Effects of cornmeal or molasses supplemented with different protein sources on milk production and nitrogen utilization of organic dairy cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sixteen lactating organic Jersey cows were assigned to four replicated 4 × 4 Latin squares with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments to compare the effects of feeding cornmeal (CM) or molasses (MOL) with either flaxseed meal (Flax) or a protein mix [(PM = 11% soybean meal (SB) + 5% sunflower ...

Effects of feeding strategy on milk production, reproduction, pasture utilization, and economics of autumn-calving dairy cows in eastern North Carolina.

PubMed

Vibart, R E; Washburn, S P; Green, J T; Benson, G A; Williams, C M; Pacheco, D; Lopez-Villalobos, N

2012-02-01

A balance among stocking rate (SR), pasture management, and supplementary feeding is required to optimize overall farm performance and profitability in pasture-based dairying. Beginning in September 2003, a seasonal, autumn-calving, pasture-based farming system was established to address the effects of feeding strategy (FS; i.e., a unique combination of stocking and supplementation rate) on productive, reproductive, and economic performance of lactating herds over 3 yr. Eighty lactating cows (1/3 Holsteins, 1/3 Jerseys, and 1/3 crosses of those breeds) were randomly assigned to either a lesser stocking, lesser supplementation group [LSR; 2.2 cows/ha, 6.3 kg of dry matter (DM) of a corn-based concentrate consumed daily, n=40] or a greater stocking, greater supplementation group (HSR; 3.3 cows/ha, 9.2 kg of DM of a corn-based concentrate consumed daily, n=40). Pasture/forage crop rotations included annual ryegrass and sorghum-Sudan (50%), annual ryegrass and bermudagrass (20%), and a tall fescue-white clover pasture (30%). Pre- and postgrazing herbage mass values and grazing intervals (3,347±255.8 kg of DM/ha, 1,861±160.6 kg of DM/ha, 23.6±1.9 d) did not differ between FS. The nutritive value of fresh and conserved forages was similar between feeding strategies, except for acid detergent fiber in freshly grazed bermudagrass (29.6 vs. 26.3% of DM for LSR and HSR, respectively). Cows on HSR tended to spend more time on an adjacent feeding area where conserved forages were offered (85 vs. 61 d/yr) as opposed to grazing paddocks (204 vs. 228 d/yr). Lactation performance was greater for HSR; cows on HSR produced 10.8% more milk fat and 6.3% more milk protein than cows on LSR. Holstein cows produced the greatest amounts of mature-equivalent milk, but did not differ from crossbred cows in terms of energy-corrected milk, and mature-equivalent fat and protein yields. Reproductive efficiency did not differ among feeding strategy, but breed differences were observed; conception rates at first and all services, as well as pregnancy rates, were greater for Jersey and crossbred cows compared with Holsteins. The greater stocking rate required additional supplemental concentrate and time away from grazing paddocks, but reproductive efficiency was similar and overall lactation performance was greater. The greater stocking rate resulted in increased productivity and greater income over feed costs per unit of land. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association between Prepartum Feeding Behavior and Periparturient Health Disorders in Dairy Cows

PubMed Central

Luchterhand, Karen M.; Silva, Paula R. B.; Chebel, Ricardo C.; Endres, Marcia I.

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between prepartum feeding behavior, measured as time spent feeding per day, and periparturient health disorders, milk yield, milk composition, and milk somatic cell count in Jersey cows. Pregnant Jersey cows were marked with unique alphanumeric symbols and were moved into a prepartum group 4 weeks prior to their expected calving date. At enrollment, cows with a body condition score <2 or >4 or a locomotion score >3 were not included. Time spent feeding was measured using 10-min video scan sampling for 24-h periods of 2–4 days per week of the study. A total of 925 cows were eligible for analysis. Parity was based on lactation number at the time of enrollment and classified as nulliparous (cows pregnant with their first calf), primiparous (cows pregnant with their second calf), and multiparous (lactation ≥2). Multiparous cows with two or more health disorders spent approximately 10% less time feeding prepartum than cows that did not have any health disorders. Multiparous cows subsequently diagnosed with metritis had a tendency to spend 5% less time feeding prepartum than healthy counterparts. Primiparous cows with retained placenta had a 10% reduction in feeding time compared to healthy primiparous cows. Monitoring time spent feeding prepartum by primiparous and multiparous cows, even on a limited number of days, appeared to be beneficial in predicting cows at risk for periparturient health disorders. Real-time daily feeding behavior monitoring technologies that can be used by dairy farms are now available, which might prove to be even more helpful in identifying cows at risk for periparturient cow health disorders as more data points can be recorded for each cow and compared to her own behavior or that of specific cohorts. PMID:27597948

Evidence for increasing digestive and metabolic efficiency of energy utilization with age of dairy cattle as determined in two feeding regimes.

PubMed

Grandl, F; Zeitz, J O; Clauss, M; Furger, M; Kreuzer, M; Schwarm, A

2018-03-01

The changes taking place with age in energy turnover of dairy cattle are largely unknown. It is unclear whether the efficiency of energy utilization in digestion (characterized by faecal and methane energy losses) and in metabolism (characterized by urine and heat energy losses) is altered with age. In the present study, energy balance data were obtained from 30 lactating Brown Swiss dairy cows aged between 2 and 10 years, and 12 heifers from 0.5 to 2 years of age. In order to evaluate a possible dependence of age effects on diet type, half of the cattle each originated from two herds kept at the same farm, which were fed either on a forage-only diet or on the same forage diet but complemented with 5 kg/day of concentrate since their first calving. During 2 days, the gaseous exchange of the animals was quantified in open-circuit respiration chambers, followed by an 8-day period of feed, faeces, urine and milk collection. Daily amounts and energy contents were used to calculate complete energy balances. Age and feeding regime effects were analysed by parametric regression analysis where BW, milk yield and hay proportion in forage as consumed were considered as covariates. Relative to intake of gross energy, the availability of metabolizable energy (ME) increased with age. This was not the result of an increasing energy digestibility, but of proportionately lower energy losses with methane (following a curvilinear relationship with the greatest losses in middle-aged cows) and urine (continuously declining). The efficiency of utilization of ME for milk production (k l) increased with age. Potential reasons include an increase in the propionate-to-acetate ratio in the rumen because of a shift away from fibre degradation and methane formation as well as lower urine energy losses. The greater k l allowed older cows to accrete more energy reserves in the body. As expected, offering concentrate enhanced digestibility, metabolizability and metabolic utilization of energy. Age and feeding regime did not interact significantly. In conclusion, older cows seem to have digestive and metabolic strategies to use dietary energy to a certain degree more efficiently than younger cows.

The effect of improving cow productivity, fertility, and longevity on the global warming potential of dairy systems.

PubMed

Bell, M J; Wall, E; Russell, G; Simm, G; Stott, A W

2011-07-01

This study compared the environmental impact of a range of dairy production systems in terms of their global warming potential (GWP, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalents, CO(2)-eq.) and associated land use, and explored the efficacy of reducing said impact. Models were developed using the unique data generated from a long-term genetic line × feeding system experiment. Holstein-Friesian cows were selected to represent the UK average for milk fat plus protein production (control line) or were selected for increased milk fat plus protein production (select line). In addition, cows received a low forage diet (50% forage) with no grazing or were on a high forage (75% forage) diet with summer grazing. A Markov chain approach was used to describe the herd structure and help estimate the GWP per year and land required per cow for the 4 alternative systems and the herd average using a partial life cycle assessment. The CO(2)-eq. emissions were expressed per kilogram of energy-corrected milk (ECM) and per hectare of land use, as well as land required per kilogram of ECM. The effects of a phenotypic and genetic standard deviation unit improvement on herd feed utilization efficiency, ECM yield, calving interval length, and incidence of involuntary culling were assessed. The low forage (nongrazing) feeding system with select cows produced the lowest CO(2)-eq. emissions of 1.1 kg/kg of ECM and land use of 0.65 m(2)/kg of ECM but the highest CO(2)-eq. emissions of 16.1t/ha of the production systems studied. Within the herd, an improvement of 1 standard deviation in feed utilization efficiency was the only trait of those studied that would significantly reduce the reliance of the farming system on bought-in synthetic fertilizer and concentrate feed, as well as reduce the average CO(2)-eq. emissions and land use of the herd (both by about 6.5%, of which about 4% would be achievable through selective breeding). Within production systems, reductions in CO(2)-eq. emissions per kilogram of ECM and CO(2)-eq. emissions per hectare were also achievable by an improvement in feed utilization. This study allowed development of models that harness the biological trait variation in the animal to improve the environmental impact of the farming system. Genetic selection for efficient feed use for milk production according to feeding system can bring about reductions in system nutrient requirements, CO(2)-eq. emissions, and land use per unit product. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Beyond Necrotizing Enterocolitis: Other Clinical Advantages of an Exclusive Human Milk Diet.

PubMed

Hair, Amy B; Rechtman, David J; Lee, Martin L; Niklas, Victoria

2018-06-07

Articles previously published by Sullivan et al. and Cristofalo et al. were reanalyzed using the proportion of cow milk-based nutrition received to determine whether that affected clinical outcomes during hospitalization for infants birth weight 500-1250 g. Abrams et al. showed in the same cohort incidences of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), NEC requiring surgery and sepsis increased proportionally to the amount of dietary cow milk. The data from the two studies conducted under essentially the same protocol were combined yielding a cohort of 260 infants receiving a diet ranging from 0% to 100% cow milk. Data analysis utilized negative binomial regression which mitigates differences between subjects in terms of their time on study by incorporating that number into the statistical model. The percent of cow milk-based nutrition was the only predictor investigated. For all outcomes the larger the amount of cow's milk in the diet the greater the number of days of that intervention required. A trend toward statistical significance was seen for ventilator days; however, only parenteral nutrition (PN) days and days to full feeds achieved statistical significance. Incorporation of any cow milk-based nutrition into the diet of extremely premature infants correlates with more days on PN and a longer time to achieve full feeds. There was a nonstatistically significant trend toward increased ventilator days. These represent additional clinical consequences of the use of any cow milk-based protein in feeding EP infants.

Suitability of feeding and chewing time for estimation of feed intake in dairy cows.

PubMed

Pahl, C; Hartung, E; Grothmann, A; Mahlkow-Nerge, K; Haeussermann, A

2016-09-01

Monitoring of feeding and rumination behaviour can provide useful information for dairy herd management. The feeding behaviour of dairy cows can be recorded by different techniques, such as video cameras, weighing troughs or chewing sensors. Among feeding characteristics, individual feed intake of cows is of utmost interest, but as weighing troughs have high space and cost requirements they are used primarily in research studies. The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether records on feeding time or chewing activity or a combination of both contain enough information to estimate feed intake with sufficient accuracy. Feed intake and feeding time per cow were recorded by means of weighing troughs. Concurrently, chewing activity of seven cows was recorded by MSR-ART pressure sensors during five to eight measuring days per cow. Feeding and chewing behaviour were evaluated in time slots (1 min) and additionally assigned to feeding bouts for further analysis. The 1 min time slots were classified into feeding/no feeding or chewing/no chewing by the two systems, and agreement was found in 92.2% of the records. On average, cows spent 270±39 min/day at the feeding troughs and chewed 262±48 min/day. The average fresh matter intake (FMI) was 49.6±5.1 kg/day. Feed intake was divided into 9.7 bouts/day during which cows fed in average 27.8±21.7 min/bout and chewed 27.0±23.1 min/bout. The correlation between FMI and feeding time was r=0.891 and between FMI and chewing time r=0.780 overall cows. Hence, both systems delivered suitable information for estimating feed intake.

Robotic milking: Feeding strategies and economic returns.

PubMed

Bach, Alex; Cabrera, Victor

2017-09-01

Cows in herds equipped with conventional milking parlors follow a structured, consistent, and social milking and feeding routine. Furthermore, in most cases cows in conventional herds receive all their nutrients from a total mixed ration, whereas in herds equipped with robotic or automatic milking systems (AMS) a fraction of their nutrients is provided during milking, mainly as a means to attract cows to the milking system. In this regards, AMS present both a challenge and an opportunity for feeding cows. The main challenge resides in maintaining a minimum and relatively constant milking frequency in AMS. However, milking frequency is dependent on many factors, including the social structure of the herd, the farm layout design, the type of traffic imposed to cows, the type of flooring, the health status of the cow (especially lameness, but also mastitis, metritis, among others), the stage of lactation, the parity, and the type of ration fed at the feed bunk and the concentrate offered in the AMS. Uneven milk frequency has been associated with milk losses and increased risk of mastitis, but most importantly it is a lost opportunity for milking the cow and generating profit. On the other hand, the opportunity from AMS resides in the possibility of milking more frequently and feeding cows more precisely or more closely to their nutrient needs on an individual basis, potentially resulting in a more profitable production system. But, feeding cows in the parlor or AMS has many challenges. On one side, feeding starchy, highly palatable ingredients in large amounts may upset rumen fermentation or alter feeding behavior after milking, whereas feeding high-fiber concentrates may compromise total energy intake and limit milking performance. Nevertheless, AMS (and some milking parlors, especially rotary ones) offer the possibility of feeding the cows to their estimated individual nutrient needs by combining different feeds on real time with the aim of maximizing profits rather than milk yield. This approach requires that not only the amount of feed offered to each cow but also the composition of the feed vary according to the different nutrient needs of the cows. This review discusses the opportunities and pitfalls of milking and feeding cows in an AMS and summarizes different feeding strategies to maximize profits by managing the nutrition of the cows individually. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of corn silage particle size, supplemental hay, and forage-to-concentrate ratio on rumen pH, feed preference, and milk fat profile of dairy cattle.

PubMed

Kmicikewycz, A D; Harvatine, K J; Heinrichs, A J

2015-07-01

Two experiments (Exp.) were conducted to study effects of feeding long or short corn silage total mixed rations (TMR) on rumen pH, feed preference, and dairy cow performance and to determine the rate of recovery from grain-induced subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA). Both experiments utilized a crossover design with 12 lactating, multiparous, Holstein cows each (including 4 ruminally cannulated cows) and consisted of two 26-d periods. Each period consisted of 12d of adaptation followed by 14d of data collection. Each period was divided into 4 phases: adaptation, d 1 to 12; baseline, d 13 to 14; challenge, d 15 to 19; and recovery, d 20 to 26. Treatments in Exp. 1 were TMR based on corn silage with long (L) or short (ST) particle size in a 65:35 forage-to-concentrate (F:C) diet. Treatments in Exp. 2 were TMR based on corn silage with short (SH) or long (LH) particle size in a 65:35 F:C diet with 3.3% (DM basis) orchardgrass hay offered as a supplement to the diet. In both experiments, during the challenge phase cows received a 50:50 F:C diet to initiate SARA. Animals were housed individually, milked twice per day, and fed once per day for 10% refusal rate on an as-fed basis. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS. Feeding L and LH diets increased acetate-to-propionate ratio in the rumen, which resulted in the maintenance of a ratio >2 from the start of the SARA challenge through recovery. In Exp. 1, feeding long corn silage TMR resulted in lower milk fat concentration on the third day of the challenge, whereas cows fed short corn silage TMR had lower milk fat concentration on the final day of the challenge compared with d 13. Providing supplemental hay to cows fed TMR based on long or short corn silage in Exp. 2 prevented acidosis when cows were challenged with a high-grain diet. Milk fat concentrations substantially decreased during the challenge phase in both diets supplemented with hay, but feeding LH did not lower milk fat concentrations until d 20 compared with d 17 for cows fed SH. Under the conditions of these experiments, cows selected for shorter particles compared with longer particles, despite the rumen challenge. However, when feeding a 50:50 F:C diet, feeding long corn silage TMR or supplementing the diet with grass hay increased rumen pH, acetate-to-propionate ratio in the rumen, and rate of recovery from SARA. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study on Intelligent Multi-concentrates Feeding System for Dairy Cow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Yinfa; Wang, Ranran; Song, Zhanhua; Yan, Shitao; Li, Fa-De

To implement precision feeding for dairy cow, an intelligent multi-concentrates feeding system was developed. The system consists of two parts, one is precision ingredients control subsystem, the other is multi-concentrates discharge subsystem. The former controls the latter with 4 stepper motors. The precision ingredients control subsystem was designed based on Samsung S3C2440 ARM9 microprocessor and WinCE5.0 embedded operating system. The feeding system identifies the dairy cow with passive transponder using RFID (Radio frequency identification) reader. According to the differences of based diet intake and individual dairy cow milk yield, the system can automatically and quantificationally discharge 4 kinds of different concentrates on the basis of the cow identification ID. The intelligent multi-concentrates feeding system for dairy cow has been designed and implemented. According to the experiment results, the concentrate feeding error is less than 5%, the cow inditification delay time is less than 0.5s and the cow inditification error rate is less than 0.01%.

Feed handling of lactating crossbred cows maintained in a semi-arid region during the hot season: physiological parameters, ingestive behavior and performance.

