Effect of duration and pattern of underfeeding in early lactation on milk production and reproduction of dairy cows

1979 ◽  
Vol 19 (99) ◽  
pp. 395 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Grainger ◽  
G Wilhelms

Eighty cows of mixed breeds were fed so that they calved in moderate condition, and were then strip-grazed at different rates over the first ten weeks of lactation. Two levels of feeding were used factorially ; either ad libitum pasture intake (H) or an allowance of pasture which resulted in an intake of 7 kg of pasture dry matter cow-1 day-1 (L), for the first or second five-week period. After ten weeks, all cows were grazed as one group as well as seasonal conditions permitted. The effects of five-week periods of underfeeding on milk, milk fat and protein yield were equal and additive over the first ten weeks of lactation, HL and LH groups producing 11 kg and LL group 22 kg less milk fat than the HH group. Residual effects, however, from week 11 to the end of lactation differed markedly between treatments, the LH group producing the same as, but HL and LL groups producing 9 and 21 kg less than, the HH group. Residual effects of only 0.7 and 1.0 times the immediate effect were recorded for underfeeding in the first five and ten weeks of lactation, respectively. Cows underfed in early lactation gained more liveweight in later lactation at the expense of milk yield. An extra 10 kg pasture dry matter was required in early lactation to give an extra kilogram of milk fat over the lactation. The calving to conception interval in the LL group was 18 days longer than in the HH group (P < 0.05). The delay was associated with both a longer post-partum anoestrus and a higher number of services per conception. There was no effect of stage of underfeeding (HL vs LH) on reproductive performance. The poor understanding of factors affecting residual effects from underfeeding in early lactation is highlighted. As pattern of underfeeding has little effect on lactation performance, this gives the farmer considerable flexibility in allocating feed supplies in early lactation.

2002 ◽  
Vol 53 (7) ◽  
pp. 737 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. R. Stockdale ◽  
J. R. Roche

This review considers the current literature on the energy and protein nutrition of dry cows and its subsequent impact on early lactation performance. Energy intake close to calving appears to be critical to events that occur post-partum, such that a key objective of dry cow feeding should be to maximise or maintain feed intake immediately prior to calving, or at least to minimise the decline in intake. Although a decline in dry matter intake seems to be a normal adaptive event in peri-parturient ruminants, it is the magnitude and duration of the decline that are of concern. Most research has been undertaken using total mixed rations or conserved forage and concentrates, where a wide range of quantities and types of feeds have been used. However, no clear conclusions can be drawn regarding optimum levels of feeding, types of forage, or proportions of concentrates that should be fed to cows in the late dry period to minimise the intake decline. The importance of maintaining energy intake is associated with the reduction of the incidence and severity of metabolic diseases post-partum, by reducing triglyceride mobilisation from adipose tissue, and preventing excessive depletion of hepatic glycogen levels.


1985 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Thomas ◽  
K. Aston ◽  
S. R. Daley

ABSTRACTSilages were made from the primary growth of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) or red clover (Trifolium pratense) and were given ad libitum to 52 British Friesian cows, together with 70 kg dry matter per day of a barley/ground maize/soya bean supplement in 2 years. Twenty of the cows were used in both years, providing a total of 72 observations. Three treatments were imposed during weeks 3 t o 20 of lactation: red clover silage, (RC/RC); red clover silage, weeks 3 to 10, grass silage weeks 12 to 20 (RC/PRG); grass silage (PRG/PRG).Apparent digestibility of the gross energy assessed in lactation weeks 14 and 15 was slightly lower for red clover than for perennial ryegrass (0·683, 0·706 and 0·701 for treatments RC/RC, RC/PRG and PRG/PRG respectively). There was no effect of previous treatment on the digestibility of perennial ryegrass diets (RC/PRG v. PRG/PRG). Cows given red clover silage consumed proportionately 1·22 of the dry matter and 1·09 of the digestible energy ingested by those given perennial ryegrass. The intake of perennial ryegrass in mid lactation was similar, irrespective of early lactation treatment.During weeks 3 to 20, cows given red clover yielded 1·9 kg more milk than did those given perennial ryegrass (P < 0·01). However, this milk had a significantly lower concentration of fat (P < 0·01; 37·2 and 41·2 g/kg for treatment RC/RC and PRG/PRG respectively). In mid lactation the cows that had received red clover silage in early lactation (RC/PRG) had the lowest yield of milk, milk fat, protein and lactose and the difference between this treatment and PRG/PRG was significant for milk and milk fat yields (P < 0·05).Red clover silage rather than perennial ryegrass silage of similar digestibility resulted in higher silage intake and higher yields of milk, milk protein and lactose. However, the strategic use of red clover silage to increase yield in early lactation did not induce positive residual effects in mid lactation; rather, there was evidence of a negative effect on milk and milk-fat yield.


