 0.52) urea. Yields of milk (L), fat (kg) and protein (kg) and milk protein content (g/kg) were significantly (P<0.05) higher when 7.0 kg DM (19.5, 0.80, 0.57, 29.6) compared with 3.5 kg DM (18.0,0.73,0.51,29.0) of grain was fed. There were no significant differences between treatments in hay DM intake by cows fed 3.5 kg DM of grain daily. A significantly (P<0.05) higher milk fat production per unit DM intake was recorded for cows fed legume compared with barley grain. There were generally higher returns above grain cost for cows fed legume compared with barley grain and for cows fed 4 kg compared to 8 kg daily of grain. It was concluded that it was more economical to feed 3.5 kg DM of legume grain compared with 3.5 kg DM of barley grain, with or without urea, as supplements for cows offered cereal hay in early lactation. However, the economics of feeding 7.0 kg DM of legume grain compared with 7.0 kg DM of barley grain and 7.0 kg DM compared with 3.5 kg DM of grain will depend on the costs of relative changes in hay intake associated with these practices.


Author(s):  
K. Aston ◽  
J.D. Sutton ◽  
R.D. Baker ◽  
W.J. Fisher

The response in yields of milk constituents to increases in the amounts of standard dairy concentrate (SC, 200 g crude protein (CP) per kg DM) given to cows consuming grass silage ad libitum were reported recently (Aston et al 1991; Baker et al 1991). A change of level however adjusts the supply of both energy and CP. Previous work also showed .linear responses in silage intake and milk and milk protein yields when CP was increased in a fixed ration of concentrate of constant energy value. In this trial energy and CP levels were varied Independently. The objective was to separate the effects of energy on the performance of lactating cows from those of CP.


1986 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Treacher ◽  
I. M. Reid ◽  
C. J. Roberts

ABSTRACTTwo groups of nine British Friesian cows were fed from about 32 weeks before calving to achieve condition scores at calving of 2·5 (thin) and 4 (fat). For 10 weeks after calving all cows were offered 7 kg hay daily in four feeds, with concentrates given five times daily according to appetite.During early lactation, the group of fat cows had lower dry-matter intakes and daily milk yields and yielded less milk protein and lactose than the group of thin cows. The mean yield of milk over the whole lactation was 500 kg less in the fat cows but the difference was not significant. The fat cows lost 48 kg body weight and 1·20 units condition score during early lactation compared with 27 kg body weight and 0·52 units condition score in the thin cows. No difference in reproductive performance was found between the two groups but significantly more cases of disease occurred in the fat cows than in the thin cows.It is concluded that cows that are fat at calving eat less than thin cows, give the same or less milk than thin cows, mobolize more body tissue and lose more weight after calving than thin cows and suffer more disease.


1996 ◽  
Vol 1996 ◽  
pp. 45-45
Author(s):  
S.B.Cammell ◽  
J.D.Sutton ◽  
D.J.Humphries ◽  
R.H.Phipps ◽  
D.E.Beever

A previous experiment (Sutton, Abdalla, Phipps, Cammell and Humphries, 1995) showed that low digestibility is a major cause of the poor utilisation of urea-treated whole crop wheat (WCW) by lactating cows. The purpose of the present experiment was to examine energy balance in more detail by means of indirect calorimetry.Four multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows were offered diets based on spring wheat (cv Axona), harvested on 11 August at 603 g dry matter (DM)/kg and preserved with 20 or 40 g urea/kgDM (WCW-20, WCW-40), and first-cut perennial ryegrass silage (GS). For GS, WCW-20 and WCW-40 respectively, DM was 213, 801 and 712 g/kg; crude protein (CP) 124, 163 and 171 g/kg DM; ammonia-N 3.1, 4.6 and 7.6 g/kg DM; pH 3.9, 6.7 and 7.2. The cows were offered four diets in a 4 X 4 latin square with 4-week periods starting 10 weeks after calving. In week 4 of each period urine and faeces were collected for 6 days and gas exchange was measured for 3 days in respiration chambers.


1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 ◽  
pp. 19-19
Author(s):  
R.J. Mansbridge ◽  
J.A. Metcalf ◽  
J.D. Oldham ◽  
J.S Blake ◽  
J.R. Newbold

The UK Metabolisable Protein (MP) system (AFRC, 1993) assumes that MP intake is converted to milk net protein with an efficiency of 0.68 and that MP for maintenance is 2.30*liveweight0.75. Previous work has indicated that the efficiency of MP use for milk production may be too high or that the amount of MP required for maintenance may be too low (Newbold et al, 1994). This experiment was designed to investigate the relationship between MP supply and net protein output in diets of differing MP to Metabolisable Energy (ME) ratios.Four‘cornerstone’ diets based on grass and maize silage (0.33:0.67 dry matter basis), were formulated to meet ME requirements and either 0.25 above or below MP requirements for either 46 or 24 kg milk/d. A total of 72 multiparous Holstein cows, on average 46 days post calving at the start of the study, were grouped into blocks of 4 cows on the basis of milk energy output in the covariance period. ME and MP requirements for each block of cows were calculated from milk energy and milk protein yield in the covariance period.