PubMed

de Paula Xavier de Andrade, Rafael; de Andrade Ferreira, Marcelo; de Azevedo, Marcílio; da Silva, Emmanuelle Cordeiro; Urbano, Stela Antas; da Conceição, Maria Gabriela; de Lima Silva, Janaina

2017-01-01

The effects of time of feed delivery (14.00 hours; 14.00 and 20.00 hours; 16.00 and 18.00 hours) on the physiological parameters, ingestive behavior, nutrient intake and production of lactating cows maintained in a semi-arid region during the hot season were evaluated. Regardless of treatment, all animals received the first feeding supply at 06.00 hours. Eight cows with an average body weight of 600 kg, average milk yield of 20 kg/day and 80 days in milk were utilized. The rectal temperature, respiratory rate and sweating rate were not affected (P > 0.05), with average values of 38.5°C, 53.8 movements/min and 104 g/m 2 /h respectively. There was no effect (P > 0.05) on the eating time (314 min/day), ruminating time (564 min/day), drinking time (61 min/day) and idle time (502 min/day). Similarly, the intake of nutrients and performance of lactating cows were not affected (P > 0.05), with average dry matter intake of 19.8 kg/day, 4% fat-corrected milk of 20.6 kg/day and milk fat concentration of 4.03 g/100 g. Since the behavior and performance have not altered, any times of feed delivery evaluated could be used to crossbred Holstein × Zebu cows maintained on a feedlot in semi-arid regions during the hot season. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Replacing alfalfa or red clover silage with birdsfoot trefoil silage in total mixed rations increases production of lactating dairy cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to compare effects of feeding silage made from birdsfoot trefoil (BFT), selected for low (LBFT), normal (NBFT) and high (HBFT) levels of condensed tannins (CT), to feeding silage made from alfalfa (AL) or red clover (RC) on milk production and nutrient utilization in ...

Feed efficiency - how should it be used for the cow herd?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In cows, the most critical factor influencing the output component of efficiency is reproductive rate, and not necessarily weight gain. Thus benefits of selecting animals with desirable measures of feed efficiency on cow efficiency remain to be determined. The feed input component of cow efficiency...

Effect of a nutritional reconditioning program for thin dairy cattle on body weight, carcass quality, and fecal pathogen shedding.

PubMed

Maier, Gabriele U; Hoar, Bruce R; Stull, Carolyn L; Kass, Philip H; Villanueva, Veronica; Maas, John

2011-12-15

To assess changes in body weight, carcass quality, and fecal pathogen shedding in cull dairy cows fed a high-energy ration for 28 or 56 days prior to slaughter. Randomized clinical trial. 31 adult Holstein dairy cows. Cows were randomly assigned to a control (immediate slaughter) group or a 28-day or 56-day feeding group. Cows in the feeding groups received a high-energy feed and were weighed every 7 days. Carcasses were evaluated by USDA employees. Fecal and blood samples were collected at the start and end of the feeding periods. Body condition score and adjusted preliminary yield grade were significantly increased in both feeding groups, compared with values for the control group; body weight, hot carcass weight, dressing percentage, and ribeye area were significantly increased after 56 days, but not after 28 days, compared with values for the control group. Average daily gain and marbling score were significantly lower after feeding for 28 days versus after 56 days. Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 shedding in feces decreased from 14% to 5.6%, but this difference was not significant. Cows seropositive for antibodies against bovine leukemia virus that had signs of lymphoma and lame cows had a low average daily gain. Net loss was $71.32/cow and $112.80/cow for the 28-day and 56-day feeding groups, respectively. Feeding market dairy cows improved body condition and carcass quality. Cows seropositive for antibodies against bovine leukemia virus that have signs of lymphoma and lame cows might be poor candidates for reconditioning.

Effects of feed delivery frequency in different environmental conditions on time budget of lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Mattachini, Gabriele; Bava, Luciana; Sandrucci, Anna; Tamburini, Alberto; Riva, Elisabetta; Provolo, Giorgio

2017-08-01

This study aimed to examine the influence of feed delivery frequency and environmental conditions on daily time budget of lactating dairy cows. The study was carried out in two commercial dairy farms with Holstein herds. Fifty lactating dairy cows milked in automatic milking units (AMS farm) and 96 primiparous lactating dairy cows milked in a conventional milking parlour (conventional farm) were exposed to different frequencies of feed delivery replicated in different periods of the year (warm and mild) that were characterized by different temperature-humidity indices (THI). On each farm, feeding treatments consisted of two different feed delivery frequencies (1× and 2× on the AMS farm; 2× and 3× on the conventional farm). All behaviours of the cows were monitored for the last 8 d of each treatment period using continuous video recording. The two data sets from different farm systems were considered separately for analysis. On both farms, environmental conditions expressed as THI affected time budgets and the pattern of the behavioural indices throughout the day. The variation in the frequency of feed delivery seems to affect the cow's time budget only in a limited way. Standing time of cows on the conventional farm and the time spent by cows in the milking waiting area on the AMS farm both increased in response to increased feeding frequency. Although feed delivery frequency showed limited influence on cow's time budget, the effect on standing time could be carefully considered, especially on farms equipped with AMS where the type of cow traffic system (e.g., milking first) might amplify the negative consequences of more frequent feed delivery. Further investigations are required to evaluate the effect of THI and feed delivery frequency on other aspects of behavioural activity.

Interactions between negative energy balance, metabolic diseases, uterine health and immune response in transition dairy cows.

PubMed

Esposito, Giulia; Irons, Pete C; Webb, Edward C; Chapwanya, Aspinas

2014-01-30

The biological cycles of milk production and reproduction determine dairying profitability thus making management decisions dynamic and time-dependent. Diseases also negatively impact on net earnings of a dairy enterprise. Transition cows in particular face the challenge of negative energy balance (NEB) and/or disproportional energy metabolism (fatty liver, ketosis, subacute, acute ruminal acidosis); disturbed mineral utilization (milk fever, sub-clinical hypocalcemia); and perturbed immune function (retained placenta, metritis, mastitis). Consequently NEB and reduced dry matter intake are aggravated. The combined effects of all these challenges are reduced fertility and milk production resulting in diminishing profits. Risk factors such as NEB, inflammation and impairment of the immune response are highly cause-and-effect related. Thus, managing cows during the transition period should be geared toward reducing NEB or feeding specially formulated diets to improve immunity. Given that all cows experience a reduced feed intake and body condition, infection and inflammation of the uterus after calving, there is a need for further research on the immunology of transition dairy cows. Integrative approaches at the molecular, cellular and animal level may unravel the complex interactions between disturbed metabolism and immune function that predispose cows to periparturient diseases. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetic architecture of feed efficiency in mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to explore the genetic architecture and biological basis of feed efficiency in lactating Holstein cows. In total, 4,918 cows with actual or imputed genotypes for 60,671 SNP had individual feed intake, milk yield, milk composition, and body weight records. Cows were ...

The genetic and biological basis of feed efficiency in mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to characterize the genetic architecture and biological basis of feed efficiency in lactating Holstein cows. In total, 4,916 cows with actual or imputed genotypes for 60,671 SNP had individual feed intake, milk yield, milk composition, and body weight records. Cows we...

Feeding behavior improves prediction of dairy cow voluntary feed intake but cannot serve as the sole indicator.

PubMed

Halachmi, I; Ben Meir, Y; Miron, J; Maltz, E

2016-09-01

Low-cost feeding-behavior sensors will soon be available for commercial use in dairy farms. The aim of this study was to develop a feed intake model for the individual dairy cow that includes feeding behavior. In a research farm, the individual cows' voluntary feed intake and feeding behavior were monitored at every meal. A feed intake model was developed based on data that exist in commercial modern farms: 'BW,' 'milk yield' and 'days in milking' parameters were applied in this study. At the individual cow level, eating velocity seemed to be correlated with feed intake (R 2=0.93 to 0.94). The eating velocity coefficient varied among individuals, ranging from 150 to 230 g/min per cow. The contribution of feeding behavior (0.28) to the dry matter intake (DMI) model was higher than the contribution of BW (0.20), similar to the contribution of fat-corrected milk (FCM)/BW (0.29) and not as large as the contribution of FCM (0.49). Incorporating feeding behavior into the DMI model improved its accuracy by 1.3 (38%) kg/cow per day. The model is ready to be implemented in commercial farms as soon as companies introduce low-cost feeding-behavior sensors on commercial level.

Production and feeding strategies for phosphorus management on dairy farms.

PubMed

Rotz, C A; Sharpley, A N; Satter, L D; Gburek, W J; Sanderson, M A

2002-11-01

Long-term accumulation of soil phosphorus (P) is becoming a concern on some watersheds heavily populated with animal feeding facilities, including dairy farms. Management changes in crop production and feeding may help reduce the accumulation of excess P, but farm profitability must be maintained or improved to assure adoption of such changes. Whole-farm simulation was used to evaluate the long-term effects of changes in feeding, cropping, and other production strategies on P loading and the economics of 100-cow and 800-cow dairy farms in southeastern New York. Simulated farms maintained a long-term P balance if the following occurred: 1) animals were fed to meet recommended minimum amounts of dietary P, 2) the cropping strategy and land base supplied all of the forage needed, 3) all animals were fed a high forage diet, and 4) replacement heifers were produced on the farm to utilize more forage. The most easily implemented change was to reduce the supplemental mineral P fed to that required to meet current NRC recommended amounts, and this provided an annual increase in farm profit of about $22/cow. Intensifying the use of grassland and improving grazing practices increased profit along with a small reduction in excess P. Conversion from dairy production to heifer raising or expansion from 100 cows to a 250-cow "state-of-the-art" confinement facility (with a 70% increase in land area) were also profitable options. These options provided a long-term P balance for the farm as long as the production and use of forage was maximized and minimum dietary P amounts were those recommended by the NRC. Thus, management changes can be made to prevent the long-term accumulation of soil P on dairy farms while improving farm profitability.

Behavior of cows during and after peak feeding time on organic and conventional dairy farms in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Langford, F M; Rutherford, K M D; Sherwood, L; Jack, M C; Lawrence, A B; Haskell, M J

2011-02-01

The behavior of groups of housed, lactating dairy cattle was observed over 2 winter housing periods on 20 organic farms and 20 conventional farms in the United Kingdom. Three methods were used: (1) 6 video-clips of 10 min duration were captured of cows feeding at sections of the feed-bunk face during the peak feeding period (0 to 90 min) and continuously observed for aggressive interactions among cows; (2) the proportion of cows at the feed-bunk face was scanned every 15 min for 4.5h to include the peak feeding period (0 to 255 min); and (3) all nonfeeding behaviors were scanned every 15 min for 2.5h after the peak feeding period (120 to 255 min). The latter scans were analyzed post hoc for measures of cow comfort (freestall farms only). Management and health data were collected on each farm. On farms with open-fronted feed-bunk faces, a greater number of aggressive interactions occurred at the feed-bunk face at peak feeding time on organic farms than on conventional farms (organic = 36.3 ± 4.4; conventional = 29.1 ± 3.0). Higher proportions of cows were at the feed-bunk face at peak feeding on organic farms than on conventional farms (organic=0.58 ± 0.04; conventional=0.48 ± 0.03). Housing type (freestall versus straw pen) explained most differences in postfeeding behavior (proportion of ruminating cow in alleyways: freestalls=0.16±0.06 vs. straw-pen=0.08 ± 0.03), with few differences between organic and conventional herds. On freestall farms, the proportions of cows on organic farms lying down postfeeding was smaller than in conventional herds (organic=0.38 ± 0.09 vs. conventional=0.43 ± 0.07). Differences in behavior around peak feeding time could be associated with the reduction in food "quality" on organic farms compared with the energy requirement of the cows, with cows on organic farms being highly motivated to feed. A correlation was observed between farms that had high amounts of lying and farms that had high lameness prevalence (R(2)=55.3), suggesting a complex relationship between comfort and pain. Overall, the behavior of dairy cows on organic farms was not different from that of conventionally reared cows, and the results suggest that most behavioral welfare problems relating to housing could be alleviated by management practices. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Case Study of Behaviour and Performance of Confined or Pastured Cows During the Dry Period

PubMed Central

Black, Randi A.; Krawczel, Peter D.

2016-01-01

Simple Summary Pasture and freestall systems offer benefits and consequences during lactation but have not been investigated during the dry period. The effect of pasture or confined systems during the dry period on behaviour and milk quality was investigated. Freestall housing resulted in more resting behaviour and less locomotor activity during the dry period compared to pastured cows. At calving, freestall housed cows performed fewer lying bouts and less locomotor activity compared to pastured cows. Pasture resulted in less aggression around feeding but high respiration rates during peak heat times. Pasture during the dry period altered lying behavior, reduced feed bunk aggression and increased heat stress behaviors. Abstract The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of the dry cow management system (pasture or confined) on: (1) lying behaviour and activity; (2) feeding and heat stress behaviours; (3) intramammary infections, postpartum. Non-lactating Holstein cows were assigned to either deep-bedded, sand freestalls (n = 14) or pasture (n = 14) using rolling enrollment. At dry-off, cows were equipped with an accelerometer to determine daily lying time (h/d), lying bouts (bouts/d), steps (steps/d) and divided into periods: far-off (60 to 15 d prepartum), close-up (14 to 1 d prepartum), calving (calving date) and postpartum (1 to 14 d postpartum). Respiration rates were recorded once weekly from dry off to calving from 1300 to 1500 h. Feeding displacements were defined as one cow successfully displacing another from the feed bunk and were recorded once per week during the 2 h period, immediately after feeding at 800 h. Pastured cows were fed a commercial dry cow pellet during far-off and total mixed ration during close-up, with free access to hay and grazing. Freestall housed cows were fed a total mixed ration at far-off and close-up. Cows housed in freestalls were moved to a maternity pen with a mattress at commencement of labour. Pastured cows calved in pasture. After calving, all cows were commingled in a pen identical to the freestall housing treatment. Cows housed in freestalls laid down for longer during far-off and close-up periods, had fewer lying bouts during the calving period and took fewer steps throughout the study period when compared to pastured cows. Freestall housed cows experienced more displacements after feeding than did pastured cows. Respiration rates increased with an increasing temperature humidity index, more in pastured cows than in freestall housed cows. Pastured cows altered their lying behaviour and activity, suggesting a shift in time budget priorities between pastured and confined dry cows. Pastured cows also experienced less aggression around feeding but may be more susceptible to heat stress. PMID:27420102

Associations of farm management practices with annual milk sales on smallholder dairy farms in Kenya.

PubMed

Richards, Shauna; VanLeeuwen, John; Shepelo, Getrude; Gitau, George Karuoya; Kamunde, Collins; Uehlinger, Fabienne; Wichtel, Jeff

2015-01-01

Cows on smallholder dairy farms (SDF) in developing countries such as Kenya typically produce volumes of milk that are well below their genetic potential. An epidemiological study was conducted to determine reasons for this low milk production, including limited use of best management practices, such as suboptimal nutritional management. An observational cross-sectional study of 111 SDF was performed in Nyeri County, Kenya in June of 2013 determining the effect of cow factors, farmer demographics and farm management practices on the volume of milk sold per cow per year (kg milk sold/cow). In particular, the effect of feeding high protein fodder trees and other nutritional management practices were examined. Approximatly 38% of farmers fed fodder trees, but such feeding was not associated with volume of milk sold per cow, likely due to the low number of fodder trees per farm. Volume of milk sold per cow was positively associated with feeding dairy meal during the month prior to calving, feeding purchased hay during the past year, deworming cows every 4 or more months (as opposed to more regularly), and having dairy farming as the main source of family income. Volume of milk sold per cow was negatively associated with a household size of >5 people and feeding Napier grass at >2 meters in height during the dry season. An interaction between gender of the principal farmer and feed shortages was noted; volume of milk sold per cow was lower when female farmers experienced feed shortages whereas milk sold per cow was unaffected when male farmers experienced feed shortages. These demographic and management risk factors should be considered by smallholder dairy farmers and their advisors when developing strategies to improve income from milk sales and animal-source food availability for the farming families.

Increased feeding frequency increased milk fat yield and may reduce the severity of subacute ruminal acidosis in higher-risk cows.

PubMed

Macmillan, K; Gao, X; Oba, M

2017-02-01

The objectives of this study were to determine whether feeding behavior is different between cows at higher or lower risk for subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) and whether increasing feeding frequency could be used to reduce the severity of SARA in higher-risk cows. In preliminary studies, 16 ruminally cannulated lactating cows were fed high-grain diets once per day to increase the risk of SARA. After a 17-d diet adaptation, ruminal pH was measured every 30 s over 24 h. Cows were classified as higher-risk (n = 7) or lower-risk (n = 9) for SARA based on an acidosis index (area of pH <5.8/dry matter intake). Feeding behavior was recorded every 5 min over the same 24 h. The 24-h observation period was analyzed in 3 periods of 8 h after feeding. Although there was no significant difference in overall dry matter intake, higher-risk cows spent more time eating in the first 8-h period after feeding than lower-risk cows (186 vs. 153 min) and less time eating in the third 8-h period (19 vs. 43 min). In the primary experiment, 8 ruminally cannulated lactating cows were fed a high-grain diet once per day (1×; 0800 h) or 3 times per day (3×; 0800, 1500, and 2000 h) in a crossover design with 21-d periods (16 d of treatment adaptation and 5 d of data collection). Rumen pH and feeding behavior were measured over 72 h. Behavior data were summarized separately for the 3 periods (0800 to 1500, 1500 to 2200, and 2200 to 0800 h). Four cows were categorized as higher-risk and 4 as lower-risk, based on their acidosis index. The 3× feeding reduced eating time between 0800 and 1500 h (99 vs. 145 min) and increased eating time between 2200 and 0800 h (76 vs. 43 min) for all cows, regardless of category, compared with 1× feeding. For higher-risk cows, 3× feeding reduced the area below pH 5.8 (51 vs. 98 pH × min/d), but it did not affect rumen pH for the lower-risk cows. Milk yield was not different between groups, but 3× feeding increased milk fat yield (1.22 vs. 1.08 kg/d) for all cows, regardless of category, compared to 1× feeding. Our results suggest that cows at higher risk for SARA eat less evenly throughout the day; increasing feeding frequency may reduce the severity of SARA in higher-risk cows and may also increase milk fat yield. The Authors. Published by the Federation of Animal Science Societies and Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).

