scholarly journals Prior Forage Type Influences Ruminal Responses to a Wheat Grain Challenge in Lactating Dairy Cows

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 3188
Author(s):  
Victoria M. Russo ◽  
Brian J. Leury ◽  
Emer Kennedy ◽  
Murray C. Hannah ◽  
Martin J. Auldist ◽  
...  

To increase the dry matter and metabolisable energy intake of cows, dairy farmers often supplement pasture with concentrates and conserved fodder. Feeding large amounts of highly fermentable concentrates to cows can result in metabolic issues, such as ruminal acidosis, and thus safer but more efficient introduction strategies are desirable. We assessed the role that forages play in ruminal, behavioural and production responses to a wheat grain challenge in dairy cows with no previous wheat adaptation. Multiparous lactating Holstein dairy cows (n = 16) were fed a forage-only diet of either lucerne (Medicago sativa) hay, perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) hay or one of two cultivars of zero-grazing fresh perennial ryegrass herbage (Bealey or Base), for 3 weeks. The forage diet was then supplemented with crushed wheat grain at 8 kg dry matter/cow day−1, with no adaptation period. Wheat comprised between 32 and 43% of total dry matter intake. Cows fed hay maintained a higher mean ruminal fluid pH than those fed herbage, on both the forage-only diet (6.43 vs. 6.17) and the forage plus wheat diet (6.03 vs. 5.58). Following supplementation of wheat, cows fed herbage exhibited minimum ruminal fluid pH levels indicative of acute ruminal acidosis, at 5.15 and 5.06 for cultivars Bealey and Base, respectively. Furthermore, for both herbage cultivars, adding wheat resulted in a ruminal fluid pH under 6 for >20 h/day. The ruminal environment of cows fed lucerne hay remained most stable throughout the grain challenge, spending the least amount of time below pH 6.0 (9.0 h/day). Hay created a ruminal environment that was better able to cope with the accumulation of acid as wheat was digested. A combination of increased ruminating time and a slower rate of fermentation, due to higher neutral detergent fiber and lower metabolisable energy concentrations in the hays, is likely responsible for the higher ruminal fluid pH values. Forage plays a critical role in wheat introduction strategies; aggressive adaptation strategies could be implemented when a hay such as lucerne is used as the base forage.

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 174-174
Author(s):  
Raul Rivera-Chacon ◽  
Sara Ricci ◽  
Nicole Reisinger ◽  
Qendrim Zebeli ◽  
Ezequias Castillo-Lopez

Abstract Modern dairy production systems require larger inputs of energy in diets to increase milk yield. Therefore, dairy cows are at risk of experiencing subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA). The objective of this study was to evaluate grains and forage rumen degradability in cows fed different diets supplemented with a phytogenic (PHY) feed additive. The experiment was conducted with nine rumen-cannulated non-lactating Holstein cows blocked in two groups of four and five animals, and were part of a cross-over design. This study consisted in 2 runs separated by a 12-week washout period, in which cows grazed on pasture. Each experimental run had one week of forage (F) feeding, one week of transition to a high grain (HG) diet, and four weeks of HG (65:35 concentrate to forage ratio in dry matter basis). Cows were supplemented with PHY (a blend of menthol and thymol) or a control carrier (CON) from week F. Corn and wheat grain were ground through a 4 mm screen, while grass silage was ground through a 6 mm screen. Sampling for in situ degradability was performed in F and in week four of HG diet. Data were analyzed with SAS with week of feeding and supplementation as fixed effects and cow as random effect. Corn and wheat 24-h dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) degradability increased during HG diet compared with F (P < 0.05), grass silage DM and OM 48-h degradability was reduced by HG diet compared to F (P < 0.01). Additionally, wheat grain 24-h OM degradability was higher for PHY compared to CON under F and HG diet conditions (P = 0.05). Overall, diet composition and SARA conditions can influence grains and fiber degradability in the rumen.