1985 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 535-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. H. Broster ◽  
J. D. Sutton ◽  
J. A. Bines ◽  
Valerie J. Broster ◽  
T. Smith ◽  
...  

SummarySeventy-six first-calf cows (heifers), 32 second·calf cows and 39 adult cows participated in a trial in which three diets composed of 60:40, 75:25, 90:10 proportions of compound to hay (hay dry-matter digestibility 0·6) were given for the first 36 weeks of lactation in amounts to provide daily an estimated 125, 156 MJ and ad libitum digestible energy (DE) for heifers, and 156, 187 MJ and ad libitum DE for the other parities. The ad libitum intakes were 150 and 200 MJ DE daily for heifers and for older cows respectively. Greater compound content of the diet and larger daily allowance of DE were associated with increased occurrence of mastitis and lameness but not digestive upsets. Dry·matter (D.M.) digestibility was increased with a greater proportion of compound in the diet but was not affected by the amount consumed or stage of lactation. Milk yield and live·weight change were increased linearly and additively by a greater intake of digestible dry matter and by a greater proportion of compound in the diet, throughout the lactation save for no effect of diet composition on live·weight change in early lactation. On equal feed intakes older cows gave more milk and lost more live weight than heifers in early lactation but not thereafter; responses to additional feed were equal for all parities studied. Milk fat concentration was reduced both by increased allowance and by the high compound diet. Milk solids·not·fat (SNF) concentration was not affected by the treatments. Yield of milk fat was not affected by amount eaten and was reduced by the 90:10 diet. Yields of SNF and milk energy were increased by amount eaten and by increased compound in the diet. Thirty-two primiparous cows continued on their experimental treatments without interruption to the end of the second lactation. In the second lactation the effects on yields of milk, milk energy, and SNF were magnified indicating a cumulative effect from lactation to lactation. Little cumulative effect was observed on either milk fat yield, or concentrations of fat and SNF in milk. More generous feeding was associated with reduced milk output/unit D.M. consumed in the first but not the second lactation. More generous feeding improved live·weight change less in the second than in the first lactation. No cumulative effects over two lactations were observed consequent upon variation in diet composition.


1990 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 495 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Grainger

Three separate experiments were carried out to determine the effects of stage of lactation and feeding level on marginal production response by dairy cows to change in feeding level. In each experiment cows were individually offered cut pasture in stalls, ad libitum initially for 10 days, and for a further 28-day period when feeding treatments were imposed. In experiment 1, a total of 37 cows in early or late lactation were offered the same high quality pasture diet either ad libitum or at 0.60 x ad libitum intake. In experiments 2 and 3, 35 and 31 cows which were in early (experiment 2) or late lactation (experiment 3) were offered pasture at 1 of 3 feeding levels: ad libitum, 0.75 x ad libitum. 0.50 x ad libitum intake. In experiment 1 the marginal response was similar, 23.5 and 25.0 g milk fat/kg change in dry matter intake, for cows offered the same diet in early or late lactation. In experiment 2, cows in early lactation showed marginal responses which ranged from 0 to 80 g milk fat/kg dry matter intake and were greater at lower feeding levels and for cows with greater initial milk production. In experiment 3, the marginal response for cows in late lactation was similar to that in experiment 1 (24.4 g milk fat/kg change in DM intake) and was not significantly affected by the level of feeding or by the initial milk production of the cow. Reduced levels of feeding in late lactation appeared to accelerate the changes in milk composition which occur normally in late lactation: increases in the concentration of milk fat and protein; a decrease in lactose concentration. It is concluded that in early lactation, much of the published variation in marginal response can be explained by differences between experiments in levels of feeding studied and in the initial milk yield of the cows. In late lactation there was much less variation in the reported magnitude of the marginal response, and the variation which did exist can be explained by experimental error.