1996 ◽  
Vol 1996 ◽  
pp. 45-45
Author(s):  
S.B.Cammell ◽  
J.D.Sutton ◽  
D.J.Humphries ◽  
R.H.Phipps ◽  
D.E.Beever

A previous experiment (Sutton, Abdalla, Phipps, Cammell and Humphries, 1995) showed that low digestibility is a major cause of the poor utilisation of urea-treated whole crop wheat (WCW) by lactating cows. The purpose of the present experiment was to examine energy balance in more detail by means of indirect calorimetry.Four multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows were offered diets based on spring wheat (cv Axona), harvested on 11 August at 603 g dry matter (DM)/kg and preserved with 20 or 40 g urea/kgDM (WCW-20, WCW-40), and first-cut perennial ryegrass silage (GS). For GS, WCW-20 and WCW-40 respectively, DM was 213, 801 and 712 g/kg; crude protein (CP) 124, 163 and 171 g/kg DM; ammonia-N 3.1, 4.6 and 7.6 g/kg DM; pH 3.9, 6.7 and 7.2. The cows were offered four diets in a 4 X 4 latin square with 4-week periods starting 10 weeks after calving. In week 4 of each period urine and faeces were collected for 6 days and gas exchange was measured for 3 days in respiration chambers.


1995 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 137 ◽  
Author(s):  
RT Cowan ◽  
KF Lowe ◽  
W Ehrlich ◽  
PC Upton ◽  
TM Bowdler

The response in yield of milk and milk components to level of nitrogen (N) fertiliser applied to a tropical grass pasture was measured over 6 years. Pasture (Chloris gayana cv. Callide) was stocked at 2 Holstein-Friesian cows/ha and received annual basal dressings of phosphorus (250 kg superphosphate/ha) and potassium (63 kg KCl/ha), and treatments of urea at 0, 150, 300, 450, and 600 kg N/ha. year. Fertiliser was applied in 3 equal applications in September, December, and February. Cows were maintained on the pasture throughout the year, and 0.4 ha grazing oats/cow (100 kg N/ha. year) and 0.8 t cracked grain/cow were given as supplements. Hay or silage supplements were given when green grass yield was <0.5 t dry matter (DM)/ha. The amount of hay and silage given annually averaged 755, 437, and 529 kg DM/cow at 0, 300, and 600 kg N/ha. Mean milk response over the 6 years was high (8 kg milk/kg N) for 0-150 kg applied N/ha. year. The difference between fertilised and unfertilised pastures increased with time, and this was associated with degradation of pasture, excessive liveweight loss during lactation, and premature drying off of cows at nil applied N. At 150-600 kg N/ha. year, response was consistent across years (4.5 kg milk/kg N. year). Yields of milkfat and lactose reflected changes in milk yield, although milk protein percentage decreased significantly (P<0.05) with increased level of applied N. Conception rate increased with rate of applied N, from 58 to 92% at 0 and 600 kg N/ha. year (P<0.01). The results suggest a maximum margin over feed costs at 334 kg applied N/ha over the total grazed area. We conclude that there will be a large milk response to applying about 150 kg N/ha.year; beyond that, the milk response would be consistently about 4.5 kg/kg N to at least 600 kg N/ha.year.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. e0608
Author(s):  
Ana I. Roca-Fernández ◽  
Antonio González-Rodríguez

The aim was to evaluate the prediction accuracy of pasture dry matter intake (PDMI) and milk yield (MY) predicted by the GrazeIn model using a database representing 124 PDMI measurements at paddock level and 2232 MY measurements at cow level. External validation of the model was conducted using data collected from a trial carried out with Holstein-Friesian cows (n=72) while grazed 28 paddocks and were managed in a 2×2 factorial design by considering two calving dates (CD), with different number of days in milk (DIM), early (E, 29 DIM) vs. middle (M, 167 DIM), and two stocking rates (SR), medium (M, 3.9 cows ha-1) vs. high (H, 4.8 cows ha-1), under a rotational grazing system. Cows were randomly assigned to four grazing scenarios (EM, EH, MM and MH). The mean observed PDMI of the total database was 14.2 kg DM cow-1 day-1 while GrazeIn predicted a mean PDMI for the database of 13.8 kg DM cow-1 day-1. The mean bias was −0.4 kg DM cow-1 day-1. GrazeIn predicted PDMI for the total database with a relative prediction error (RPE) of 10.0% at paddock level. The mean observed MY of the database was 23.2 kg cow-1 day-1 while GrazeIn predicted a MY for the database of 23.1 kg cow-1 day-1. The mean bias was –0.1 kg cow-1 day-1. GrazeIn predicted MY for the total database with a mean RPE of 17.3% at cow level. For the scenarios investigated, GrazeIn predicted PDMI and MY with a low level of error which made it a suitable tool for decision support systems.


1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 206-206
Author(s):  
R.J. Dewhurst ◽  
D. Wadhwa ◽  
L.P. Borgida ◽  
D.W.R. Davies ◽  
W.J. Fisher

Falling prices for cereals and beneficial effects on milk protein concentrations may promote greater inclusions of rapidly fermented ingredients in dairy rations. There is, however, a limit to the inclusion of these feeds into dairy rations beyond which performance declines due to sub-acidosis and related disorders. The feed compounder will need to be able to set limits on levels of feeding concentrates according to these risks. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of feeds of different acidogenicity (Wadhwa et al., 1998) on lactation performance of dairy cows offered diets based on grass- or maize-silage.Twelve multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows in the third month of lactation were used for this experiment. The experimental design involved adaptation and covariance recording on a standard diet (grass silage and 10 kg concentrates per day), followed by three 21-day experimental periods arranged as four 3x3 Latin Squares. The Latin Squares were constrained to a single forage to avoid difficulties in changeovers between grass silage and maize silage.


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