Feeding fodder beet (Beta vulgaris L.) with either barley straw or pasture silage to non-lactating dairy cows

Context Fodder beet (FB) is a popular feed for dairy cows in temperate climates due to its high yields, high digestibility, low nitrogen (N) content in the dry matter (DM) and convenience of feeding (grazing in situ). However, the risk of ruminal acidosis requires research to design feeding regimes that capture these benefits without compromising animal health. Aims To understand aspects of rumen function when FB is offered in conditions representative of practical feeding in temperate pastoral systems. Methods Two indoor experiments were undertaken; one with cows in late lactation fed fresh perennial ryegrass with three proportions of FB (0, 0.23 and 0.45) and another with non-lactating cows fed pasture silage with 0.65 FB or barley straw with 0.86 FB. Measurements included rumen pH, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) and ammonia concentrations determined at 2-h intervals, as well as daily individual cow intakes, estimates of microbial growth and rumen dynamics. Key results The inclusion of 0, 0.23 and 0.45 FB with fresh pasture in the did not affect daily DM intakes (~14.6 kg), milk yield (~10.7 kg), microbial synthesis (129 g of N/d) or fractional outflow rates of digesta (0.16/h; 11.2 L/h) of lactating cows. The non-lactating cow ration comprising 0.86 FB with straw was inappropriate and resulted in low intakes and insufficient dietary N. Microbial growth was approximately one-third of that in cows fed pasture silage with 0.65 FB. The ruminal pH reached lower values in all treatments where FB was offered. Rumen ammonia concentrations averaged 4.4 mmol/L in cows fed pasture but was sometimes undetectable in lactating cows fed 0.45 FB and in non-lactating cows. The amount of FB in the diet affected the extent of the circadian changes in molar proportions of SCFA. Conclusions Based on the results presented here, feeding fresh FB to dairy cows should not exceed ~0.4 of their DMI with pasture (late lactation), or ~0.6 of their intake with silage (non-lactating). Implications These findings could support evidence-based recommendations for FB use, considering its effects on aspects of rumen function, such as microbial protein synthesis and pH.

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Changes in the metabolic profiles of dairy cows before and after calving that were mainly fed fodder beet (Beta vulgaris vulgaris L.) during the dry period

New Zealand Veterinary Journal ◽

10.1080/00480169.2020.1786475 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 68 (6) ◽

pp. 353-358

Author(s):

R Nortjé ◽

RA Laven ◽

B Allott ◽

AG Kenyon

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Beta Vulgaris ◽

Metabolic Profiles ◽

Dry Period ◽

Fodder Beet ◽

Before And After

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Feeding diets with fodder beet decreased methane emissions from dry and lactating dairy cows in grazing systems

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an16441 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 57 (7) ◽

pp. 1445 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Arjan Jonker ◽

David Scobie ◽

Robyn Dynes ◽

Grant Edwards ◽

Cecile De Klein ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Milk Production ◽

Perennial Ryegrass ◽

Pastoral Systems ◽

Hordeum Vulgare L ◽

Fodder Beet ◽

Ch4 Emissions ◽

Lactating Cows ◽

Carbohydrate Concentration ◽

Lactating Dairy Cows

Fodder beet (Beta vulgaris L.) has a very high readily fermentable carbohydrate concentration, which could affect rumen fermentation and reduce enteric methane (CH4) emissions. The objective of the current study was to estimate CH4 emissions from dry dairy cows grazing either fodder beet supplemented with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)-dominated pasture silage (6 kg DM/cow/day; FB+Sil) or forage kale (Brassica oleracea L.) supplemented with barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) straw (3 kg DM/cow/day; kale+Str; dry cows, Experiment 1), and from dairy cows in early lactation grazing perennial ryegrass-dominated pasture alone (pasture) or supplemented with fodder beet bulbs (3 kg DM/cow/day; past+FB; lactating cows; Experiment 2). Methane measurements were performed using GreenFeed units (C-Lock Inc., Rapid City, SD, USA) for 40 days in August–September 2015 (Experiment 1) and for 22 days in November–December 2015 (Experiment 2), from 45 and 31 Holstein–Friesian × Jersey dairy cows in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. Dry cows grazing FB+Sil in Experiment 1 produced 18% less CH4 (g/day) and had 28% lower CH4 yield (g/kg DM intake; P < 0.001) than did cows grazing kale+Str. Lactating cows grazing past+FB in Experiment 2 produced 18% less CH4 and had 16% lower CH4 intensity (g/kg fat and protein-corrected milk production; P < 0.01) than did cows grazing pasture alone, while milk production and composition were similar for the two groups. In conclusion, feeding fodder beet at ~50% and 20% of the diet of dry and lactating dairy cows in pastoral systems can mitigate CH4 emissions.

