Milk yield of dairy cows given restricted access to water in a Mediterranean-type climate

1981 ◽  
Vol 21 (109) ◽  
pp. 167 ◽  
Author(s):  
KR King ◽  
CR Stockdale

During summer in the Goulburn Valley, two herds of Jersey- Friesian crossbred cows were used to study the effects of restricted access to drinking water. There were three treatments applied to two herds-(1) free access, (2) 20 min. access before each milking, and (3) 20 min. access before the night milking only. One herd was individually penned and had free access to shade while the other was grazed with no access to shade. Both herds were fed irrigated perennial pasture containing 24.5% dry matter. Maximum air temperature averaged 33.7�C. Over the whole experiment, restricting the access of dairy cows to drinking water did not significantly reduce mean milk yield (mean 12.6 kg/cow day-1) or mean liveweight of cows (mean 41 1 kg) in either herd. However, during the first 4 days of treatment, mean milk yield and mean liveweight were lower (P < 0.05) for cows on a once-a-day access than for those on either free or twice-daily access. In the pen experiment, intake of drinking water averaged 67,45 and 49 l/cow day-1 for treatments 1, 2 and 3, respectively; dry matter intake was unaffected by treatment (mean 15.6 kg/cow day-1). Because of the modifying influence of shade on the environment of the penned cows, there was no significant effects of climate on their water intake. It was concluded that farmers need not supply drinking water to dairy cows in all paddocks.

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria Stefanny Hernández Pineda ◽  
Paulina Elizabeth Pedraza Beltrán ◽  
Mohammed Benaouda ◽  
José Manuel Palma García ◽  
Francisca Avilés Nova ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT: The aim of the present research was to evaluate the effect of Pithecellobium dulce, Tagetes erecta and Cosmos bipinnatus on methane emission, milk yield and dry matter intake in dairy cattle. A 4×4 Latin square experimental design was employed, using four multiparous Holstein cows of 553±72.4kg body weight, at mid lactation and average milk yield of 17.3±3kg/day. The experiment lasted 92 days, divided into four experimental periods of 23 days each. All cows had free access to maize and alfalfa silage in a 50:50 proportion, 4kg of concentrate/day and ad libitum access to water. Treatments consisted in supplementation of 0.5kg/day of the experimental plants, with one control treatment without supplementation. Each cow received one of each treatment in turn during one of the four periods. The C. bipinnatus reduced methane production by 16% (P<0,05) in comparison with the control diet. Milk production, milk composition and dry matter intake were not affected (p>0 0.05) by the use of C. bipinnatus or any other plant species. Supplementation at low doses of C. bipinnatus showed a reduction in ruminal methane production in dairy cows.


2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 294-294
Author(s):  
Laura A Smith ◽  
Allen Y Young ◽  
Chris Pratt ◽  
Kara J Thornton

Abstract Alfalfa is a commonly grown forage in the Intermountain west and is often included in lactating dairy cow rations. This study investigated the effects of including novel alfalfa products: ProLEAF MAX™ (PLM), an alfalfa leaf pellet; and ProFiber Plus™ (PFP), alfalfa stems, in the diet of lactating dairy cows on dry matter intake, milk yield, and milk components. Holstein cows were housed in a freestall barn and milked in a free-flow automatic milking system. All cows were fed each treatment for 21-days, then switched to the next treatment utilizing a crossover experimental design. The five treatments were: control (CON, typical diet including alfalfa hay; n = 65); low-quality alfalfa hay (LQ+PLM, a diet that replaced alfalfa hay with low-quality alfalfa hay and PLM; n = 62); PLM+PFP (a diet that replaced alfalfa hay with PLM and PFP; n = 65); PLM (a diet that replaced alfalfa hay with PLM; n = 62); and PFP (a diet that replaced alfalfa hay with PFP; n = 60). Cows were group fed a partial mixed ration balanced for 40.8 kg milk, 3.9% milk fat and 3.3% milk protein. Individual milk yield and milk components were recorded daily by the automatic milking system. Dry matter intake was also recorded daily. When fed the PFP diet, cows had decreased (P &lt; 0.01) dry matter intake compared to the other diets. Milk yield was increased (P &lt; 0.01) when cows received the PLM diet when compared to the other diets. When fed the PFP and PLM+PFP diets, milk fat was increased (P &lt; 0.01) when compared to the other diets. Milk protein was decreased (P &lt; 0.01) when cows were fed the PFP diet when compared to the other diets. These data indicate that inclusion of fractionated alfalfa products in the diet of lactating dairy cows has the potential to increase milk yield and milk components.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 104
Author(s):  
Shulin Liang ◽  
Chaoqun Wu ◽  
Wenchao Peng ◽  
Jian-Xin Liu ◽  
Hui-Zeng Sun

