Effects of feeding clover silages on feed intake, milk production and digestion in dairy cows

Identification of the associations of cow feed efficiency with feeding behaviour and milk production is important for supporting recommendations of strategies that optimise milk yield. The objective of this study was to identify associations between measures of feed efficiency, feed intake, feeding rate, rumination time, feeding time, and milk production using data collected from 26 dairy cows during a 3 month period in 2018. Cows averaged (mean ± standard deviation) 2.2 ± 1.7 lactations, 128 ± 40 days in milk, 27.5 ± 5.5 kg/day milk, 1.95 ± 0.69 kg feed/1 kg milk—the measure used to express feed conversion ratio (FCR), 575 ± 72 min/day rumination time, and 264 ± 67 min/day feeding time during the observation period. The coefficient of variation for rumination time (min/d) was 12.5%. A mixed linear model was selected for analyses. The most feed inefficient cows with the highest FCR (≥2.6 kg feed/1 kg milk) showed the lowest milk yield (24.8 kg/day), highest feed intake (78.8 kg), highest feeding rate (0.26 kg/min) and BCS (3.35 point). However, the relative milk yield (milk yield per 100 kg of body weight) was the highest (4.01 kg/day) in the most efficient group with the lowest FCR (≤1.4 kg feed/1 kg milk). Our study showed that the most efficient cows with the lowest FCR (≤1.4 kg feed/1 kg milk) had the highest rumination time (597 min/day; p < 0.05), feeding time (298 min/day; p < 0.05), rumination/activity ratio (4.39; p < 0.05) and rumination/feeding ratio (2.04; p < 0.05). Less active cows (activity time 164 min/day; p < 0.05) were the most efficient cows with the lowest FCR (≤1.4 kg feed/1 kg milk). The behavioural differences observed in this study provide new insight into the association of feed behaviour and feed efficiency with milk performance. Incorporating feeding behaviour into the dry matter intake model can improve its accuracy in the future and benefit breeding programmes.

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Effect of the Addition of Various Levels of Green Tea Grounds Silage at on the Feed Intake and Milk Production in Lactating Dairy Cows

Nihon Chikusan Gakkaiho ◽

10.2508/chikusan.76.295 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 76 (3) ◽

pp. 295-301 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Bayaru ERUDEN ◽

Takehiro NISHIDA ◽

Hiroki MATSUYAMA ◽

Kenji HOSODA ◽

Shigeru SHIOYA

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Green Tea ◽

Milk Production ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Lactating Dairy Cows

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Whole crop wheat: effect of crop maturity on feed intake and milk production of dairy cows

Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s0308229600033596 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 1998 ◽

pp. 146-146 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R. H. Phipps ◽

J.D. Sutton ◽

A. K. Jones

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Milk Production ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Milk Composition ◽

Additional Treatment ◽

Aerobic Stability ◽

Forage Intake ◽

The Uk ◽

Crop Maturity

Interest in the use of whole crop cereals as a complementary forage for dairy cows has developed in Europe over the last fifteen years. Initial studies in the UK concluded that near maximum dry matter (DM) yield/ha of whole crop wheat (WCW) occurred in late July/early August when crops contained at least 500 g/kg DM. However, it was noted that when these crops were ensiled they tended to be aerobically unstable. To minimise this problem it was recommended that these crops were preserved with urea rather than being ensiled. Early studies with dairy cows demonstrated that the use of both urea-treated and low DM fermented WCW increased forage intake and milk yield but effects on milk composition were inconsistent (Leaver and Hill, 1992, Phipps et al., 1995). Concern has been expressed that the use of urea in crop preservation was environmentally unacceptable and that high DM fermented WCW offered a possible alternative, which would provide high DM yields/ha of a starch-rich crop. The objective of the current study was to examine the effect of crop maturity on feed intake and milk production of dairy cows. An additional treatment was included to examine the effectiveness of an additive containing L. buchneri designed to improve aerobic stability.

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The effects of feeding different starch sources and concentrations on milk production of high yielding Holstein cows

Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s1752756200005743 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 2001 ◽

pp. 192-192

Author(s):

R.E. Lawson ◽

A.R. Moss ◽

C. Rymer ◽

J.S. Blake

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Milk Production ◽

Milk Yield ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Protein Concentration ◽

Milk Protein ◽

Milk Composition ◽

Starch Concentration ◽

Maize Grain ◽

Ground Wheat

Mansbridge (1995) reported that replacing ground wheat with a mix of ground wheat and maize grain increased milk protein concentration, which led the authors to speculate that increased inclusion of maize grain increased rumen by-pass starch. Indeed, de Visseret al(1990) reported that feeding less rapidly degradable starches has led to increased milk protein concentration.The objective of this study was to examine the effects of starch concentration and source on feed intake, milk yield and milk composition of dairy cows.

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Effect of substituting barley with glycerol as energy feed on feed intake, milk production and milk quality in dairy cows in mid or late lactation

Livestock Science ◽

10.1016/j.livsci.2018.01.006 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 209 ◽

pp. 25-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Charlotte Gaillard ◽

Martin Tang Sørensen ◽

Mogens Vestergaard ◽

Martin Riis Weisbjerg ◽

Mette Krogh Larsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Milk Production ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Milk Quality

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The effects of feeding a high-fiber or high-starch pellet at two daily allocations on feed intake patterns, rumen fermentation, and milk production of mid-lactation dairy cows

Journal of Dairy Science ◽

10.3168/jds.2019-17698 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 103 (7) ◽

pp. 6135-6144 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J. Haisan ◽

M. Oba

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Milk Production ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Rumen Fermentation ◽

High Fiber ◽

High Starch

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Digestibility and nitrogen balance in dairy cows given diets of grass silage and whole crop wheat

Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s0308229600027756 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 1995 ◽

pp. 4-4

Author(s):

J D Sutton ◽

A L Abdalla ◽

R H Phipps ◽

S B Cammell ◽

D J Humphries

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Milk Production ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Attractive Alternative ◽

Fresh Weight ◽

Grass Silage ◽

Holstein Friesian ◽

Feeding Trials ◽

Low Efficiency ◽

Friesian Cows

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.

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