A Case Study of Behaviour and Performance of Confined or Pastured Cows During the Dry Period.

PubMed

Black, Randi A; Krawczel, Peter D

2016-07-13

The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of the dry cow management system (pasture or confined) on: (1) lying behaviour and activity; (2) feeding and heat stress behaviours; (3) intramammary infections, postpartum. Non-lactating Holstein cows were assigned to either deep-bedded, sand freestalls ( n = 14) or pasture ( n = 14) using rolling enrollment. At dry-off, cows were equipped with an accelerometer to determine daily lying time (h/d), lying bouts (bouts/d), steps (steps/d) and divided into periods: far-off (60 to 15 d prepartum), close-up (14 to 1 d prepartum), calving (calving date) and postpartum (1 to 14 d postpartum). Respiration rates were recorded once weekly from dry off to calving from 1300 to 1500 h. Feeding displacements were defined as one cow successfully displacing another from the feed bunk and were recorded once per week during the 2 h period, immediately after feeding at 800 h. Pastured cows were fed a commercial dry cow pellet during far-off and total mixed ration during close-up, with free access to hay and grazing. Freestall housed cows were fed a total mixed ration at far-off and close-up. Cows housed in freestalls were moved to a maternity pen with a mattress at commencement of labour. Pastured cows calved in pasture. After calving, all cows were commingled in a pen identical to the freestall housing treatment. Cows housed in freestalls laid down for longer during far-off and close-up periods, had fewer lying bouts during the calving period and took fewer steps throughout the study period when compared to pastured cows. Freestall housed cows experienced more displacements after feeding than did pastured cows. Respiration rates increased with an increasing temperature humidity index, more in pastured cows than in freestall housed cows. Pastured cows altered their lying behaviour and activity, suggesting a shift in time budget priorities between pastured and confined dry cows. Pastured cows also experienced less aggression around feeding but may be more susceptible to heat stress.

Study on evaluation of silage from pineapple (Ananas comosus) fruit residue as livestock feed.

PubMed

Gowda, Nisarani Kollurappa Shivakumar; Vallesha, Naglapura Chandrashekara; Awachat, Vaibhav Bhagvan; Anandan, Samireddypalli; Pal, Din Taran; Prasad, Cadaba Srinivasa

2015-03-01

Pineapple is a commercially important fruit crop grown in Asian and African countries. Pineapple fruit residue (PFR) accounts for more than 65% of the processed fruits, and its disposal is a major problem due to its high moisture and sugar content predisposing it to fungal growth and spoilage. Silage technique was adopted to address this problem, and the PFR silage was evaluated for its feeding value. It was observed that on 15th day, the pH of PFR silage was 4.2-4.3 and lactic acid content was 6-8% (DM basis). Combination of 4 parts leafy crown and 1 part peels/pomace was found very ideal to achieve moisture content of 65-70% and produced a good quality silage with minimum fungal count (<3-4 colony forming units) on 15th day of ensiling. Nutritive value in terms of energy and minerals was superior to maize green fodder. Feeding trial in two groups of sheep with 10 numbers in each group fed total mixed ration (TMR) comprising 62% PFR/maize silage and 48% concentrate mixture (DM basis) for 75-day period did not show any adverse effects on nutrient utilization (DM, CP, NDF, ADF), serum biochemical (total protein, creatinine, urea nitrogen, SGOT, SGPT), and mineral profile (Ca, P, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mn) and supported a daily growth rate of 140 g. The overall performance was similar to those sheep fed TMR with maize green fodder silage. Feeding PFR silage replacing hybrid napier green fodder in two groups of cows with eight in each group showed an improvement in average daily milk yield by 3.0 lit per cow and fat content by 0.6 U fed PFR silage-based TMR as compared to cows fed hybrid napier green fodder-based TMR. In both studies (sheep or cows), there was no evidence of metabolic or health-related disorders indicating that PFR silage was effectively utilized. Pineapple fruit residue that was hitherto wasted was successfully converted to silage and was found to be a valuable alternative to conventional green fodder. Ensiling of PFR not only improved the economics of feeding but also helped in overcoming the disposal problem.

The effects of high-sugar ryegrass/red clover silage diets on intake, production, digestibility, and N utilization in dairy cows, as measured in vivo and predicted by the NorFor model.

PubMed

Bertilsson, J; Åkerlind, M; Eriksson, T

2017-10-01

Grass silage-based diets often result in poor nitrogen utilization when fed to dairy cows. Perennial ryegrass cultivars with high concentrations of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) have proven potential for correcting this imbalance when fed fresh, and have also been shown to increase feed intake, milk production, and N utilization. The possibility of achieving corresponding effects with silage-based diets was investigated in change-over experiments in an incomplete block design with 16 (yr 1) or 12 (yr 2) Swedish Red dairy cows in mid lactation. Measurements on N excretion and rumen parameters were performed on subgroups of 8 and 4 cows, respectively. In yr 1, 2 ryegrass cultivars (standard = Fennema; high-WSC = Aberdart) and 2 cuts (first and second) were compared. In all treatments, ryegrass silage was mixed 75/25 on a dry matter (DM) basis, with red clover silage before feeding out. In yr 2, 1 basic mixture from the different cuts of these 2 cultivars was used and experimental factors were red clover silage inclusion (25 or 50%) and sucrose addition (0 or 10%) on a silage DM basis. Differences in WSC concentration in the silage mixtures in yr 1 were minor, whereas the differences between cuts were more substantial: 100 compared with 111 g/kg of DM for first-cut silage and 39 compared with 47 g/kg of DM for second-cut silage. The silages fed in yr 2 had a WSC concentration of 115 or 102 g/kg of DM (25 or 50% red clover, respectively), but when sucrose was added WSC concentration reached 198 and 189 g/kg of DM, respectively. Milk production (kg/d) did not differ between treatments in either year. Red clover inclusion to 50% of silage DM increased milk protein. Nitrogen efficiency (milk N/feed N) increased from 0.231 to 0.254 with sucrose inclusion in yr 2 (average for the 2 red clover levels). Overall rumen pH was 5.99 and increased sucrose level did not affect pH level or daily pH pattern. Sucrose addition reduced neutral detergent fiber digestibility, particularly at higher inclusion rates of clover. Rumen pool of total purines did not differ between treatments, nor did protein production assessed from urinary allantoin. The NorFor feed evaluation model overestimated digestibility of neutral detergent fiber and N, but underestimated N excretion in feces. We concluded that addition of WSC to dairy cow diets at levels up to 3 kg of WSC per day (>14% of DM) does not dramatically affect cow performance. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Supplementation with Ca salts of soybean oil interacts with concentrate level in grazing dairy cows: intake, ingestive behavior, and ruminal parameters.

PubMed

Macedo, Fernanda Lopes; Batistel, Fernanda; de Souza, Jonas; Chagas, Lucas Jado; Santos, Flávio Augusto Portela

2016-12-01

In this study, we investigated the associative effects of concentrate levels and Ca salts of soybean oil (CSSO) supplementation on performance and ruminal parameters of mid-lactation dairy cows grazing on tropical pasture. Twenty-four Jersey × Holstein cows were used in a randomized block design and assigned to four treatments arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Factors evaluated were concentrate levels (low, 3 kg/day vs. high, 7 kg/day of concentrate) and CSSO supplementation (without CSSO vs. with 250 g CSSO cow/day). All cows grazed on elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Cameroon) and received the supplemental treatments for a 90-day period. The high concentrate level decreased forage intake and grazing time. In addition, the high concentrate level increased rumen propionate concentration and microbial synthesis and tended to decrease ammonia-N compared with low concentrate level. The addition of CSSO tended to decrease valerate, isobutyrate, isovalerate, and microbial synthesis. In conclusion, feeding CSSO for mid lactating cows grazing on tropical pasture had negative effects on rumen function. In contrast, CSSO supplementation tended to interact with concentrate level and increased energy intake when fed at low concentrate level. Feeding the high level of concentrate was an effective strategy to increase energy intake and microbial synthesis and improve N utilization.

Short communication: Rumination and feeding behaviors differ between healthy and sick dairy cows during the transition period.

PubMed

Schirmann, K; Weary, D M; Heuwieser, W; Chapinal, N; Cerri, R L A; von Keyserlingk, M A G

2016-12-01

The objectives of this study were: (1) to describe the rumination and feeding behavior of freestall-housed Holstein dairy cows in the weeks around parturition, and (2) to determine the relationship between postpartum disease and precalving rumination and feeding behavior. Eighty cows were enrolled at approximately 2wk (18±7d, mean ± standard deviation) before calving. Using automatic monitoring systems, rumination and feeding behavior were recorded continuously from 10d before until 3wk after calving. Postpartum health checks were performed each day, and metritis assessment was conducted 2 times/wk. Blood β-hydroxybutyrate was measured 3 times/week, and cows with ≥1.2mmol/L during the first 14d postpartum were diagnosed as having subclinical ketosis. The final data set included 64 cows in 5 groups: healthy (n=20), metritis (n=18), subclinical ketosis (SCK; n=9), metritis+SCK (n=9), and >1 health problem and not included before (MULT, n=8). We compared rumination and feeding data between healthy cows and the 4 categories of ill animals in each of 4 periods relative to calving: precalving (d -7 to -2), period 1 (d 3 to 8 postpartum), period 2 (d 9 to 14 postpartum), and period 3 (d 15 to 20 postpartum). Cows with SCK spent less time ruminating during the precalving period. Compared with healthy cows, those with SCK and metritis+SCK had lower dry matter intake during the precalving period and continued to eat less until d 14 and d 20 postpartum, respectively. Cows with metritis and MULT cows had lower dry matter intake during the first 2wk postpartum. Precalving feeding time was lower for SCK, metritis+SCK, and MULT cows compared with healthy cows. The difference in feeding time between healthy and metritis+SCK cows had disappeared by period 2 and between all health categories except MULT by period 3. MULT cows visited the feed bins less often and were less often replaced at the feed bin throughout all 4 periods of the study. Automatic monitoring of intake and rumination showed promise for the detection of health problems after calving. We observed differences in precalving rumination and feeding behavior. Further research is necessary to better understand the onset of behavioral changes and the relationship between rumination and disease. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of plane of nutrition and feed deprivation on insulin responses in dairy cattle during late gestation.

PubMed

Schoenberg, K M; Ehrhardt, R M; Overton, T R

2012-02-01

Nonlactating Holstein cows (n=12) in late pregnancy were used to determine effects of plane of nutrition followed by feed deprivation on metabolic responses to insulin. Beginning 48 d before expected parturition, cows were fed to either a high plane (HP) or a low plane (LP) of nutrition (162 and 90% of calculated energy requirements, respectively). Cows were subjected to an intravenous glucose tolerance test [GTT; 0.25 g of dextrose/kg of body weight (BW)] on d 14 of treatment and a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (HEC; 1 μg/kg of BW/h) on d 15. Following 24 h of feed removal, cows were subjected to a second GTT on d 17 and a second HEC on d 18 after 48 h of feed removal. During the feeding period, plasma nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations were higher for cows fed the LP diet compared with those fed the HP diet (163.6 vs. 73.1 μEq/L), whereas plasma insulin was higher for cows fed the HP diet during the feeding period (11.1 vs. 5.2 μIU/mL). Glucose areas under the curve during both GTT were higher for cows fed the LP diet than for those fed the HP diet (4,213 vs. 3,750 mg/dL × 60 min) and was higher during the GTT in the feed-deprived state (4,878 vs. 3,085 mg/dL × 60 min) than in the GTT during the fed state, suggesting slower clearance of glucose during negative energy balance either pre-or post-feed deprivation. This corresponded with a higher dextrose infusion rate during the fed-state HEC than during the feed-deprived-state HEC (203.3 vs. 90.1 mL/h). Plasma NEFA decreased at a faster rate following GTT during feed deprivation compared with that during the fed state (8.7 vs. 2.9%/min). Suppression of NEFA was highest for cows fed the HP diet during the GTT conducted during feed deprivation, and lowest for cows fed the HP diet during the fed-state GTT (68.6 vs. 50.3% decrease from basal). Plasma insulin responses to GTT were affected by feed deprivation such that cows had a much lower insulin response to GTT by 24 h after feed removal (995 vs. 3,957 μIU/mL × 60 min). During the fed-state HEC, circulating concentrations of NEFA were 21% below basal for cows fed the HP diet and 62% below basal for cows fed the LP diet; during feed deprivation, NEFA were 79 and 59% below basal for the HP and LP diets, respectively (diet × HEC). Cows that are fed below energy requirements or are feed deprived have slower clearance of glucose and greater NEFA responses to glucose challenge. Additionally, feed deprivation had a large effect on insulin secretion. Overall, effects of feed deprivation were larger than effects of plane of nutrition. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Short communication: Measuring feed volume and weight by machine vision.

PubMed

Shelley, A N; Lau, D L; Stone, A E; Bewley, J M

2016-01-01

Individual dairy cow feed intake is closely related to the health and productive output of each cow, with healthy cows generally eating more feed than unhealthy cows. Incorporating the use of an automated system to monitor feed consumption for each cow may be beneficial for dairy farm management. This study examined the use of an inexpensive 3-dimensional video camera to measure feed volume, from which we derived feed weight. Proof-of-concept testing was conducted to determine the effectiveness and capability of the machine vision feed-scanning system and its possible use in feed intake monitoring. Such systems are ideal because they do not impede the workflow of the farm or interrupt feeding behavior. This is an improvement over existing systems that are labor and cost intensive. Our conducted experiments involve measuring feed volume at known weights, up to 22.68 kg, with the resulting volume and weight values analyzed by means of linear and quadratic least squares t-test regression analysis. The effects of feed positioning in the bin and near-range sensor limitations were also examined. The results showed that an estimation of feed weight from 3-dimensional scan of volume measurements could be made to within 0.5 kg of the physically measured feed weight using a digital scale. Future efforts will focus on extending this work to active bunks with multiple cows eating throughout the day and testing total mixed rations of varied composition. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the effect of ration composition on income over feed cost and milk yield.

PubMed

Buza, M H; Holden, L A; White, R A; Ishler, V A

2014-05-01

Feed is generally the greatest expense for milk production. With volatility in feed and milk markets, income over feed cost (IOFC) is a more advantageous measure of profit than simply feed cost per cow. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of ration cost and ingredient composition on IOFC and milk yield. The Pennsylvania State Extension Dairy Team IOFC tool (http://extension.psu.edu/animals/dairy/business-management/financial-tools/income-over-feed-cost/introduction-to-iofc) was used to collect data from 95 Pennsylvania lactating dairy cow herds from 2009 to 2012 and to determine the IOFC per cow per day. The data collected included average milk yield, milk income, purchased feed cost, ration ingredients, ingredient cost per ton, and amount of each ingredient fed. Feed costs for home-raised feeds for each ration were based on market values rather than on-farm cost. Actual costs were used for purchased feed for each ration. Mean lactating herd size was 170 ± 10.5 and daily milk yield per cow was 31.7 ± 0.19 kg. The mean IOFC was $7.71 ± $1.01 cost per cow, ranging from -$0.33 in March 2009 to $16.60 in September 2011. Data were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA in SPSS (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Values were grouped by quartiles and analyzed with all years combined as well as by individual year. Purchased feed cost per cow per day averaged $3.16 ± $1.07 for 2009 to 2012. For 2009 to 2012 combined, milk yield and IOFC did not differ with purchased feed cost. Intermediate levels (quartiles 2 and 3) of forage cost per cow per day between $1.45 and $1.97 per cow per day resulted in the greatest average IOFC of $8.19 and the greatest average milk yield of 32.3 kg. Total feed costs in the fourth quartile ($6.27 or more per cow per day) resulted in the highest IOFC. Thus, minimizing feed cost per cow per day did not maximize IOFC. In 2010, the IOFC was highest at $8.09 for dairies that fed 1 or more commodity by-products. Results of the study indicated that intermediate levels of forage cost and higher levels of total feed cost per cow per day resulted in both higher milk yield and higher IOFC. This suggests that optimal ration formulation rather than least cost strategies may be key to increasing milk yield and IOFC, and that profit margin may be affected more by quality of the feed rather than the cost. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in Plasma Progesterone Levels in the Caudal Vena Cava and the Jugular Vein and Luteinizing Hormone Secretion Pattern After Feeding in Lactating and Non-lactating Dairy Cows

PubMed Central

ENDO, Natsumi; NAGAI, Kiyosuke; TANAKA, Tomomi; KAMOMAE, Hideo

2012-01-01

Abstract The present study was designed to assess progesterone profiles at the secreted (caudal vena cava) and circulating levels (jugular vein) and luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion pattern in lactating and non-lactating cows with reference to feeding. Four lactating and four non-lactating cycling Holstein cows were examined. Blood samples were collected simultaneously from the caudal vena cava (via a catheter inserted from the coccygeal vein) and the jugular vein every 15 min for 12 h (0500–1700 h) during the functional luteal phase. Cows were fed 50% of the daily diet 6 h after the start of blood sampling. During the 12-h sampling period, mean progesterone concentrations in the caudal vena cava did not differ between lactating and non-lactating cows (49.0 ± 2.9 and 53.3 ± 3.7 ng/ml; mean ± SE), whereas mean progesterone concentrations in the jugular vein in lactating cows were higher than those in non-lactating cows (6.4 ± 0.1 and 5.6 ± 0.1 ng/ml, P < 0.001). Lactating cows had a higher frequency of LH pulses than non-lactating cows (7.0 ± 0.7 and 4.3 ± 0.9 pulses/12 h, P<0.05). The influence of feeding was not observed on LH profiles but was observed on progesterone profiles in both veins. Progesterone concentrations in the caudal vena cava increased after feeding in both groups. Progesterone concentrations in the jugular vein decreased after feeding in lactating cows but not in non-lactating cows. These results indicate the difference in feeding-related changes in progesterone dynamics between lactating and non-lactating cows. PMID:23171608

Methane Production in Dairy Cows Correlates with Rumen Methanogenic and Bacterial Community Structure.