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using the dry matter intake of first 2 h after feeding (DMI-2h), body weight (BW), and milk yield to estimate daily DMI in mid and late lactating dairy cows with fed ration three times per day. Our dataset included 2840 individual observations from 76 cows enrolled in two studies, of which 2259 observations served as development dataset (DDS) from 54 cows and 581 observations acted as the validation dataset (VDS) from 22 cows. The descriptive statistics of these variables were 26.0 ± 2.77 kg/day (mean ± standard deviation) of DMI, 14.9 ± 3.68 kg/day of DMI-2h, 35.0 ± 5.48 kg/day of milk yield, and 636 ± 82.6 kg/day of BW in DDS and 23.2 ± 4.72 kg/day of DMI, 12.6 ± 4.08 kg/day of DMI-2h, 30.4 ± 5.85 kg/day of milk yield, and 597 ± 63.7 kg/day of BW in VDS, respectively. A multiple regression analysis was conducted using the REG procedure of SAS to develop the forecasting models for DMI. The proposed prediction equation was: DMI (kg/day) = 8.499 + 0.2725 × DMI-2h (kg/day) + 0.2132 × Milk yield (kg/day) + 0.0095 × BW (kg/day) (R2 = 0.46, mean bias = 0 kg/day, RMSPE = 1.26 kg/day). Moreover, when compared with the prediction equation for DMI in Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle (2001) using the independent dataset (VDS), our proposed model shows higher R2 (0.22 vs. 0.07) and smaller mean bias (−0.10 vs. 1.52 kg/day) and RMSPE (1.77 vs. 2.34 kg/day). Overall, we constructed a feasible forecasting model with better precision and accuracy in predicting daily DMI of dairy cows in mid and late lactation when fed ration three times per day.


2002 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 421-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Maris Bittar Nussio ◽  
John Tal Huber ◽  
Luiz Gustavo Nussio

The large utilization of coccidiostats in dairy herds has raised the question regards the best product to use, based on better animal performance. Sixty-four Holstein calves were randomly assigned to four treatments at 10 (±4) d of age to evaluate calf performance when fed approved coccidiostats available on the market in Arizona, USA. Calves received a dry calf starter without (control) or with one of the following coccidiostats: lasalocid, 30 mg kg-1; decoquinate, 19 mg kg-1; and monensin, 30 mg kg-1. Calves received 3.6 kg d-1 of a commercial 22% CP:20% fat milk replacer until 6 wk of age. Calves were offered starter "ad libitum" up to 2 kg d-1, and calves had free access to water throughout the trial. Alfalfa hay was offered "ad libitum" after weaning. Performance and dry matter intake (DMI) were monitored for 20 weeks and broken down in different periods of measurement (0-6, 7-12 and 13-20 weeks, respectively). Despite the lower dry matter intake and weight gain for females on monensin treatment during the whole period, differences among coccidiostats were seldom observed under the conditions of this study. Good calf management and the dry, hot climate of Arizona perhaps diminished the chances for subclinical and chronic disease appearance which negated potential differences and differences in calf performances.