1971 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 721-727 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. J. FISHER ◽  
J. D. ERFLE ◽  
F. D. SAUER

Glutamate, succinate, propylene glycol, or glycerol were added to a basic concentrate at 3.3% of air-dry feed. Each concentrate was fed both ad libitum and in restricted amounts to four cows in early lactation. Dietary intake, milk yield and composition, molar proportions of rumen volatile fatty acids and blood glucose, ketones and plasma free fatty acids were used as criteria of effect of these supplements. Propylene glycol in the diet resulted in a lower intake of concentrate compared with glycerol (11.44 versus 14.30 kg/day) and significantly decreased (P < 0.05) rumen butyrate and plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate. Glutamate supplementation prevented the fall in milk fat content which occurred when the other three supplemented concentrates were fed ad libitum, and this effect may have been related to the constancy in the ratio of acetate to propionate in the rumen fluid.


1974 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Hartmans

In pot and field experiments, N application somewhat increased the I content of the harvested crop, although I concentrations in the herbage decreased considerably (diluting effect of increased dry matter yields). Herbage I contents were not consistently affected by chemical fertilizers which produced no yield response. I contents were up to 13 times higher in dicotyledenous pasture species than in grasses. I contents varied between grass species and to less extent between varieties of a single species. Contrary to earlier New Zealand data, good quality grasses were lower in I content than medium-value and inferior grasses. Small I dressings were less effective than larger amounts in terms of percentage return in the harvested crop; residual effects in later cuts were always small. The effectiveness of I dressings depended on soil type and tended to be lowest on soils of low natural I content. ADDITIONAL ABSTRACT: Studies were with ryegrass in pots and pastures. N dressing increased I uptake by the crop but reduced the I content considerably because of the diluting effect of higher DM yields. Dressing with fertilizers which did increase yield did not affect herbage I content consistently. Dicotyledonous species in pasture had I contents up to 13 times that of grasses. The I content of grasses varied over a 2-fold range but variation was smaller in a given species. Good quality grasses had a lower I content than inferior grasses. Smaller I dressings gave a smaller percentage return in the crop than larger amounts; the efficiency depended on soil type and tended to be less for soils with the lowest natural I content. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)


1997 ◽  
Vol 1997 ◽  
pp. 93-93
Author(s):  
J.M. Moorby ◽  
R.J. Dewhurst ◽  
W.J. Fisher ◽  
D.W.R. Davies

Previous work has shown that dry period protein feeding can have important residual effects on the subsequent lactational performance in dairy cows (Moorby et al., 1996), although the results have been variable. This variability may be due to an animals nutrient requirements during late lactation and its ability to compensate during the dry period for previously inadequate supplies. This experiment was designed to investigate the effects of heifer age and level of concentrate offered during the second half of the first lactation on the second lactation performance. The size of the Longissimus dorsi was monitored as a marker of skeletal muscle use for lactation.Thirty-eight Holstein-Friesian heifers were treated as described by Dewhurst et al. (1997). Briefly, animals were divided into 4 treatment groups differing in age at first calving (2 or 3 years old) and level of concentrate feeding for the last 18-20 weeks of their first lactation (2 kg/d, ‘L’, or 7 kg/d, ‘H’; n=11, 11, 9 and 7 for treatments 2L, 2H, 3L and 3H respectively). Six weeks before predicted calving date, animals were dried off and offered a relatively low quality diet of ad libitum access to a grass silage:straw mix (40:60 on a DM basis), designed to offer them little chance to compensate for previous differences in diet. After calving, animals were offered a diet of ad libitum access to grass silage plus 8 kg/d concentrate to day 120 of lactation, and 5 kg/d thereafter. Live weight was recorded weekly. After calving, milk yields were recorded daily, and milk samples taken weekly, to week 20 of lactation.


Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 549
Author(s):  
Xiaoli Zhang ◽  
Chunyu Jiang ◽  
Qinghua Gao ◽  
Duanqin Wu ◽  
Shaoxun Tang ◽  
...  

This study evaluated the effects of alkyl polyglycoside (APG), which is a non-ionic surfactant, on lactation performance, nutrient digestibility and blood metabolites in dairy cows. Twenty dairy cows were randomly divided into four groups and fed a basal diet that included pelleted concentrate, distillers grains, and fresh limpograss. The four treatments included 0, 5.5, 11 and 22 mL APG per kg of pelleted concentrate on a dry matter basis; treatments were defined as APG0, APG5.5, APG11, and APG22, respectively. Dry matter intake was not affected by APG supplementation. There was an increase in milk yield (from 13.96 to 16.71 kg/day) and increases in milk fat (quadratic, p = 0.04), protein (quadratic, p = 0.10), and lactose concentrations (linear, p = 0.07) with increasing APG supplementation. In addition, APG supplementation increased (p ≤ 0.03) the milk fat, protein, solid non-fat, and total solid yields, while the lactose yield increased (linear, p = 0.01) as the APG level increased. Dietary APG supplementation had no effect on nutrient digestibility and blood metabolites. It was concluded that the addition of APG at doses up to 22 mL/kg of pelleted concentrate had positive effects on the milk composition in dairy cows.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2.29) ◽  
pp. 457
Author(s):  
Mohammad Firdaus Hudaya ◽  
Diah Tri Widayati ◽  
Budi Prasetyo Widyobroto ◽  
Cuk Tri Noviandi

The objective of this study was to determine the content of the feed given and reproductive status of each animal and its effect on reproduction performance in early lactation dairy cows. Seven early lactation of Friesian Holstein cows were used from local farmer. The observed variable were feedstuff from local farmer and reproductive status (post partum estrous and service per conception). The results of proximat and van soest analysis from feedstuff consist of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) and concentrate feed from feed mill. The elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) was contained of dry matter (DM) 86.27%, Ash 18.63%, extract eter (EE) 3.84%, crude fiber (CF) 30.62%, crude protein (CP) 13.05%, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) 73.73% and acid detergent fiber (ADF) 45.31%. Concentrates feed was contained of dry matter (DM) 89.24%, Ash 15.36%, extract eter (EE) 5.37%, crude fiber (CF) 17.11%, crude protein (CP) 12.76%, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) 58.23% and acid detergent fiber (ADF) 19.20%. The results of reproductive parameters for post partum estrous (PPE) 121.43±16.672 days and service per conception (S/C) was 2.14±0.690. In conclusion the feedstuff were given less meet the requirement, and affecting the performance of reproduction.  


2000 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 571-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Quiniou ◽  
D. Renaudeau ◽  
S. Dubois ◽  
J. Noblet

AbstractForty-two multiparous Large White sows were used to investigate the effect of diurnally fluctuating temperature (T) on lactation performance and feeding behaviour. The animals were allocated to one of the four thermic treatments: constant T at 25°C (25C) and 29°C (29C) or equal-mean diurnal cyclic T varying from 21 to 29°C (25V) and from 25 to 33°C (29V). Photoperiod was fixed to 14 h of light. The sows were given food ad libitum between the 7th and the 19th day post partům. Lactation performance was measured for all sows whereas the feeding behaviour was recorded only on 28 sows. The ad libitum food intake was comparable at 25C and 25V (6•31 kg/day) as were milk production and body reserves mobilization. In contrast, food intake at 29V was higher than at 29C (4•53 v. 3•48 kg/day) with no difference in milk production between the two treatments. The increased daily food intake at 29V resulted from higher intakes over the coolest periods of the day and especially during the dark period. Neither meal size nor daily number of meals were significantly affected by T. Feeding behaviour was mainly diurnal but with differences between treatments: 0•90 of total food intake at 29C v. 0•78 at the other three T It appears that the effects of diurnally fluctuating T on lactation performance of sows depend on the mean level of T


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