Author(s):  
J.M. Lee ◽  
S.L. Woodward ◽  
G.C. Waghorn ◽  
D.A. Clark

Methane (CH4) production from ruminant digestion has a significant impact on the New Zealand greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory and represents a loss of about 10% of metabolisable energy (ME) intake. Previous trials with sheep and cattle have demonstrated significantly lower methane losses per unit feed intake from legumes compared to grass dominant pasture. Most trials have compared forages fed as sole diets but white clover (Trifolium repens) is usually fed with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) as a mixed pasture, as it complements ryegrass for animal production. An indoor feeding trial was conducted in December 2003 with thirty-two Holstein-Friesian dairy cows in mid-lactation to determine effects of increasing proportions of white clover on methane emissions and cow performance. Cows were housed indoors and fed perennial ryegrass with 0, 15, 30 or 60% white clover ad libitum on a dry matter (DM) basis. Increasing proportions of white clover resulted in linear increases in dry matter intakes (DMI) and reductions in methane per kg DM eaten, although the extent to which CH4 production/kg DMI was lowered was less than anticipated from previous measurements from sheep fed white clover as a sole diet. DMI of cows fed 60% white clover was 20.5 vs. 15.6 kg DM/cow/day for 100% perennial ryegrass (P


Author(s):  
P. M, Lunagariya ◽  
R. S. Gupta ◽  
S. V. Shah ◽  
Y. G. Patel

The study was planned to evaluate the effect of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes (EFE) supplementation for 56 days @ 240 mg/kg total mixed ration (TMR) on digestibility of dry matter and nutrients in dairy cows. Six dry non-pregnant cows were assigned in each treatment with and without EFE. The digestibility trial of seven days was conducted after 49 days of feeding. Dry matter and nutrients intake of cows was not influenced by EFE. The supplementation of EFE had improved digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, cellulose (p less than 0.01), as well as digestibility of nitrogen-free extract and acid detergent fiber, was also higher (pless than 0.05). The body weight gain of cows was higher on the supplementation of EFE in TMR. The study concluded that feeding exogenous fibrolytic enzymes (240 mg/kg) supplemented TMR improved digestibility of dry matter and nutrients, which was reflected as higher body weight gain in dry non-pregnant Gir and crossbred dairy cows.


Author(s):  
J.D. Leaver ◽  
R.C. Campling

Supplementary feeding of grazing dairy cows is often uneconomic, and whilst supplementation with silage (buffer feeding) can be worthwhile, this often leads to a depletion of winter forage stores. In this study, a mixture of brewers grains and treated straw was used as a supplement. Offered as a 1:1 mixture in the dry matter (DM), it is a purchased substitute for grass silage, having a similar cost, and similar metabolisable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) contents. The high seasonality adjustments to milk price in mid-late season make supplementation potentially worthwhile.Experiments were carried out from April to September in 1988 and 1989, which had moderate and very low rainfall respectively. Each year 20 British Friesian cows which calved December to March (1988 experiment) and February-April (1989) were allocated at random to either treatment B or C. In B, the cows were offered a 1:1 mixture (DM basis) of brewers grains and NaOH treated chopped barley straw for 60 minutes after morning milking. In C, the cows received no supplement. Both groups were fed 1.0 kg/day of concentrates in the milking parlour. Due to the severe drought in 1989, concentrate feeding was increased to 5.0 kg/day for all cows during the last 4 weeks of the experiment. Also, urea-treated whole crop wheat was fed at a level of 2.5 kg DM/day during the last 7 days.


2011 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciene Lignani Bitencourt ◽  
José Ricardo Martins Silva ◽  
Bruno Menezes Lopes de Oliveira ◽  
Gilson Sebastião Dias Júnior ◽  
Fernanda Lopes ◽  
...  