PubMed

Danielsson, Rebecca; Dicksved, Johan; Sun, Li; Gonda, Horacio; Müller, Bettina; Schnürer, Anna; Bertilsson, Jan

2017-01-01

Methane (CH 4 ) is produced as an end product from feed fermentation in the rumen. Yield of CH 4 varies between individuals despite identical feeding conditions. To get a better understanding of factors behind the individual variation, 73 dairy cows given the same feed but differing in CH 4 emissions were investigated with focus on fiber digestion, fermentation end products and bacterial and archaeal composition. In total 21 cows (12 Holstein, 9 Swedish Red) identified as persistent low, medium or high CH 4 emitters over a 3 month period were furthermore chosen for analysis of microbial community structure in rumen fluid. This was assessed by sequencing the V4 region of 16S rRNA gene and by quantitative qPCR of targeted Methanobrevibacter groups. The results showed a positive correlation between low CH 4 emitters and higher abundance of Methanobrevibacter ruminantium clade. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) on operational taxonomic unit (OTU) level of bacteria showed two distinct clusters ( P < 0.01) that were related to CH 4 production. One cluster was associated with low CH 4 production (referred to as cluster L) whereas the other cluster was associated with high CH 4 production (cluster H) and the medium emitters occurred in both clusters. The differences between clusters were primarily linked to differential abundances of certain OTUs belonging to Prevotella . Moreover, several OTUs belonging to the family Succinivibrionaceae were dominant in samples belonging to cluster L. Fermentation pattern of volatile fatty acids showed that proportion of propionate was higher in cluster L, while proportion of butyrate was higher in cluster H. No difference was found in milk production or organic matter digestibility between cows. Cows in cluster L had lower CH 4 /kg energy corrected milk (ECM) compared to cows in cluster H, 8.3 compared to 9.7 g CH 4 /kg ECM, showing that low CH 4 cows utilized the feed more efficient for milk production which might indicate a more efficient microbial population or host genetic differences that is reflected in bacterial and archaeal (or methanogens) populations.

Methane Production in Dairy Cows Correlates with Rumen Methanogenic and Bacterial Community Structure

PubMed Central

Danielsson, Rebecca; Dicksved, Johan; Sun, Li; Gonda, Horacio; Müller, Bettina; Schnürer, Anna; Bertilsson, Jan

2017-01-01

Methane (CH4) is produced as an end product from feed fermentation in the rumen. Yield of CH4 varies between individuals despite identical feeding conditions. To get a better understanding of factors behind the individual variation, 73 dairy cows given the same feed but differing in CH4 emissions were investigated with focus on fiber digestion, fermentation end products and bacterial and archaeal composition. In total 21 cows (12 Holstein, 9 Swedish Red) identified as persistent low, medium or high CH4 emitters over a 3 month period were furthermore chosen for analysis of microbial community structure in rumen fluid. This was assessed by sequencing the V4 region of 16S rRNA gene and by quantitative qPCR of targeted Methanobrevibacter groups. The results showed a positive correlation between low CH4 emitters and higher abundance of Methanobrevibacter ruminantium clade. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) on operational taxonomic unit (OTU) level of bacteria showed two distinct clusters (P < 0.01) that were related to CH4 production. One cluster was associated with low CH4 production (referred to as cluster L) whereas the other cluster was associated with high CH4 production (cluster H) and the medium emitters occurred in both clusters. The differences between clusters were primarily linked to differential abundances of certain OTUs belonging to Prevotella. Moreover, several OTUs belonging to the family Succinivibrionaceae were dominant in samples belonging to cluster L. Fermentation pattern of volatile fatty acids showed that proportion of propionate was higher in cluster L, while proportion of butyrate was higher in cluster H. No difference was found in milk production or organic matter digestibility between cows. Cows in cluster L had lower CH4/kg energy corrected milk (ECM) compared to cows in cluster H, 8.3 compared to 9.7 g CH4/kg ECM, showing that low CH4 cows utilized the feed more efficient for milk production which might indicate a more efficient microbial population or host genetic differences that is reflected in bacterial and archaeal (or methanogens) populations. PMID:28261182

Daily patterns of synchrony in lying and feeding of cows: Quasi-natural state and (anti-) synchrony factors.

PubMed

Flury, Rebekka; Gygax, Lorenz

2016-12-01

Synchrony is thought to provide fitness advantages to group-living animals, but little is known how animals maintain synchrony. We investigated intensity of synchrony factors (milking, feed-provision) in cattle herds. Intensity decreased from dairy cows milked in a parlour to cows milked by a robot to suckler cows raising calves. On 30 farms, 10 of each type, we recorded synchrony in lying and feeding. Peaks in lying synchronously were visible in the early morning, around noon, and late at night. These peaks decreased from the suckler cows to the cows milked in a parlour and to the cows milked by a robot. Complementary peaks were found for synchronous feeding. The asynchronous milking times with the milking robot decreased synchrony. Unexpectedly, the suckler cows with the weakest synchrony factors also showed a high level of synchrony. These results indicate that internal motivations for synchrony may be present in addition to external synchrony factors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of concentrate feeding method on the performance of dairy cows in early to mid lactation.

PubMed

Purcell, P J; Law, R A; Gordon, A W; McGettrick, S A; Ferris, C P

2016-04-01

The objective of the current study was to determine the effects of concentrate feeding method on milk yield and composition, dry matter (DM) intake (DMI), body weight and body condition score, reproductive performance, energy balance, and blood metabolites of housed (i.e., accommodated indoors) dairy cows in early to mid lactation. Eighty-eight multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows were managed on 1 of 4 concentrate feeding methods (CFM; 22 cows per CFM) for the first 21 wk postpartum. Cows on all 4 CFM were offered grass silage plus maize silage (in a 70:30 ratio on a DM basis) ad libitum throughout the study. In addition, cows had a target concentrate allocation of 11 kg/cow per day (from d 13 postpartum) via 1 of 4 CFM, consisting of (1) offered on a flat-rate basis via an out-of-parlor feeding system, (2) offered based on individual cow's milk yields in early lactation via an out-of-parlor feeding system, (3) offered as part of a partial mixed ration (target intake of 5 kg/cow per day) with additional concentrate offered based on individual cow's milk yields in early lactation via an out-of-parlor feeding system, and (4) offered as part of a partial mixed ration containing a fixed quantity of concentrate for each cow in the group. In addition, all cows were offered 1 kg/cow per day of concentrate pellets via an in-parlor feeding system. We detected no effect of CFM on concentrate or total DMI, mean daily milk yield, concentrations and yields of milk fat and protein, or metabolizable energy intakes, requirements, or balances throughout the study. We also found no effects of CFM on mean or final body weight, mean or final body condition score, conception rates to first service, or any of the blood metabolites examined. The results of this study suggest that CFM has little effect on the overall performance of higher-yielding dairy cows in early to mid lactation when offered diets based on conserved forages. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cow milk protein allergy presenting as feeding intolerance and eosinophilia: case reports of three preterm neonates.

PubMed

Manuyakorn, Wiparat; Benjaponpitak, Suwat; Siripool, Khanitha; Prempunpong, Chatchay; Singvijarn, Prapasiri; Kamchaisatian, Wasu; Supapannachart, Sarayut

2015-01-01

Three preterm infants with cow milk protein allergy (CMPA) presented with feeding intolerance, sepsis-like episodes and persistent moderate-to-severe eosinophilia. After eliminating cow milk, the clinical symptoms improved significantly. CMPA can cause common manifestations in sick preterm infants such as feeding intolerance and eosinophilia.

Harnessing the genetics of the modern dairy cow to continue improvements in feed efficiency.

PubMed

VandeHaar, M J; Armentano, L E; Weigel, K; Spurlock, D M; Tempelman, R J; Veerkamp, R

2016-06-01

Feed efficiency, as defined by the fraction of feed energy or dry matter captured in products, has more than doubled for the US dairy industry in the past 100 yr. This increased feed efficiency was the result of increased milk production per cow achieved through genetic selection, nutrition, and management with the desired goal being greater profitability. With increased milk production per cow, more feed is consumed per cow, but a greater portion of the feed is partitioned toward milk instead of maintenance and body growth. This dilution of maintenance has been the overwhelming driver of enhanced feed efficiency in the past, but its effect diminishes with each successive increment in production relative to body size and therefore will be less important in the future. Instead, we must also focus on new ways to enhance digestive and metabolic efficiency. One way to examine variation in efficiency among animals is residual feed intake (RFI), a measure of efficiency that is independent of the dilution of maintenance. Cows that convert feed gross energy to net energy more efficiently or have lower maintenance requirements than expected based on body weight use less feed than expected and thus have negative RFI. Cows with low RFI likely digest and metabolize nutrients more efficiently and should have overall greater efficiency and profitability if they are also healthy, fertile, and produce at a high multiple of maintenance. Genomic technologies will help to identify these animals for selection programs. Nutrition and management also will continue to play a major role in farm-level feed efficiency. Management practices such as grouping and total mixed ration feeding have improved rumen function and therefore efficiency, but they have also decreased our attention on individual cow needs. Nutritional grouping is key to helping each cow reach its genetic potential. Perhaps new computer-driven technologies, combined with genomics, will enable us to optimize management for each individual cow within a herd, or to optimize animal selection to match management environments. In the future, availability of feed resources may shift as competition for land increases. New approaches combining genetic, nutrition, and other management practices will help optimize feed efficiency, profitability, and environmental sustainability. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic relationships between feed efficiency in growing males and beef cow performance.

PubMed

Crowley, J J; Evans, R D; Mc Hugh, N; Kenny, D A; McGee, M; Crews, D H; Berry, D P

2011-11-01

Most studies on feed efficiency in beef cattle have focused on performance in young animals despite the contribution of the cow herd to overall profitability of beef production systems. The objective of this study was to quantify, using a large data set, the genetic covariances between feed efficiency in growing animals measured in a performance-test station, and beef cow performance including fertility, survival, calving traits, BW, maternal weaning weight, cow price, and cull cow carcass characteristics in commercial herds. Feed efficiency data were available on 2,605 purebred bulls from 1 test station. Records on cow performance were available on up to 94,936 crossbred beef cows. Genetic covariances were estimated using animal and animal-dam linear mixed models. Results showed that selection for feed efficiency, defined as feed conversion ratio (FCR) or residual BW gain (RG), improved maternal weaning weight as evidenced by the respective genetic correlations of -0.61 and 0.57. Despite residual feed intake (RFI) being phenotypically independent of BW, a negative genetic correlation existed between RFI and cow BW (-0.23; although the SE of 0.31 was large). None of the feed efficiency traits were correlated with fertility, calving difficulty, or perinatal mortality. However, genetic correlations estimated between age at first calving and FCR (-0.55 ± 0.14), Kleiber ratio (0.33 ± 0.15), RFI (-0.29 ± 0.14), residual BW gain (0.36 ± 0.15), and relative growth rate (0.37 ± 0.15) all suggest that selection for improved efficiency may delay the age at first calving, and we speculate, using information from other studies, that this may be due to a delay in the onset of puberty. Results from this study, based on the estimated genetic correlations, suggest that selection for improved feed efficiency will have no deleterious effect on cow performance traits with the exception of delaying the age at first calving.

The effect of residual feed intake classification on forage intake by grazing beef cows.

PubMed

Meyer, A M; Kerley, M S; Kallenbach, R L

2008-10-01

Although feed intake and efficiency differences in growing cattle of low and high residual feed intake (RFI) classification have been established, little is known about the difference in grazed forage intake between beef cows of known RFI classification. Two experiments were conducted using Hereford cows for which RFI had been determined as heifers using the GrowSafe 4000E feed intake system, after which heifers had been divided into thirds as low RFI, mid RFI, and high RFI. During Exp. 1, 2 replicates of low and high RFI cows (n = 7/replicate) in mid- to late-gestation were blocked to 1 of 4 non-endophyte-infected tall fescue paddocks (1.8 to 2.4 ha), which they grazed continuously for 84 d during summer. Using grazing exclosures, weekly rising plate meter readings, and forage harvests every 21 d, average forage DMI was calculated. Low and high RFI groups did not differ (P > 0.05) in BW change or BCS change over the trial (19.5 vs. 22.1 kg of BW gain and 0.11 vs. 0.10 BCS gain), but low RFI cows had a 21% numerically lower DMI than high RFI cows (12.4 vs. 15.6 kg/d; P = 0.23). The average area needed per paddock over the trial was similar for low and high RFI cows (1.71 vs. 1.82 ha; P = 0.35), and the average DM on offer over the trial was less for low RFI than for high RFI cows (4,215 vs. 4,376 kg; P = 0.06). During Exp. 2, 3 replicates of low and high RFI cows with their calves (n = 4 pair/replicate) strip-grazed stockpiled and early spring growth tall fescue paddocks (0.7 to 0.9 ha) for 60 d in late winter and early spring. Because of limiting forage availability and quality at trial initiation, cow-calf pairs were also fed 3.31 kg/pair of pelleted soyhulls daily. Pre- and post-grazed forage samples were harvested for 4 grazing periods, and forage growth was estimated using a growing degree days calculation and on-site weather station data. Performance did not differ (P > 0.05) between low and high RFI cows throughout the experiment (18.4 vs. 26.6 kg of BW gain and -0.04 vs. 0.15 BCS gain). Despite the utilization of forage offered being similar for low and high RFI cow-calf pairs (P > 0.05), low RFI cows and their calves had an 11% numerically lower DMI than high RFI pairs (12.5 vs. 14.1 kg/d; P = 0.12). We concluded that either no intake differences existed between low and high RFI cows or that current methodology and small animal numbers limited our ability to detect differences.

Does the diurnal pattern of enteric methane emissions from dairy cows change over time?

PubMed

Bell, M J; Craigon, J; Saunders, N; Goodman, J R; Garnsworthy, P C

2018-02-22

Diet manipulation and genetic selection are two important mitigation strategies for reducing enteric methane (CH4) emissions from ruminant livestock. The aim of this study was to assess whether the diurnal pattern of CH4 emissions from individual dairy cows changes over time when cows are fed on diets varying in forage composition. Emissions of CH4 from 36 cows were measured during milking in an automatic (robotic) milking station in three consecutive feeding periods, for a total of 84 days. In Periods 1 and 2, the 36 cows were fed a high-forage partial mixed ration (PMR) containing 75% forage, with either a high grass silage or high maize silage content. In Period 3, cows were fed a commercial PMR containing 69% forage. Cows were offered PMR ad libitum plus concentrates during milking and CH4 emitted by individual cows was sampled during 8662 milkings. A linear mixed model was used to assess differences among cows, feeding periods and time of day. Considerable variation was observed among cows in daily mean and diurnal patterns of CH4 emissions. On average, cows produced less CH4 when fed on the commercial PMR in feeding Period 3 than when the same cows were fed on high-forage diets in feeding Periods 1 and 2. The average diurnal pattern for CH4 emissions did not significantly change between feeding periods and as lactation progressed. Emissions of CH4 were positively associated with dry matter (DM) intake and forage DM intake. It is concluded that if the management of feed allocation remains constant then the diurnal pattern of CH4 emissions from dairy cows will not necessarily alter over time. A change in diet composition may bring about an increase or decrease in absolute emissions over a 24-h period without significantly changing the diurnal pattern unless management of feed allocation changes. These findings are important for CH4 monitoring techniques that involve taking measurements over short periods within a day rather than complete 24-h observations.