2010 ◽  
Vol 55 (No. 11) ◽  
pp. 468-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Poláková ◽  
V. Kudrna ◽  
A. Kodeš ◽  
B. Hučko ◽  
Z. Mudřík

The main aim of this study was to investigate experimentally the effect of different composition of non-structural carbohydrates (NFC) in prepartum feed rations administered to high-yielding dairy cows at a high concentration of NFC in the diet on dry matter intake both before and after parturition and on subsequent milk performance, body condition and physiological traits of rumen fluid and blood. Thirty-six high-yielding dairy cows were allocated into one of the three well-balanced groups (K, O, and C), and each group received a different feeding rations. Feeding rations differed in non-structural carbohydrate (NFC) structure. The "K" (control) group received a feeding ration with NFC in the form of maize starch in particular, while the feeding rations of the other two (experimental) groups contained either (besides maize starch) saccharose from dried sugar beet (the "O" group) or a dominant amount of NFC was in the form of saccharose (the "C" group). After calving, all dairy cows were given the same feeding ration from the first day after parturition. The experiment was conducted for 21 days before and 50 days after calving. FR in the form of total mixed ration was offered ad libitum. Dry matter intake, milk performance, body condition, live weight, and blood and rumen parameters were recorded for the duration of the experiment. Average daily dry matter intake before calving was highest in the "K" group (14.32 kg per head). Differences among groups were statistically significant (P &lt; 0.05). Prepartum dry matter consumption dropped as the rate of saccharose in the diet of cows increased. Dry matter consumption levelled off after calving. Milk yield was also highest in the "K" group (43.71 kg/head/day), but fatness of milk and thus the production of fat corrected milk were lowest in this group. The highest milk fat content (4.10%) and fat corrected milk production (44.03 kg/head/day) were recorded in the "C" group, whereas the highest milk protein concentration was found in the milk of the "O" group. The composition of NFC affected dry matter intake before parturition, but these concentrations did not significantly affect dry matter intake, milk yield, milk composition, live weight, body condition or blood serum and rumen fluid parameters after calving


Author(s):  
Dagnachew Hailemariam ◽  
Ghader Manafiazar ◽  
John A. Basarab ◽  
Paul Stothard ◽  
Filippo Miglior ◽  
...  

This study compared the different residual feed intake (RFI) categories of lactating Holsteins with respect to methane emission, dry matter intake (kg), milk somatic cell count (SCC, 103/mL) and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB, mmol/L). RFI was calculated in 131 lactating Holstein cows that were then categorized into –RFI (RFI<0) vs. +RFI (RFI>0) and low (RFI<-0.5 SD) vs. high RFI (RFI>0.5 SD) groups. Milk traits were recorded in 131 cows while CH4 and CO2 were measured in 83. Comparisons of –RFI vs. +RFI and low vs. high RFI showed 7.8% (22.3±0.40 vs. 24.2±0.39) and 12.9% (21.1±0.40 vs. 24.2±0.45) decrease (P<0.05) in DMI of –RFI and low RFI groups, respectively. Similarly, –RFI and low RFI cows had lower (P<0.05) CH4 (g/d) by 9.7% (343.5±11.1 vs. 380.4±10.9) and 15.5% (332.5±12.9 vs. 393.5±12.6) respectively. Milk yield was not different (P>0.05) in –RFI vs. +RFI and low vs. high comparisons. The –RFI and low RFI cows had lower (P<0.05) SCC in –RFI vs. +RFI and low RFI vs. high RFI comparisons. BHB was lower (P<0.05) in low RFI compared to the high RFI group. Low RFI dairy cows consumed less feed, emitted less methane (g/d), and had lower milk SCC and BHB without differing in milk yield.


2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Plaizier ◽  
J. -P. Walton ◽  
B. W. McBride

The objectives of this study were to examine the effect of supplying post-ruminal L-glutamine in mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows on plasma amino acid profile, dry matter intake, milk yield and milk composition. The experiment was designed as a 4 × 4 Latin square with four 2-wk periods. Cows were continuously infused post-ruminally with graded levels of L-glutamine (L-Gln) for 5 consecutive days during the second week of each period. During the last 24 h of the infusion, blood plasma was collected every 6 h for the determination of plasma amino acid concentrations. Plasma Gln concentration increased (P < 0.05) with increasing L-Gln daily infusions. Infusion of 0, 100, 200, and 300 g d–1 resulted in blood plasma Gln concentrations of 289.5, 299.2, 356.4 and 386.2 mmol L–1, respectively. The level of Gln infusion also resulted in a decrease in the blood plasma concentration of phenylalanine, but the concentrations of all other amino acids were not affected. The administration of Gln did not affect dry matter intake, milk yield and milk composition. Key words: Post-ruminal, L-glutamine, plasma amino acids, milk constituents


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