Dietary yeast supplementation may improve the digestive efficiency of ruminants, but responses depend on the yeast strain and the diet composition. Corn silage and citrus pulp are usual carbohydrate sources for dairy cows in southeast Brazil. This study evaluated the supplementation of dairy cows fedding on corn silage-citrus pulp-based diets with Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077 (Lallemand SAS, Toulouse, France). Twenty multiparous, midlactation Holstein cows were assigned to two treatments in crossover design. Treatments were: live yeast on oyster meal capable of supplying a daily minimum of 1 × 10(10) CFU per cow or oyster meal top-dressed at 10 g to the morning meal. Diet contained (% of dry matter): 16.8% crude protein, 30.9% neutral detergent fiber, 43.9% corn silage, 2% tifton hay, 14.4% steam flaked corn, 16.9% citrus pulp and 21.7% soybean meal. Yeast supplementation increased daily yields of milk (29.4 vs. 28.5 kg, p = 0.11), protein (0.939 vs. 0.908 kg, p = 0.05), and lactose (1.294 vs. 1.241 kg, p = 0.06), but did not affect milk fat contents (p = 0.59). Daily dry matter intake was 21.4 with yeast and 20.7 kg for the control (p = 0.11). Total tract apparent digestibility of the neutral detergent fiber was 48.1% with yeast and 43.2% for the control (p = 0.08). There was a trend for increased intake of digestible organic matter with yeast supplementation (p = 0.07). The positive milk protein yield response to yeast supplementation may have resulted from the increased fiber digestibility, but the response mechanism could not be elucidated.


2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 378-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco L.C. Oliveira ◽  
Raimundo A. Barrêto Júnior ◽  
Antonio H.H. Minervino ◽  
Marcondes Dias Tavares ◽  
Rodolfo Gurgel Vale ◽  
...  

Abstract: This study evaluated the effects of varying amounts of melon with high sugar content offered to sheep without prior melon experience and that were not adapted to consuming it. We used 12 eight-month-old, rumen-cannulated crossbred sheep weighing 25 kg each. The animals received a base diet of roughage, and then half were randomly selected to have 25% of their diet replaced with melon (G25%) and the other half had 75% of their diet replaced with melon (75%). Ruminal fluid was collected before administration of melon and at 0, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 h after the administration of the fruit. Sheep from the G25% group presented volatile fatty acid ruminal acidosis (sub-acute) between 3 and 6 h after consumption. This acidosis was characterized by a rumen pH slightly lower than 5.6, increased discrete L-lactic acid content, and increased redox potential (RP) and methylene blue redox (MBR) time of the ruminal fluid. The G75% group presented lactic ruminal acidosis at T6h, characterized by a rumen pH lower than 5.0, high lactate-L content, increased RP and MBR time, and increased ruminal fluid osmolarity. Therefore, offering large amounts of melon (75% of dry matter (DM)) is not recommended but 25% of DM of this fruit can be used safely.


1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 ◽  
pp. 35-35
Author(s):  
T. Yan ◽  
F. J. Gordon ◽  
L. E. R. Dawson ◽  
C. P. Ferris ◽  
R. W. J. Steen ◽  
...  

Wilting of grass prior to ensiling generally produces positive responses in dry matter (DM) intake of cattle, but the responses in animal performance are often small, or even negative. The primary objective of the present study was to compare energy utilization from heavily wilted and unwilted silages by growing cattle when given at equal metabolisable energy (ME) intakes. A secondary objective was to evaluate effects of silage additive type (inoculant v. formic acid) on energy utilization.Four silages were produced from unwilted and wilted grasses (DM 193 and 450 g/kg) obtained from a perennial ryegrass sward. The wilted grass was dried in the field for 26 hours using rapid wilting techniques involving crop conditioning and spreading. At ensiling both the unwilted and wilted grasses were each treated with two additives, a bacterial inoculant (Ecosyl, Zeneca Bioproducts Limited) and a formic acid additive (ADD-F, BP Chemicals Ltd.).


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