Feeding of by-products completely replaced cereals and pulses in dairy cows and enhanced edible feed conversion ratio.

PubMed

Ertl, P; Zebeli, Q; Zollitsch, W; Knaus, W

2015-02-01

When fed human-edible feeds, such as grains and pulses, dairy cows are very inefficient in transforming them into animal products. Therefore, strategies to reduce human-edible inputs in dairy cow feeding are needed to improve food efficiency. The aim of this feeding trial was to analyze the effect of the full substitution of a common concentrate mixture with a by-product concentrate mixture on milk production, feed intake, blood values, and the edible feed conversion ratio (eFCR), defined as human-edible output per human edible input. The experiment was conducted as a change-over design, with each experimental period lasting for 7wk. Thirteen multiparous and 5 primiparous Holstein cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments. Treatments consisted of a grass silage-based forage diet supplemented with either conventional ingredients or solely by-products from the food processing industry (BP). The BP mixture had higher contents of fiber and ether extract, whereas starch content was reduced compared with the conventional mixture. Milk yield and milk solids were not affected by treatment. The eFCR in the BP group were about 4 and 2.7 times higher for energy and protein, respectively. Blood values did not indicate negative effects on cows' metabolic health status. Results of this feeding trial suggest that by-products could replace common concentrate supplements in dairy cow feeding, resulting in an increased eFCR for energy and protein which emphasizes the unique role of dairy cows as net food producers. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exploration of the genetic and biological basis of feed efficiency in mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The purpose of this study was to characterize the genetic basis underlying variation in feed efficiency in mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows. A genome-wide association study was performed for residual feed intake (RFI) and related traits using a large data set, consisting of nearly 5,000 cows. It wa...

Maximizing profit on New England organic dairy farms: an economic comparison of 4 total mixed rations for organic Holsteins and Jerseys.

PubMed

Marston, S P; Clark, G W; Anderson, G W; Kersbergen, R J; Lunak, M; Marcinkowski, D P; Murphy, M R; Schwab, C G; Erickson, P S

2011-06-01

The objective of these experiments was to compare 4 total mixed rations fed to USDA-certified organic dairy cows in New England. Forty-eight Jersey cows from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and 64 Holstein cows from the University of Maine (UMaine) were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments testing the main effects of corn silage versus grass silage as the forage base and commodity concentrates versus a complete pelleted concentrate mixture. Treatment diets were fed as a total mixed ration for 8 wk during the winter and spring months of 2007, 2008, and 2009. Milk yield, component, and quality data were recorded and used to calculate the value of the milk produced for each cow. The dry matter intake (DMI) was recorded and used to calculate the average cost per cow per day of each diet. Income over feed costs were calculated for each diet using milk value and feed cost data. Feed cost and income over feed cost data were resampled using bootstrap methodology to examine potential patterns. Milk yield, milk fat and true protein concentrations, and SCC were similar among treatments. Cows at UNH fed corn silage tended to have higher DMI and lower milk urea nitrogen than did cows fed grass silage, whereas cows fed pellets had higher DMI than cows fed commodities. Cows at UNH fed commodities tended to have higher body condition scores than those fed pellets. Cows at UMaine fed commodities tended to have higher DMI than did cows fed pellets, and cows fed corn silage had lower milk urea nitrogen than did cows fed grass silage. Body weights and body condition scores were not different for cows at UMaine. Feed costs were significantly higher for corn silage diets and diets at UNH containing pellets, but not at UMaine. The calculated value of the milk and income over feed costs did not differ among treatments at either university. Bootstrap replications indicated that the corn silage with commodities diet generally had the highest feed cost at both UNH and UMaine, whereas grass silage diets containing commodities generally had the lowest cost. In contrast, the grass silage with commodities diets had the highest income over feed cost in the majority of the replications at both UNH and UMaine replications, whereas the corn silage with commodities diets had the lowest rank. Similar results were observed when forage prices were increased or decreased by 5, 10, and 25% above or below the actual feed price. Feeding a grass silage-based diet supplemented with commodity concentrates may have an economic advantage for dairy producers in New England operating under an organic system of production. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lactation performance of mid-lactation dairy cows fed ruminally degradable protein at concentrations lower than national research council recommendations.

PubMed

Cyriac, J; Rius, A G; McGilliard, M L; Pearson, R E; Bequette, B J; Hanigan, M D

2008-12-01

The aim of this study was to test whether feeding of diets containing lower proportions of ruminally degradable protein (RDP) but with a constant proportion of ruminally undegradable protein (RUP) alters feed intake, milk production and yield, and the apparent efficiency of N utilization by mid-lactation dairy cows. During the covariate period (d 1 to 28), 40 mid-lactation cows (36 Holstein and 4 Jersey x Holstein cross-breds) were fed a common diet formulated to contain 11.3% of diet dry matter (DM) as RDP. During the treatment period (d 29 to 47), cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 diets formulated to contain 11.3, 10.1, 8.8, or 7.6% RDP, whereas ruminally undegradable protein remained constant at 7.1% of DM. All diets contained 47.5% forage and 52.5% concentrate on a DM basis. Dry matter intake was significantly reduced for the 7.6% RDP diet. The lowest RDP content was associated with a trend for reduced milk yield. Dietary RDP had no effect on body weight or milk fat, protein, and lactose contents. Milk protein yield was not affected by RDP level; however, milk fat yield decreased linearly as dietary RDP was reduced. Concentrations of plasma essential amino acids were unaffected, whereas milk urea-N concentrations decreased linearly as dietary RDP content was reduced. The apparent efficiency of N utilization for milk N production increased from 27.7% on the 11.3% RDP diet to 38.6% on the 7.6% RDP diet. The dietary RDP requirement of cows in this study was apparently met between 15.9 and 14.7% dietary crude protein. Milk production was not significantly affected by the 8.8% RDP (15.9% crude protein) diet even though the NRC (2001) model predicted that RDP supply was 87% of that required, suggesting the current NRC recommendations for RDP may be overestimated for mid-lactation dairy cows in this study.

Nuevas Perspectivas en la Efficiencia del Uso Nirogeno en Vaca Lecheras

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dairy cows utilize feed crude protein (CP) with greater efficiency than other ruminants, but still excrete about 2 to 3 times more nitrogen (N) in manure than they secrete in milk. This increases milk production costs plus environmental N pollution. Optimizing microbial protein formation in the rume...

Effect of feed restriction on reproductive and metabolic hormones in dairy cows.

PubMed

Ferraretto, L F; Gencoglu, H; Hackbart, K S; Nascimento, A B; Dalla Costa, F; Bender, R W; Guenther, J N; Shaver, R D; Wiltbank, M C

2014-02-01

The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effects of feed restriction (FR) on serum glucose, nonesterified fatty acids, progesterone (P4), insulin, and milk production in dairy cows. Eight multiparous Holstein cows, 114 ± 14 d pregnant and 685 ± 39 kg of body weight, were randomly assigned to a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with 14-d periods. During the first 8 d of each period, cows in all treatments were fed for ad libitum feed intake. Beginning on d 9 of each period, cows received 1 of 4 treatments: ad libitum (AL), 25% feed restriction (25 FR), 50% feed restriction (50 FR), and 50% of TMR replaced with wheat straw (50 ST). Daily feed allowance was divided into 3 equal portions allocated every 8h with jugular blood samples collected immediately before each feeding through d 14. In addition, on d 12 of each period, blood samples were collected before and at 60, 120, 180, 240, 300, 360, 420, and 480 min after morning feeding. The conventional total mixed ration and total mixed ration with straw averaged 15.1 and 10.8%, 32.1 and 50.5%, and 26.8 and 17.0% for concentrations of crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and starch, respectively. Cows that were feed and energy restricted had reduced dry matter intake, net energy for lactation intake, circulating glucose concentrations, and milk production, but greater body weight and body condition score losses than AL cows. Circulating concentrations of insulin were lower for cows fed 50 FR (8.27 μIU/mL) and 50 ST (6.24 μIU/mL) compared with cows fed AL (16.65 μIU/mL) and 25 FR (11.16 μIU/mL). Furthermore, the greatest plasma nonesterified fatty acids concentration was observed for 50 ST (647.7 μ Eq/L), followed by 50 FR (357.5 μEq/L), 25 FR (225.3 μEq/L), and AL (156.3 μEq/L). In addition, serum P4 concentration was lower for cows fed AL than cows fed 50 ST and 25 FR. Thus, FR reduced circulating glucose and insulin but increased P4 concentration, changes that may be positive in reproductive management programs. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of feed restriction on reproductive and metabolic hormones in dairy cows

PubMed Central

Ferraretto, L. F.; Gencoglu, H.; Hackbart, K. S.; Nascimento, A. B.; Costa, F. Dalla; Bender, R. W.; Guenther, J. N.; Shaver, R. D.; Wiltbank, M. C.

2018-01-01

The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effects of feed restriction (FR) on serum glucose, nonesterified fatty acids, progesterone (P4), insulin, and milk production in dairy cows. Eight multiparous Holstein cows, 114 ± 14 d pregnant and 685 ± 39 kg of body weight, were randomly assigned to a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with 14-d periods. During the first 8 d of each period, cows in all treatments were fed for ad libitum feed intake. Beginning on d 9 of each period, cows received 1 of 4 treatments: ad libitum (AL), 25% feed restriction (25FR), 50% feed restriction (50FR), and 50% of TMR replaced with wheat straw (50ST). Daily feed allowance was divided into 3 equal portions allocated every 8 h with jugular blood samples collected immediately before each feeding through d 14. In addition, on d 12 of each period, blood samples were collected before and at 60, 120, 180, 240, 300, 360, 420, and 480 min after morning feeding. The conventional total mixed ration and total mixed ration with straw averaged 15.1 and 10.8%, 32.1 and 50.5%, and 26.8 and 17.0% for concentrations of crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and starch, respectively. Cows that were feed and energy restricted had reduced dry matter intake, net energy for lactation intake, circulating glucose concentrations, and milk production, but greater body weight and body condition score losses than AL cows. Circulating concentrations of insulin were lower for cows fed 50FR (8.27 μIU/mL) and 50ST (6.24 μIU/mL) compared with cows fed AL (16.65 μIU/mL) and 25FR (11.16 μIU/mL). Furthermore, the greatest plasma nonesterified fatty acids concentration was observed for 50ST (647.7 μEq/L), followed by 50FR (357.5 μEq/L), 25FR (225.3 μEq/L), and AL (156.3 μEq/L). In addition, serum P4 concentration was lower for cows fed AL than cows fed 50ST and 25FR. Thus, FR reduced circulating glucose and insulin but increased P4 concentration, changes that may be positive in reproductive management programs. PMID:24359832

Flooring in front of the feed bunk affects feeding behavior and use of freestalls by dairy cows.

PubMed

Tucker, C B; Weary, D M; de Passillé, A M; Campbell, B; Rushen, J

2006-06-01

In 2 experiments we assessed how preferences, time budgets, and feeding behavior of dairy cows change in response to flooring surfaces in front of the feed bunk. In Experiment 1, 12 nonlactating dairy cattle were individually housed with access to 2 standing platforms filled with either concrete or sawdust. In Experiment 2, 24 nonlactating dairy cattle were given access to either concrete or Animat rubber flooring in front of the feed bunk. In Experiment 1, cows preferred the sawdust to the concrete flooring. In both experiments, cows provided with a softer floor in front of the feed bunk spent more time standing near the feed bunk without eating (Experiment 1: 67 vs. 40 min/d on sawdust vs. concrete, respectively, SEM = 5.6 min/d; Experiment 2: 176 vs. 115 min/d on Animat vs. concrete, respectively, SEM = 20.5 min/d) compared with when they were kept on concrete. The increased time spent at the feed bunk was due to a combination of more frequent eating and standing bouts, indicating that cows were more willing to move on nonconcrete flooring. Total time spent eating was significantly greater on the softer floor in Experiment 2, but not in Experiment 1 (Exp. 1: 289 vs. 275 min/d on sawdust and concrete, respectively, SEM = 7.3 min/d; Exp. 2: 330 vs. 289 min/d on Animat and concrete, respectively, SEM = 15.4), although feed intake was increased on the sawdust treatment in Experiment 1. Cows spent significantly more time lying in the feed alley when the flooring was rubber (219 vs. 53 min/d on Animat and concrete, SEM = 53.6 min/d), perhaps because the lying area in Experiment 2 was inadequate. In conclusion, cows prefer to stand on softer flooring in front of the feed bunk, and are more willing to move on and spend more time standing in front of the feed bunk when provided with softer flooring. These results indicate that cows find softer flooring surfaces more comfortable to stand on than concrete, and highlight the importance of evaluating the comfort of the entire facility.

Technical note: Data loggers are a valid method for assessing the feeding behavior of dairy cows using the Calan Broadbent Feeding System.

PubMed

Krawczel, P D; Klaiber, L M; Thibeau, S S; Dann, H M

2012-08-01

Assessing feeding behavior is important in understanding the effects of nutrition and management on the well-being of dairy cows. Historically, collection of these data from cows fed with a Calan Broadbent Feeding System (American Calan Inc., Northwood, NH) required the labor-intensive practices of direct observation or video review. The objective of this study was to evaluate the agreement between the output of a HOBO change-of-state data logger (Onset Computer Corp., Bourne, MA), mounted to the door shell and latch plate, and video data summarized with continuous sampling. Data (number of feed bin visits per day and feeding time in minutes per day) were recorded with both methods from 26 lactating cows and 10 nonlactating cows for 3 d per cow (n=108). The agreement of the data logger and video methods was evaluated using the REG procedure of SAS to compare the mean response of the methods against the difference between the methods. The maximum allowable difference (MAD) was set at ±3 for bin visits and ±20 min for feeding time. Ranges for feed bin visits (2 to 140 per d) and feeding time (28 to 267 min/d) were established from video data. Using the complete data set, agreement was partially established between the data logger and video methods for feed bin visits, but not established for feeding time. The complete data set generated by the data logger was screened to remove visits of a duration ≤3 s, reflecting a cow unable to enter a feed bin (representing 7% of all data) and ≥5,400 s, reflecting a failure of the data logger to align properly with its corresponding magnetic field (representing <1% of all data). Using the resulting screened data set, agreement was established for feed bin visits and feeding time. For bin visits, 4% of the data was beyond the MAD. For feeding time, 3% of the data was beyond the MAD and 74% of the data was ±1 min. The insignificant P-value, low coefficient of determination, and concentration of the data within the MAD indicate the agreement of the change-of-state data logger and video data. This suggests the usage of a change-of-state data logger to assess the feeding behavior of cows feeding from a Calan Broadbent Feeding System is appropriate. Use of the screening criteria for data analysis is recommended. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feed intake is related to changes in plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentration and hepatic acetyl CoA content following feeding in lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Piantoni, P; Ylioja, C M; Allen, M S

2015-10-01

The relationship between hepatic acetyl CoA (AcCoA) content and dry matter intake (DMI) was evaluated using 28 multiparous Holstein cows; 14 were early postpartum (PP; 12.6 ± 3.8 d in milk) and 14 were late-lactation cows (LL; 269 ± 30 d in milk). Cows were fed once daily, and DMI was determined for the first 4h after feeding. Liver and blood samples were collected before feeding and 4h after feeding. Feed intake over the 4-h period ranged from 3.7 to 9.6 kg of dry matter and was similar for the 2 stages of lactation. Before feeding, hepatic AcCoA content was greater for PP compared with LL cows (34.4 vs. 12.5 nmol/g), and decreased over the 4h after feeding for PP only (28.7 vs. 34.4 nmol/g). The range for change in AcCoA over the 4-h period was wide for both PP (-24.3 to 10.4 nmol/g) and LL (-5.7 to 16.1 nmol/g), and was related negatively to DMI at 4h for both PP (R(2) = 0.55) and LL (R(2) = 0.31). The reduction in plasma NEFA concentration over the 4-h period was greater for PP than LL cows (-681 vs. -47 µEq/L), and was related to DMI at 4h for both PP and LL (both R(2) = 0.38). Greater DMI among cows over the first 4h after feeding might have been from a sharper reduction in supply of AcCoA in the liver for oxidation during meals because of the reduction in plasma NEFA concentration. Consistent with this is that the change in AcCoA was positively related to the reduction in plasma NEFA concentration for PP cows (R(2) = 0.31). However, change in plasma NEFA concentration was not related to change in hepatic AcCoA in LL cows, indicating that the pool of AcCoA in LL cows is not as dependent on NEFA flux to the liver as that of PP cows. Further research is required to determine production and fate of AcCoA within the timeframe of meals and the effects of feeding on energy charge in hepatic tissue. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of reducing milk production using a prolactin-release inhibitor or a glucocorticoid on metabolism and immune functions in cows subjected to acute nutritional stress.