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The effect of concentrates on the voluntary intake of roughages by cows

Journal of Dairy Research ◽

10.1017/s0022029900011651 ◽

1966 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

R. C. Campling ◽

J. C. Murdoch

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Recent Work ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Barley Straw ◽

Lactating Dairy Cows ◽

Voluntary Intake ◽

Rate Of Decline ◽

Cattle And Sheep

SummarySeven changeover experiments were conducted to examine the effect of giving restricted amounts of concentrates on the voluntary intake of different roughages by non-lactating dairy cows. The addition of up to 6 kg concentrates daily to the diet of cows receiving roughage ad lib. caused little change in the intake of hay and a small increase in the intake of barley straw. Larger amounts of concentrates of 6 and 8 kg daily reduced hay intake by between 0·2 and 0·4 kg dry matter/kg concentrate dry matter given. When concentrates were given to the cows the rate of decline in intake of hay tended to be greatest with the hays of highest digestibility. The daily addition of up to 8 kg concentrates to the diet of cows offered silage ad lib. caused only small depressions in the intake of silage. The results are discussed in relation to recent work on this subject with cattle and sheep.

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The effect of level of concentrate feeding on the response of lactating dairy cows to dietary inclusion of fodder beet

Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s1752756200005640 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 2001 ◽

pp. 182-182

Author(s):

D.C. Patterson ◽

C.P. Ferris ◽

F.J. Gordon

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Energy Intake ◽

Fodder Beet ◽

Grass Silage ◽

Lactating Dairy Cows ◽

Alternative Approach ◽

Increase Energy Intake ◽

Dietary Component ◽

And Performance

Traditional options to increase the energy intakes of lactating dairy cows include raising the level of concentrate feeding and/or improving the quality of grass silage. However, each of these options have limited potential to increase total ME intake (Ferris et al., 2000). The inclusion of an additional dietary component, such as whole crop cereal silage or fodder beet constitutes an alternative approach to increase energy intake (Phipps et al., 1995). An experiment was designed to examine the potential of fodder beet to increase the energy intake and performance of lactating dairy cows across a range of levels of concentrate feeding.

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The effect of concentrate feed level on the response of lactating dairy cows to a constant proportion of fodder beet inclusion in a grass silage-based diet

Grass and Forage Science ◽

10.1046/j.1365-2494.2003.00347.x ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 58 (1) ◽

pp. 17-27 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

C. P. Ferris ◽

D. C. Patterson ◽

F. J. Gordon ◽

D. J. Kilpatrick

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Fodder Beet ◽

Grass Silage ◽

Lactating Dairy Cows ◽

Constant Proportion

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Dry matter intake and body condition score change of dairy cows grazing fodder beet, kale and kale-oat forage systems in winter

Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association ◽

10.33584/jnzg.2014.76.2964 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 76 ◽

pp. 81-88 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

G.R. Edwards ◽

J.M. De Ruiter ◽

D.E. Dalley ◽

J.B. Pinxterhuis ◽

K.C. Cameron ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Body Condition ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Barley Straw ◽

Score Change ◽

Fodder Beet ◽

Condition Score ◽

Grazing Systems ◽

Metabolisable Energy

Abstract Crop dry matter (DM) yield, DM utilisation and body condition score (BCS) of dairy cows were measured over two winters on an irrigated stony, free-draining Balmoral soil for three crop grazing systems: fodder beet (FB); early-sown kale (EK); and late-sown kale with oats grown in sequence (LK). There were two replicates of each treatment, with 35-58 cows per treatment group. Allocations of crop and supplements (kg DM/cow/day) were: FB, 8 kg fodder beet + 6 kg grass baleage; EK, 14 kg kale + 3 kg barley straw; LK, 11 kg kale + 5 kg green chop oat baleage. Pre-grazing crop DM yield (t DM/ha) was higher in FB (20.1) than EK (14.6) and LK (12.9). DM utilisation was high in all treatments averaging 99.6%, 90.5% and 87.1% for FB, EK and LK, respectively. Body condition score change over the 8-week winter-feeding period was similar for cows offered FB (+0.76), EK (+0.66) and LK (+0.76). Allocation of feed quantity is more important in determining BCS gain than the type of crop and supplement fed. Keywords: Brassica oleracea L., Beta vulgaris L., metabolisable energy

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The effect of replacement of concentrate by fodder beet on rumen fermentation and VFA production in steer cattle

Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s1752756200007742 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 2002 ◽

pp. 118-118

Author(s):

D.G. McIlmoyle ◽

D.C. Patterson ◽

F.J. Gordon

Keyword(s):

Major Depression ◽

Dairy Cows ◽

Present Experiment ◽

Diet Composition ◽

Previous Experiment ◽

Rumen Fermentation ◽

Fodder Beet ◽

Lactating Dairy Cows ◽

Ad Libitum

In a previous experiment in this series fodder beet was substituted for a major proportion of the concentrate supplement in a high concentrate diet with lactating dairy cows. The diets were offered at a restricted level of feeding and a major depression in the concentration of fat in milk was obtained with the concentrate diet (McIlmoyle et al., 2001). It was the objective of the present experiment to examine the effects of diet composition, namely fodder beet versus concentrate in a silage based diet and level of feeding, namely restricted versus ad libitum feeding on rumen fermentation.

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