PubMed

Ollier, S; Beaudoin, F; Vanacker, N; Lacasse, P

2016-12-01

When cows are unable to consume enough feed to support milk production, they often fall into severe negative energy balance. This leads to a weakened immune system and increases their susceptibility to infectious diseases. Reducing the milk production of cows subjected to acute nutritional stress decreases their energy deficit. The aim of this study was to compare the effects on metabolism and immune function of reducing milk production using quinagolide (a prolactin-release inhibitor) or dexamethasone in feed-restricted cows. A total of 23 cows in early/mid-lactation were fed for 5 d at 55.9% of their previous dry matter intake to subject them to acute nutritional stress. After 1 d of feed restriction and for 4 d afterward (d 2 to 5), cows received twice-daily i.m. injections of water (control group; n=8), 2mg of quinagolide (QN group; n=7), or water after a first injection of 20mg of dexamethasone (DEX group; n=8). Feed restriction decreased milk production, but the decrease was greater in the QN and DEX cows than in the control cows on d 2 and 3. As expected, feed restriction reduced the energy balance, but the reduction was lower in the QN cows than in the control cows. Feed restriction decreased plasma glucose concentration and increased plasma nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentrations. The QN cows had higher glucose concentration and lower BHB concentration than the control cows. The NEFA concentration was also lower in the QN cows than in the control cows on d 2. Dexamethasone injection induced transient hyperglycemia concomitant with a reduction in milk lactose concentration; it also decreased BHB concentration and decreased NEFA initially but increased it later. Feed restriction and quinagolide injections did not affect the blood concentration or activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN), whereas dexamethasone injection increased PMN blood concentration but decreased the proportion of PMN capable of inducing oxidative burst. Incubation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in serum harvested on d 2 of the restriction period reduced their ability to react to mitogen-induced proliferation, and injection of quinagolide or dexamethasone could not alleviate this effect. This experiment shows that prolactin-release inhibition could be an alternative to dexamethasone for reducing milk production and energy deficit in cows under acute nutritional stress, without disturbing immune function. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of calcium salts of polyunsaturated fatty acids on productive and reproductive parameters of lactating Holstein cows.

PubMed

Reis, M M; Cooke, R F; Ranches, J; Vasconcelos, J L M

2012-12-01

Two experiments evaluated milk production, serum progesterone and insulin, and reproductive performance of lactating Holstein cows receiving or not receiving Ca salts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), or receiving Ca salts of PUFA at different daily frequencies. In experiment 1, 1,125 cows randomly distributed in 10 freestall barns were enrolled. Barns were assigned randomly to receive a high-concentrate diet containing (PF) or not containing (control, CON) 1.1% (dry matter basis) Ca salts of PUFA. Diets were offered 6 times daily, whereas the Ca salts of PUFA were included in the PF treatment in the first feeding of the day. In experiment 2, 1,572 cows were randomly distributed in 10 freestall barns, which were assigned randomly to receive a diet similar to PF, but with Ca salts of PUFA included only in the first feeding of the day (PF1X), or equally distributed across all 6 feedings (PF6X). During both experiments, cows were artificially inseminated 12 h after the onset of estrus. Once per month, cows that did not conceive to artificial insemination were assigned to a fixed-time embryo transfer protocol. Pregnancy was determined via transrectal ultrasonography 28 and 60 d after expected ovulation. Pregnancy loss was considered in cows that were pregnant on d 28 but nonpregnant on d 60. During both experiments, feed intake, milk yield, and milk protein and fat content were recorded weekly. Blood samples were collected concurrently with embryo transfer. During experiment 1, feed intake was similar between treatments. Compared with CON, PF cows had greater milk yield (37.8 vs. 35.3 kg/d), and reduced milk fat content (3.41 vs. 3.55%). However, PF cows had reduced pregnancy losses per service compared with CON (12.6 vs. 18.3%). Serum progesterone was greater and serum insulin tended to be greater in primiparous cows receiving PF compared with CON cohorts (4.50 vs. 3.67 ng of progesterone/mL, and 10.4 vs. 7.5 µUI of insulin/mL). During experiment 2, no treatment effects were detected for feed intake, milk yield, or milk fat, whereas PF1X cows tended to have reduced pregnancy losses per service compared with PF6X (14.4 vs. 18.4%). In summary, feeding Ca salts of PUFA to dairy cows increased milk production, did not alter feed intake, and reduced pregnancy losses per service. Further, the total daily amount of Ca salts of PUFA should be fed during the first feeding of the day to optimize its benefits on pregnancy maintenance of dairy cows. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of partial mixed rations and supplement amounts on milk production and composition, ruminal fermentation, bacterial communities, and ruminal acidosis.

PubMed

Golder, H M; Denman, S E; McSweeney, C; Wales, W J; Auldist, M J; Wright, M M; Marett, L C; Greenwood, J S; Hannah, M C; Celi, P; Bramley, E; Lean, I J

2014-09-01

Late-lactation Holstein cows (n=144) that were offered 15kg dry matter (DM)/cow per day of perennial ryegrass to graze were randomized into 24 groups of 6. Each group contained a fistulated cow and groups were allocated to 1 of 3 feeding strategies: (1) control (10 groups): cows were fed crushed wheat grain twice daily in the milking parlor and ryegrass silage at pasture; (2) partial mixed ration (PMR; 10 groups): PMR that was isoenergetic to the control diet and fed twice daily on a feed pad; (3) PMR+canola (4 groups): a proportion of wheat in the PMR was replaced with canola meal to produce more estimated metabolizable protein than other groups. Supplements were fed to the control and PMR cows at 8, 10, 12, 14, or 16kg of DM/d, and to the PMR+canola cows at 14 or 16kg of DM/d. The PMR-fed cows had a lower incidence of ruminal acidosis compared with controls, and ruminal acidosis increased linearly and quadratically with supplement fed. Yield of milk fat was highest in the PMR+canola cows fed 14 or 16kg of total supplement DM/d, followed by the PMR-fed cows, and was lowest in controls fed at these amounts; a similar trend was observed for milk fat percentage. Milk protein yield was higher in the PMR+canola cows fed 14 or 16kg of total supplement DM/d. Milk yield and milk protein percentage were not affected by feeding strategy. Milk, energy-corrected milk, and milk protein yields increased linearly with supplement fed, whereas milk fat percentage decreased. Ruminal butyrate and d-lactate concentrations, acetate-to-propionate ratio, (acetate + butyrate)/propionate, and pH increased in PMR-fed cows compared with controls for all supplement amounts, whereas propionate and valerate concentrations decreased. Ruminal acetate, butyrate, and ammonia concentrations, acetate-to-propionate ratio, (acetate + butyrate)/propionate, and pH linearly decreased with amounts of supplement fed. Ruminal propionate concentration linearly increased and valerate concentration linearly and quadratically increased with supplement feeding amount. The Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the dominant bacterial phyla identified. The Prevotellaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Lachnospiraceae were the dominant bacterial families, regardless of feeding group, and were influenced by feeding strategy, supplement feeding amount, or both. The Veillonellaceae family decreased in relative abundance in PMR-fed cows compared with controls, and the Streptococcaeae and Lactobacillaceae families were present in only minor relative abundances, regardless of feeding group. Despite large among- and within-group variation in bacterial community composition, distinct bacterial communities occurred among feeding strategies, supplement amounts, and sample times and were associated with ruminal fermentation measures. Control cows fed 16kg of DM of total supplement per day had the most distinct ruminal bacterial community composition. Bacterial community composition was most significantly associated with supplement feeding amount and ammonia, butyrate, valerate, and propionate concentrations. Feeding supplements in a PMR reduced the incidence of ruminal acidosis and altered ruminal bacterial communities, regardless of supplement feeding amount, but did not result in increased milk measures compared with isoenergetic control diets component-fed to late-lactation cows. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ESTRATEGIAS PARA HACER EL MEJOR USO DE LA PROTEINA EN RACIONES PARA VACAS LECHERAS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dairy cows utilize feed CP with greater efficiency than other ruminants, but still excrete about 2 to 3 times more N in manure than they secrete in milk. This increases milk production costs plus environmental N pollution. Optimizing microbial protein formation in the rumen is the most effective way...

Feeding soyhulls on toxic tall fescue is option for stockers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Poor weight gain and thriftiness of wean beef calves on toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue has resulted in most the 15 million hectares of tall fescue in the USA to be utilized for cow-calf and not stocker production. An article was written that discusses results of a grazing experiment with toxi...

Changes in feeding, social, and lying behaviors in dairy cows with metritis following treatment with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug as adjunctive treatment to an antimicrobial.

PubMed

Lomb, J; Neave, H W; Weary, D M; LeBlanc, S J; Huzzey, J M; von Keyserlingk, M A G

2018-05-01

Dairy cows with metritis display sickness behaviors, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) have the potential to reduce these responses. The objective of this study was to investigate changes in feeding, social, and lying behaviors in dairy cows with metritis that had been treated with the NSAID meloxicam. After parturition, cows were housed in a dynamic, mixed-parity group of 20 animals with access to 12 electronic feed bins, 2 electronic water bins, and 24 lying stalls in a freestall pen. Every third day after parturition, vaginal discharge was evaluated to diagnose metritis based on the presence of foul smell and characteristic visual appearance. When diagnosed with metritis, animals (n = 87) were randomly allocated to receive either a single dose of meloxicam (0.5 mg/kg of body weight subcutaneously) or a placebo solution. All metritic animals received an antimicrobial (ceftiofur) for 5 d. We measured feeding and social behaviors at the feed bunk, as well as lying behaviors, and assessed within-cow changes from the day before to the day of (d 0) NSAID treatment, and from the day before to d 1 to 5 after treatment. Generally, behaviors changed around the day of diagnosis of metritis. Compared with the placebo group, cows that received meloxicam had a greater increase in the number of visits to the feeder, but tended to show less of an increase in dry matter intake and feeding time. These differences did not persist beyond 24 h after NSAID treatment. We observed no differences in changes in number of meals and feeding rate on d 0, but from d 1 to 5 cows treated with meloxicam had a lesser decrease in the number of meals and tended to have a greater decrease in feeding rate than did placebo-treated cows. In multiparous cows on d 0 and from d 1 to 5, meloxicam treatment was associated with decreased lying times. In primiparous cows, lying time changes were similar between treatments on d 0, but lying times increased more on d 1 to 5 for meloxicam than for placebo cows. Overall, cows changed the number of lying bouts on d 0, and this increase tended to be smaller for the meloxicam cows. There were no treatment differences in changes of social behavior. In summary, we observed inconsistent and generally small effects of a single dose of meloxicam in addition to antimicrobial therapy on the behavior of cows with metritis. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Black gram (Vigna Mungo L.) foliage supplementation to crossbred cows: effects on feed intake, nutrient digestibility and milk production

PubMed Central

Dey, Avijit; De, Partha Sarathi; Gangopadhyay, Prabir Kumar

2017-01-01

Objective An experiment was conducted to examine the effect of dietary supplementation of dried and ground foliage of black gram (Vigna mungo L.) on feed intake and utilization, and production performance of crossbred lactating cows. Methods Eighteen lactating crossbred (Bos taurus×Bos indicus) cows (body weight 330.93± 10.82 kg) at their second and mid lactation (milk yield 6.77±0.54 kg/d) were randomly divided into three groups of six each in a completely randomized block design. Three supplements were formulated by quantitatively replacing 0, 50, and 100 per cent of dietary wheat bran of concentrate mixture with dried and ground foliage of black gram. The designated supplement was fed to each group with basal diet of rice straw (ad libitum) to meet the requirements for maintenance and milk production. Daily feed intake and milk yield was recorded. A digestion trial was conducted to determine the total tract digestibility of various nutrients. Results The daily feed intake was increased (p<0.05) with the supplementation of black gram foliage. Although the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, and ether extract did not vary (p>0.05), the fibre digestibility was increased (p<0.05), which ultimately improved (p<0.05) the total digestible nutrients content of composite diet. Although, the average milk yield (kg/animal/d) and composition did not differ (p>0.05) among the groups, milk yield was increased by 10 per cent with total replacement of wheat bran in concentrate mixture with of black gram foliage. The economics of milk production calculated as feed cost per kg milk yield (INR 10.61 vs 7.98) was reduced by complete replacement of wheat bran with black gram foliage. Conclusion Black gram foliage could be used as complete replacement for wheat bran in concentrate mixture of dairy cows in formulating least cost ration for economic milk production in small holders’ animal production. PMID:27282971

Dry matter intake and feed efficiency profiles of 3 genotypes of Holstein-Friesian within pasture-based systems of milk production.

PubMed

Coleman, J; Berry, D P; Pierce, K M; Brennan, A; Horan, B

2010-09-01

The primary objective of the study was to quantify the effect of genetic improvement using the Irish total merit index (Economic Breeding Index) on dry matter intake and feed efficiency across lactation and to quantify the variation in performance among alternative definitions of feed efficiency. Three genotypes of Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle were established from within the Moorepark dairy research herd: 1) low Economic Breeding Index North American Holstein-Friesian representative of the Irish national average dairy cow, 2) high genetic merit North American Holstein-Friesian, and 3) high genetic merit New Zealand Holstein-Friesian. Animals from within each genotype were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 possible intensive pasture-based feed systems: 1) the Moorepark pasture system (2.64 cows/ha and 500 kg of concentrate supplement per cow per lactation) and 2) a high output per hectare pasture system (2.85 cows/ha and 1,200 kg of concentrate supplement per cow per lactation). A total of 128 and 140 spring-calving dairy cows were used during the years 2007 and 2008, respectively. Each group had an individual farmlet of 17 paddocks, and all groups were managed similarly throughout the study. The effects of genotype, feed system, and the interaction between genotype and feed system on dry matter intake, milk production, body weight, body condition score, and different definitions of feed efficiency were studied using mixed models with factorial arrangements of genotypes and feed systems accounting for the repeated cow records across years. No significant genotype-by-feed-system interactions were observed for any of the variables measured. Results showed that aggressive selection using the Irish Economic Breeding Index had no effect on dry matter intake across lactation when managed on intensive pasture-based systems of milk production, although the ranking of genotypes for feed efficiency differed depending on the definition of feed efficiency used. Performance of animals grouped on alternative definitions of feed efficiency showed that conventional definitions such as feed conversion efficiency or residual feed intake may be inappropriate measures of efficiency for lactating dairy cows. An alternative definition, residual solids production, is proposed. This definition of feed efficiency identifies animals that produce greater volumes of milk solids at similar levels of feed intake without excessive body tissue mobilization and with improved fertility performance. The results also suggest that although there are differences in feed efficiency between strains of Holstein-Friesian, there is also variation within genotypes so that improvements in feed efficiency can be realized if the appropriate definition of feed efficiency is incorporated into breeding programs. Copyright (c) 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of feed deprivation on behavioral reactivity and physiological status in Holstein cattle.

PubMed

Bourguet, C; Deiss, V; Boissy, A; Andanson, S; Terlouw, E M C

2011-10-01

The present study evaluated whether feed deprivation can increase reactivity to stressful events, such as those that can occur at slaughter. Therefore, effects of 30 h of feed deprivation on behavior, including reactions to psychological stressors, and physiological status in cattle were determined. Sixteen Holstein cows (Exp. 1) and 32 Holstein heifers (Exp. 2) were either fed (FE) or 30-h feed deprived (FD). Throughout the first day of feed deprivation and during evening feed distribution to control animals, FD heifers and cows were more active than controls (P < 0.05). In Exp. 1, during a feeding test, in response to a sudden air blast arising from the bucket from which the cow was feeding, FD cows showed a longer latency to return to feed (P = 0.0002), spent less time in the bucket air blast zone (P = 0.008) and less time motionless (P = 0.03), and tended to withdraw over a longer distance (P = 0.07) than FE cows. In Exp. 2, during a reactivity test, FD heifers spent more (P = 0.0001) time motionless in response to social isolation than FE heifers. In Exp. 2, one-half of the FE and FD heifers were subjected to an additional physical and psychological stressor just before the reactivity test by driving them for 5 min through a labyrinth. Within heifers subjected to the additional stressor, FD heifers were less accepting of being detained (P = 0.05) and stroked (P = 0.003) by a familiar stockperson in a corner of the test arena. Compared with FE animals, FD heifers and FD cows had greater plasma cortisol concentrations (P < 0.05). Feed-deprived cows also had reduced β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations (P = 0.02) compared with FE cows. Thus, in cattle, FD influenced some of the classical indicators of energy metabolism and exacerbated reactivity to sudden events. In addition, when additional stressors were applied, FD cattle were more reluctant to accept handling. Results indicate that a multifactorial origin of stressors during the slaughter period may synergistically increase psychological stress of cattle.

The Influence of Climate, Soil and Pasture Type on Productivity and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Intensity of Modeled Beef Cow-Calf Grazing Systems in Southern Australia

PubMed Central

Bell, Matthew J.; Cullen, Brendan R.; Eckard, Richard J.

2012-01-01

Simple Summary Livestock production systems and the agricultural industries in general face challenges to meet the global demand for food, whilst also minimizing their environmental impact through the production of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Livestock grazing systems in southern Australia are low input and reliant on pasture as a low-cost source of feed. The balance between productivity and GHG emission intensity of beef cow-calf grazing systems was studied at sites chosen to represent a range of climatic zones, soil and pasture types. While the climatic and edaphic characteristics of a location may impact on the emissions from a grazing system, management to efficiently use pasture can reduce emissions per unit product. Abstract A biophysical whole farm system model was used to simulate the interaction between the historical climate, soil and pasture type at sites in southern Australia and assess the balance between productivity and greenhouse gas emissions (expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents, CO2-eq.) intensity of beef cow-calf grazing systems. Four sites were chosen to represent a range of climatic zones, soil and pasture types. Poorer feed quality and supply limited the annual carrying capacity of the kikuyu pasture compared to phalaris pastures, with an average long-term carrying capacity across sites estimated to be 0.6 to 0.9 cows/ha. A relative reduction in level of feed intake to productivity of calf live weight/ha at weaning by feeding supplementary feed reduced the average CO2-eq. emissions/kg calf live weight at weaning of cows on the kikuyu pasture (18.4 and 18.9 kg/kg with and without supplementation, respectively), whereas at the other sites studied an increase in intake level to productivity and emission intensity was seen (between 10.4 to 12.5 kg/kg without and with supplementary feed, respectively). Enteric fermentationand nitrous oxide emissions from denitrification were the main sources of annual variability in emissions intensity, particularly at the lower rainfall sites. Emissions per unit product of low input systems can be minimized by efficient utilization of pasture to maximize the annual turnoff of weaned calves and diluting resource input per unit product. PMID:26487163

Association of standing and lying behavior patterns and incidence of intramammary infection in dairy cows milked with an automatic milking system.

PubMed

Devries, T J; Deming, J A; Rodenburg, J; Seguin, G; Leslie, K E; Barkema, H W

2011-08-01

The standing and lying behavior patterns of dairy cows, particularly the length of time cows spend standing after milking, have the potential to influence the incidence of intramammary infection (IMI). The objectives were to describe the standing and lying behavior patterns of cows milked with an automatic milking system (AMS) and to determine how these patterns relate to the incidence of IMI. One hundred and eleven lactating Holstein dairy cows were monitored over a 4-mo period. These cows were kept in a sand-bedded freestall barn with 2 pens, each with a free cow traffic AMS. Feed was delivered once daily, and pushed up 2 to 3 times daily. Quarter milk samples were collected for bacteriological culture from each cow once every 4 wk. A new IMI was defined as a positive culture sample following a negative culture. For 7 d before each of the last 3 milk samplings, standing and lying behavior, and times of milking and feed manipulation (feed delivery and push up) were recorded. Daily lying time and lying bout length were negatively related with milk yield (r=-0.23 and -0.20, respectively) and milking frequency (r=-0.32 and -0.20, respectively); milk yield was positively related to milking frequency (r=0.58). Feed manipulation near the time cows were milked (1h before 2h after) resulted in the longest post-milking standing times (mean=86 min; 95% confidence interval=78, 94 min), whereas feed manipulation occurring outside that time frame resulted in shorter post-milking standing times. Over the study period, 171 new IMI were detected. Of these new IMI detected, those caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci were the only ones associated with post-milking standing time; as post-milking standing time increased past 2.5h after milking, the odds of acquiring a new IMI tended to also increase. In summary, standing and lying behavior patterns of cows milked with an AMS were affected by both feed manipulation and their milking activity. Further, the post-milking standing time of cows milked with an AMS can be managed by providing fresh feed, as well as by pushing up feed, frequently throughout the day. Finally, cows that spend long periods of time (>2.5h) standing following milking may be at higher risk of acquiring a new CNS IMI. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of feeding crude glycerin on performance and ruminal kinetics of lactating Holstein cows fed corn silage- or cottonseed hull-based, low-fiber diets.

PubMed

Shin, J H; Wang, D; Kim, S C; Adesogan, A T; Staples, C R

2012-07-01

The objective was to determine whether crude glycerin could partially replace concentrate ingredients in corn silage- or cottonseed hull-based diets formulated to support minimal milk fat production without reducing milk production. Multiparous, lactating Holstein cows (n=24; 116 ± 13d in milk) were assigned to dietary treatments arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial design; namely, 2 dietary roughage sources (cottonseed hulls or corn silage) and 3 dietary concentrations of glycerin [0, 5, or 10% on a dry matter (DM) basis]. Four different cows received each dietary treatment in each of 3 periods such that each diet was evaluated using 12 cows. Crude glycerin, produced using soybean oil, contained 12% water, 5% oil, 6.8% sodium chloride, and 0.4% methanol. Glycerin partially replaced ground corn, corn gluten feed, and citrus pulp. Diets of minimum fiber concentrations were fed to lactating dairy cows and resulted in low concentrations of milk fat (averaging 3.12% for cows fed diets without glycerin). The effects of glycerin on cow performance and ruminal measurements were the same for both dietary roughage sources with the exception of feed efficiency. Replacing concentrate with crude glycerin at 5% of dietary DM increased DM intake without increasing milk yield. Concentration and yield of milk fat were reduced when glycerin was fed at 10% of dietary DM. This was accompanied by a 30% reduction in apparent total-tract digestion of dietary neutral detergent fiber. Crude glycerin affected the microbial population in the rumen as evidenced by increased molar proportions of propionic, butyric, and valeric acids and decreased molar proportions of acetic acid. Efficiency of N utilization was improved as evidenced by lower concentrations of blood urea nitrogen and ruminal ammonia-N. Cows fed cottonseed hull-based diets consumed 5.3 kg/d more DM but produced only 1.7 kg/d more milk, resulting in reduced efficiency. Increased production of ruminal microbial protein, molar proportion of propionic acid, and passage of ruminal fluid resulted from feeding the cottonseed hull- versus corn silage-based diets, although apparent digestibilities of DM and neutral detergent fiber were reduced. Replacing 5 and 10% of concentrate ingredients with crude glycerin improved efficiency of 4% fat-corrected milk production when corn silage-based diets were fed but decreased it when cottonseed hull-based diets were fed. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

21 CFR 558.254 - Famphur.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... as an aid in control of sucking lice. (ii) Limitations. For beef cattle and nonlactating dairy cows; feed for 30 days; withdraw from dry dairy cows and heifers 21 days prior to freshening; withdraw 4 days.... For control of grubs. (ii) Limitations. For beef cattle and nonlactating dairy cows; feed for 10 days...

21 CFR 558.254 - Famphur.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... as an aid in control of sucking lice. (ii) Limitations. For beef cattle and nonlactating dairy cows; feed for 30 days; withdraw from dry dairy cows and heifers 21 days prior to freshening; withdraw 4 days.... For control of grubs. (ii) Limitations. For beef cattle and nonlactating dairy cows; feed for 10 days...

21 CFR 558.254 - Famphur.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... as an aid in control of sucking lice. (ii) Limitations. For beef cattle and nonlactating dairy cows; feed for 30 days; withdraw from dry dairy cows and heifers 21 days prior to freshening; withdraw 4 days.... For control of grubs. (ii) Limitations. For beef cattle and nonlactating dairy cows; feed for 10 days...

21 CFR 558.254 - Famphur.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... as an aid in control of sucking lice. (ii) Limitations. For beef cattle and nonlactating dairy cows; feed for 30 days; withdraw from dry dairy cows and heifers 21 days prior to freshening; withdraw 4 days.... For control of grubs. (ii) Limitations. For beef cattle and nonlactating dairy cows; feed for 10 days...

21 CFR 558.254 - Famphur.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... as an aid in control of sucking lice. (ii) Limitations. For beef cattle and nonlactating dairy cows; feed for 30 days; withdraw from dry dairy cows and heifers 21 days prior to freshening; withdraw 4 days.... For control of grubs. (ii) Limitations. For beef cattle and nonlactating dairy cows; feed for 10 days...

Intramammary infusion of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide negatively affects feed intake, chewing, and clinical variables, but some effects are stronger in cows experiencing subacute rumen acidosis.

PubMed

Aditya, S; Humer, E; Pourazad, P; Khiaosa-Ard, R; Huber, J; Zebeli, Q

2017-02-01

Feeding high-grain diets increases the risk of subacute rumen acidosis (SARA) and adversely affects rumen health. This condition might impair the responsiveness of cows when they are exposed to external infectious stimuli such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The main objective of this study was to evaluate various responses to intramammary LPS infusion in healthy dairy cows and those experimentally subjected to SARA. Eighteen early-lactating Simmental cows were subjected to SARA (n = 12) or control (CON; n = 6) feeding conditions. Cows of the control group received a diet containing 40% concentrates (DM basis) throughout the experiment. The intermittent SARA feeding regimen consisted in feeding the cows a ration with 60% concentrate (DM basis) for 32 d, consisting of a first SARA induction for 8 d, switched to the CON diet for 7 d, and re-induction during the last 17 d. On d 30 of the experiment, 6 SARA (SARA-LPS) and 6 CON (CON-LPS) cows were intramammary challenged once with a single dose of 50 μg of LPS from Escherichia coli (O26:B6), whereas the other 6 SARA cows (SARA-PLA) received 10 mL of sterile saline solution as placebo. To confirm the induction of SARA, the reticular pH was continuously monitored via wireless pH probes. The DMI remained unchanged between SARA and CON cows during the feeding experiment, but was reduced in both treatment groups receiving the LPS infusion compared with SARA-PLA, whereby a significant decline was observed for cows of the SARA-LPS treatment (-38%) compared with CON-LPS (-19%). The LPS infusion did not affect the reticuloruminal pH dynamics, but significantly enhanced ruminal temperature and negatively affected chewing behavior. The ruminal temperature increased after the LPS infusion and peaked about 1 h earlier in SARA-LPS cows compared with the cows of the CON-LPS treatment. Moreover, a significant decline in milk yield was found in SARA-LPS compared with CON-LPS following the LPS infusion. Cows receiving LPS had elevated somatic cell counts, protein, and fat contents in milk as well as decreased lactose contents and pH following the LPS infusion, whereby the changes in milk constituents were more pronounced in SARA-LPS than CON-LPS cows. Rectal temperature and pulse rate were highest 6 h after LPS infusion, but rumen contractions were not affected by the LPS infusion. The data suggest that a single intramammary LPS infusion induced fever and negatively affected feed intake, chewing activity, rectal temperature, and milk yield and composition, whereby these effects were more pronounced in SARA cows. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

21 CFR 558.195 - Decoquinate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... of exposure to coccidiosis or when it is likely to be a hazard. Do not feed to cows producing milk... be a hazard. Do not feed to cows producing milk for food. See paragraph (d)(3) of this section... coccidiosis caused by Eimeria bovis and E. zuernii Feed Type C feed or milk replacer to provide 22.7...

Invited review: strategies for promoting productivity and health of dairy cattle by feeding nonforage fiber sources.

PubMed

Bradford, B J; Mullins, C R

2012-09-01

High-fiber byproducts are generated by several industries, and the supplies of some of these nonforage fiber sources (NFFS) are increasing. Although NFFS generally have limited utility in nonruminant diets, dairy cattle nutritionists can use these products to partially replace both forages and concentrates in lactation diets. Research has shown that production responses vary, but under certain conditions, NFFS-based diets can maintain or improve performance of dairy cattle. Traditional dietary formulation strategies are not ideal when formulating diets to contain large concentrations of NFFS. When feeding high levels of NFFS (≥15% inclusion rates, dry matter basis), less physically effective fiber is required; however, determining if this requirement has been met can be challenging, mainly because of the lack of a broadly applicable method for quantifying effective fiber in the field. Nutritionists must also be conscious of the nutrient variation that exists among many NFFS. Strategies to reduce risks associated with this variability include purchasing feed from a sole supplier who demonstrates product consistency and combining multiple NFFS at lower inclusion rates. A targeted approach whereby nonforage fiber primarily replaces some forage fiber for higher-producing cows but partially replaces some starch for lower-producing cows can optimize nutrient utilization without sacrificing animal health. In summary, the judicious use of NFFS represents an opportunity to improve the productivity and health of cattle in all stages of lactation while potentially controlling feed costs. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intestinal blood loss during cow milk feeding in older infants: quantitative measurements.

PubMed

Jiang, T; Jeter, J M; Nelson, S E; Ziegler, E E

2000-07-01

To determine the response, in terms of fecal hemoglobin excretion and clinical symptoms, of normal 9 1/2-month-old infants to being fed cow milk. Longitudinal (before-after) trial in which each infant was fed formula for 1 month (baseline) followed by 3 months during which cow milk was fed. Healthy infants living in Iowa City, Iowa, a town with a population of about 60,000. Hemoglobin concentration in spot stools, 96-hour quantitative fecal hemoglobin excretion, stool characteristics, feeding-related behaviors, and iron nutritional status. Fecal hemoglobin concentration during formula feeding (baseline) was higher than previously observed in younger infants. Nine of 31 infants responded to cow milk feeding with increased fecal hemoglobin concentration. Fecal hemoglobin concentration (mean +/- SD) of the 9 responders rose from 1,395 +/- 856 microg/g of dry stool (baseline) to 2,711 +/- 1,732 microg/g of dry stool (P=.01). The response rate (29%) was similar to that in younger infants, but the intensity of the response was much less. Quantitative hemoglobin excretion was in general agreement with estimates based on spot stool hemoglobin concentrations. Cow milk feeding was not associated with recognizable changes in stool characteristics, nor were there clinical signs related to fecal blood loss. Iron status was similar, except that after 3 months of cow milk feeding responders showed lower (P= .047) ferritin concentrations than nonresponders. Cow milk-induced blood loss is present in 9 1/2-month-old infants but is of such low intensity that its clinical significance seems questionable. Nevertheless, infants without cow milk-induced blood loss were in better iron nutritional status than infants who showed blood loss.

Supplementing rumen-protected Met and Lys in alfalfa and red clover silage diets fed to lactating dairy cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The action of polyphenol oxidase reduces NPN formation in red clover silage (RCS). In seven previous trials, RCS averaged (% of total N) 36% NPN vs. 54% NPN in alfalfa silage (AS). Feeding RCS has been found to increase intestinal protein absorption but with no improvement in N utilization, suggesti...

Differential transcript abundance in the adipose tissue of mature cows during feed restriction and realimentation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Feed costs account for over 70% of the annual expenditures in cow/calf production. During the production year the cow uses nutrients to support conceptus growth, milk production, work (grazing and locomotion), and maintenance requirements. The majority of the nutrients are used to support maintenanc...

Repeated ruminal acidosis challenges in lactating dairy cows at high and low risk for developing acidosis: feed sorting.

PubMed

Devries, T J; Dohme, F; Beauchemin, K A

2008-10-01

An experiment was conducted to determine whether the susceptibility of cows to ruminal acidosis influences feed sorting and whether feed sorting changes during a bout of ruminal acidosis. Eight ruminally cannulated cows were assigned to 1 of 2 acidosis risk levels: low risk (LR, mid-lactation cows fed a 60% forage diet) or high risk (HR, early lactation cows fed a 45% forage diet). As a result, diets were intentionally confounded with milk production to represent 2 different acidosis risk scenarios. Cows were exposed to an acidosis challenge in each of two 14-d periods. Each period consisted of 3 baseline days, a feed restriction day (restricting TMR to 50% of ad libitum intake), an acidosis challenge day (1-h meal of 4 kg of ground barley/wheat before allocating the TMR), and a recovery phase. Ruminal pH was measured continuously for the first 9 d of each period using an indwelling system. Feed and orts were sampled for 2 baseline days, on the challenge day, and 1 and 3 d after the challenge day for each cow and subjected to particle size analysis. The separator contained 3 screens (18, 9, and 1.18 mm) and a bottom pan to determine the proportion of long, medium, short, and fine particles, respectively. Sorting was calculated as the actual intake of each particle size fraction expressed as a percentage of the predicted intake of that fraction. All cows sorted against the longest and finest TMR particles and sorted for medium-length particles. Sorting was performed to a greater extent by the HR cows, and this sorting was related to low ruminal pH. Both HR and LR cows altered their sorting behavior in response to acidosis challenges. For the HR cows, severe acidosis was associated with increased sorting for the longer particles in the diet and against the shorter particles, likely to lessen the effects of the very.

Effect of calving interval and parity on milk yield per feeding day in Danish commercial dairy herds.

PubMed

Lehmann, J O; Fadel, J G; Mogensen, L; Kristensen, T; Gaillard, C; Kebreab, E

2016-01-01

The idea of managing cows for extended lactations rather than lactations of the traditional length of 1 yr primarily arose from observations of increasing problems with infertility and cows being dried off with high milk yields. However, it is vital for the success of extended lactation practices that cows are able to maintain milk yield per feeding day when the length of the calving interval (CInt) is increased. Milk yield per feeding day is defined as the cumulated lactation milk yield divided by the sum of days between 2 consecutive calvings. The main objective of this study was to investigate the milk production of cows managed for lactations of different lengths, and the primary aim was to investigate the relationship between CInt, parity, and milk yield. Five measurements of milk yield were used: energy-corrected milk (ECM) yield per feeding day, ECM yield per lactating day, cumulative ECM yield during the first 305 d of lactation, as well as ECM yield per day during early and late lactation. The analyses were based on a total of 1,379 completed lactations from cows calving between January 2007 and May 2013 in 4 Danish commercial dairy herds managed for extended lactation for several years. Herd-average CInt length ranged from 414 to 521 d. The herds had Holstein, Jersey, or crosses between Holstein, Jersey, and Red Danish cows with average milk yields ranging from 7,644 to 11,286 kg of ECM per cow per year. A significant effect of the CInt was noted on all 5 measurements of milk yield, and this effect interacted with parity for ECM per feeding day, ECM per lactating day and ECM per day during late lactation. The results showed that cows were at least able to produce equivalent ECM per feeding day with increasing CInt, and that first- and second-parity cows maintained ECM per lactating day. Cows with a CInt between 17 and 19 mo produced 476 kg of ECM more during the first 305 d compared with cows with a CInt of less than 13 mo. Furthermore, early-lactation ECM yield was greater for all cows and late-lactation ECM yield was less for second-parity and older cows when undergoing an extended compared with a shorter lactation. Increasing CInt increased the dry period length with 3 to 5d. In conclusion, the group of cows with longer CInt were able to produce at least equivalent amounts of ECM per feeding day when the CInt was up to 17 to 19 mo on these 4 commercial dairy farms. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Silage review: Silage feeding management: Silage characteristics and dairy cow feeding behavior.

PubMed

Grant, R J; Ferraretto, L F

2018-05-01

Feeding environment and feed accessibility influence the dairy cow's response to the ration and forage composition. Fiber content, physical form, and fermentability influence feeding behavior, feed intake, and overall cow metabolic and lactational responses to forage. It is possible to vary eating time of lactating dairy cattle by over 1 h/d by changing dietary silage fiber content, digestibility, and particle size. Optimizing silage particle size is important because excessively long particles increase the necessary chewing to swallow a bolus of feed, thereby increasing eating time. Under competitive feeding situations, excessively coarse or lower fiber digestibility silages may limit DMI of lactating dairy cows due to eating time requirements that exceed available time at the feed bunk. Additionally, greater silage particle size, especially the particles retained on the 19-mm sieve using the Penn State Particle Separator, are most likely to be sorted. Silage starch content and fermentability may influence ruminal propionate production and thereby exert substantial control over meal patterns and feed consumption. Compared with silage fiber characteristics, relatively little research has assessed how silage starch content and fermentability interact with the feeding environment to influence dairy cow feeding behavior. Finally, voluminous literature exists on the potential effects that silage fermentation end products have on feeding behavior and feed intake. However, the specific mechanisms of how these end products influence behavior and intake are poorly understood in some cases. The compounds shown to have the greatest effect on feeding behavior are lactate, acetate, propionate, butyrate, ammonia-N, and amines. Any limitation in the feeding environment will likely accentuate the negative response to poor silage fermentation. In the future, to optimize feeding behavior and dry matter intake of silage-based diets fed to dairy cattle, we will need to consider the chemical and physical properties of silage, end products of silage fermentation, and the social and physical components of the feeding environment. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Winter feeding systems and dairy cow breed have an impact on milk composition and flavour of two Protected Designation of Origin French cheeses.

PubMed

Hurtaud, C; Peyraud, J L; Michel, G; Berthelot, D; Delaby, L

2009-09-01

This study investigates the effects of two feeding systems and two dairy cow breeds on milk yield and composition, physical and sensorial properties of Camembert and Pont-l'Evêque cheeses. The experiment consisted of a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. A low energy grass diet with only 15% of concentrate (LowGS) was compared with a high-energy maize silage diet with 30% concentrate (HighMS). Thirty-four Holstein (Ho) and 34 Normande (No) cows in early lactation were assigned to one of two feeding systems for a 6-week period. Cows on the LowGS feeding system had lower milk yield, fat and protein content. In both feeding systems, No cows had lower milk yields but higher milk protein contents than Ho cows. The LowGS feeding system altered milk fatty acid (FA) composition by reducing saturated FA. Breed had only a small impact on milk FA. Concerning milk coagulating properties, only the firmness was reduced by the LowGS feeding and the Ho breed. The effects of breed and feeding system on the protein content of cheeses were more marked in Camembert cheese than in Pont-l'Evêque cheese. However, the Camembert cheese from Ho-LowGS was, in fact, characterized especially by lower protein content. LowGS feeding system and No breed produced more yellow cheeses. Feeding systems had limited effects on the firmness of Camembert and Pont-l'Evêque cheeses measured by penetrometry. In sensory analysis, Ho breed and LowGS feeding produced a Camembert cheese with a more melting texture in the mouth due to the increase of spreadability index and of proteolysis. The type of cheese also had an influence: the effects were more important on Camembert cheese than on Pont-l'Evêque cheese. Only the Ho-LowGS treatment produced a very specific Camembert cheese different from the others. The feeding systems and breed of dairy cow have no determinant effect on PDO (protected designation of origin) Camembert and Pont-l'Evêque cheeses, especially regarding taste. In this kind of trial, despite the effects of feeding systems and breed on milk composition, the role of cheese ripening and microbiology appears to be of considerable importance.

Perspectives on pasture versus indoor feeding of dairy cows.

PubMed

Knaus, Wilhelm

2016-01-15

The dairy industry in many regions of the world has moved towards a high-input/high-output system maximising annual milk production per cow, primarily through increasing concentrate-based total mixed rations fed indoors year round, as opposed to allowing cows to feed on pasture. Pasture-based dairy systems in regions like New Zealand and Ireland are oriented towards maximum milk yield per unit of pasture, which has led to Holstein strains that are 50 to 100 kg lighter, exhibit a higher body condition score, and produce roughly half the annual amount of milk as compared to their Holstein counterparts kept in confinement in North America and Europe. Freedom from hunger might not be guaranteed when high-yielding dairy cows are kept on pasture without any supplemental feed, but at the same time no access to pasture can be considered an animal welfare concern, because pasturing is generally beneficial to the animals' health. On pasture, lighter-weight dairy cows with a medium milk production potential have proven to be superior with regard to feed efficiency and fertility. The year-round indoor feeding of high-yielding dairy cows with total mixed rations containing substantial amounts of human-edible crops from arable land puts global food security at risk and fails to utilise the evolutionary advantages of ruminants. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Use of residual feed intake in Holsteins during early lactation shows potential to improve feed efficiency through genetic selection.

PubMed

Connor, E E; Hutchison, J L; Norman, H D; Olson, K M; Van Tassell, C P; Leith, J M; Baldwin, R L

2013-08-01

Improved feed efficiency is a primary goal in dairy production to reduce feed costs and negative impacts of production on the environment. Estimates for efficiency of feed conversion to milk production based on residual feed intake (RFI) in dairy cattle are limited, primarily due to a lack of individual feed intake measurements for lactating cows. Feed intake was measured in Holstein cows during the first 90 d of lactation to estimate the heritability and repeatability of RFI, minimum test duration for evaluating RFI in early lactation, and its association with other production traits. Data were obtained from 453 lactations (214 heifers and 239 multiparous cows) from 292 individual cows from September 2007 to December 2011. Cows were housed in a free-stall barn and monitored for individual daily feed consumption using the GrowSafe 4000 System (GrowSafe Systems, Ltd., Airdrie, AB, Canada). Animals were fed a total mixed ration 3 times daily, milked twice daily, and weighed every 10 to 14 d. Milk yield was measured at each milking. Feed DM percentage was measured daily, and nutrient composition was analyzed from a weekly composite. Milk composition was analyzed weekly, alternating between morning and evening milking periods. Estimates of RFI were determined as the difference between actual energy intake and predicted intake based on a linear model with fixed effects of parity (1, 2, ≥ 3) and regressions on metabolic BW, ADG, and energy-corrected milk yield. Heritability was estimated to be moderate (0.36 ± 0.06), and repeatability was estimated at 0.56 across lactations. A test period through 53 d in milk (DIM) explained 81% of the variation provided by a test through 90 DIM. Multiple regression analysis indicated that high efficiency was associated with less time feeding per day and slower feeding rate, which may contribute to differences in RFI among cows. The heritability and repeatability of RFI suggest an opportunity to improve feed efficiency through genetic selection, which could reduce feed costs, manure output, and greenhouse gas emissions associated with dairy production.

Isolating the cow-specific part of residual energy intake in lactating dairy cows using random regressions.

PubMed

Fischer, A; Friggens, N C; Berry, D P; Faverdin, P

2018-07-01

The ability to properly assess and accurately phenotype true differences in feed efficiency among dairy cows is key to the development of breeding programs for improving feed efficiency. The variability among individuals in feed efficiency is commonly characterised by the residual intake approach. Residual feed intake is represented by the residuals of a linear regression of intake on the corresponding quantities of the biological functions that consume (or release) energy. However, the residuals include both, model fitting and measurement errors as well as any variability in cow efficiency. The objective of this study was to isolate the individual animal variability in feed efficiency from the residual component. Two separate models were fitted, in one the standard residual energy intake (REI) was calculated as the residual of a multiple linear regression of lactation average net energy intake (NEI) on lactation average milk energy output, average metabolic BW, as well as lactation loss and gain of body condition score. In the other, a linear mixed model was used to simultaneously fit fixed linear regressions and random cow levels on the biological traits and intercept using fortnight repeated measures for the variables. This method split the predicted NEI in two parts: one quantifying the population mean intercept and coefficients, and one quantifying cow-specific deviations in the intercept and coefficients. The cow-specific part of predicted NEI was assumed to isolate true differences in feed efficiency among cows. NEI and associated energy expenditure phenotypes were available for the first 17 fortnights of lactation from 119 Holstein cows; all fed a constant energy-rich diet. Mixed models fitting cow-specific intercept and coefficients to different combinations of the aforementioned energy expenditure traits, calculated on a fortnightly basis, were compared. The variance of REI estimated with the lactation average model represented only 8% of the variance of measured NEI. Among all compared mixed models, the variance of the cow-specific part of predicted NEI represented between 53% and 59% of the variance of REI estimated from the lactation average model or between 4% and 5% of the variance of measured NEI. The remaining 41% to 47% of the variance of REI estimated with the lactation average model may therefore reflect model fitting errors or measurement errors. In conclusion, the use of a mixed model framework with cow-specific random regressions seems to be a promising method to isolate the cow-specific component of REI in dairy cows.

Influences of supplemental feeding on winter elk calf:cow ratios in the southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

USGS Publications Warehouse

M. Foley, Aaron; Cross, Paul C.; Christianson, David A; Scurlock, Brandon M.; Creely, Scott

2015-01-01

Several elk herds in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are fed during winter to alleviate interactions with livestock, reduce damage to stored crops, and to manage for high elk numbers. The effects of supplemental feeding on ungulate population dynamics has rarely been examined, despite the fact that supplemental feeding is partially justified as necessary for maintaining or enhancing population growth rates. We used linear regression to assess how the presence of feedgrounds, snowpack, summer rainfall, indices of grizzly bear density and wolves per elk, elk population trend counts, brucellosis seroprevalence, and survey date were correlated with midwinter calf:cow ratios, a metric correlated with population growth, from 1983–2010 from 12 ecologically similar elk herd units (7 fed and 5 unfed) in Wyoming, USA. Our statistical approach allowed for rigorous tests of the hypotheses that supplemental feeding had positive effects on calf:cow ratios and reduced sensitivity of calf:cow ratios to bottom-up limitation relative to top-down limitation from native predators. Calf:cow ratios generally declined across all herd units over the study period and varied widely among units with feedgrounds. We found no evidence that the presence of feedgrounds had positive effects on midwinter calf:cow ratios in Wyoming. Further, fed elk showed stronger correlations with environmental factors, whereas calf:cow ratios for unfed elk showed stronger correlations with predator indices. Although we found no consistent association between winter feeding and higher calf:cow ratios, we did not assess late winter mortality and differences in human offtake between fed and unfed regions, which remain a priority for future research. 

Biological mechanisms related to differences in residual feed intake in dairy cows.

PubMed

Xi, Y M; Wu, F; Zhao, D Q; Yang, Z; Li, L; Han, Z Y; Wang, G L

2016-08-01

Residual feed intake (RFI), defined as the difference between an animal's actual feed intake and expected feed intake over a specific period, is an inheritable character of feed conversion efficiency in dairy cows. Research has shown that a lower RFI could improve the profitability of milk production. This study explored variation in RFI by comparing the differences in body size, milk performance, feeding behavior, and serum metabolites in 29 Holstein cows in mid lactation. The cows were selected from a total of 84 animals based on their RFI following feedlot tests. Selected cows were ranked into high RFI (RFI >1 SD above the mean, n=14) and low RFI (RFI<1 SD below the mean, n=15). The low RFI cows (more efficient) consumed 1.59 kg/day less dry matter than the high RFI group (P<0.01), while they produced nearly equal 4% fat-corrected milk. The milk : feed ratio was higher for the low RFI group than for the high RFI group (P<0.05). The levels of milk protein (P<0.01), total solids (P<0.05), and nonfat solids (P<0.05) were also higher for the low RFI group, whereas milk urea nitrogen was lower (P<0.01). The daily feeding duration was shorter for the low RFI group than for the high RFI group (P<0.01). No significant differences were found in levels of glucose, β-hydroxybutyrate, prolactin, insulin, IGF-1, growth hormone or ghrelin, but the level of neuropeptide Y was higher (P<0.01) and levels of leptin and non-esterified fatty acid (P<0.05) were lower for the low RFI group than for the high RFI group. There were substantial differences between cows with different RFI, which might affect the efficiency of milk protein metabolism and fat mobilization.

The effect of dry cow winter management system on feed intake, performance and estimated energy demand.

PubMed

O'Driscoll, K; Boyle, L; Hanlon, A; Buckley, F; French, P

2010-02-01

This research compared three wood-chip out-wintering pad (OWP; an unsheltered OWP; a sheltered OWP (both with a concrete feed apron); and an unsheltered OWP with silage provided directly on top of the wood-chip bedding (self-feed OWP)) designs and cubicle housing with regard to dairy cow performance during the pre-partum period, and for 8 weeks post partum. Data were compared during 2 years. In Year 1, the unsheltered (space allowance = 12 m2 per cow) and sheltered (6 m2 per cow) OWPs were compared with cubicle housing (n = 49 cows per treatment). In Year 2, all three OWP designs (12 m2 per cow) were compared with cubicle housing (n = 24 cows per treatment, split into two replicates). Animals were dried off and assigned to treatment in the autumn, and remained there until calving in spring. Subsequently, they were managed at pasture during lactation. Outcome measures for analysis during the pre-partum period were feed intake, live weight, body condition score (BCS), heat production and heat loss, and post-partum were live weight, BCS, milk yield and milk composition. In Year 1, all cows had a similar live weight, but both pre-partum and at calving cows on the unsheltered OWP had a lower BCS than cows in cubicles (P < 0.05). However, in Year 2, there were no differences in either live weight or BCS. In Year 1, cows in the unsheltered OWP produced less heat than in cubicles (P < 0.05), but in Year 2, there was no treatment effect. In both years, cows in unsheltered OWPs lost more heat than cows in the sheltered OWP (P < 0.001). Treatment had no effect on milk composition either year. However, in Year 2, cows in the self-feed OWP had higher milk yields than the other treatments (P < 0.05). The lower BCS and heat production values in unsheltered treatments during Year 1 were probably because of higher rainfall and wind-speed values of that year. However, in both years, live weight in all treatments increased pre partum, and BCS did not decrease, indicating that unsheltered cows did not need to mobilise body reserves. Thus, OWPs could be a suitable pre-partum alternative to cubicle housing for dry dairy cows with regard to some aspects of dairy cow productive performance. However, further research should be carried out to investigate longer-term effects.

Achieving Body Weight Adjustments for Feeding Status and Pregnant or Non-Pregnant Condition in Beef Cows

PubMed Central

Gionbelli, Mateus P.; Duarte, Marcio S.; Valadares Filho, Sebastião C.; Detmann, Edenio; Chizzotti, Mario L.; Rodrigues, Felipe C.; Zanetti, Diego; Gionbelli, Tathyane R. S.; Machado, Marcelo G.

2015-01-01

Background Beef cows herd accounts for 70% of the total energy used in the beef production system. However, there are still limited studies regarding improvement of production efficiency in this category, mainly in developing countries and in tropical areas. One of the limiting factors is the difficulty to obtain reliable estimates of weight variation in mature cows. This occurs due to the interaction of weight of maternal tissues with specific physiological stages such as pregnancy. Moreover, variation in gastrointestinal contents due to feeding status in ruminant animals is a major source of error in body weight measurements. Objectives Develop approaches to estimate the individual proportion of weight from maternal tissues and from gestation in pregnant cows, adjusting for feeding status and stage of gestation. Methods and Findings Dataset of 49 multiparous non-lactating Nellore cows (32 pregnant and 17 non-pregnant) were used. To establish the relationships between the body weight, depending on the feeding status of pregnant and non-pregnant cows as a function of days of pregnancy, a set of general equations was tested, based on theoretical suppositions. We proposed the concept of pregnant compound (PREG), which represents the weight that is genuinely related to pregnancy. The PREG includes the gravid uterus minus the non-pregnant uterus plus the accretion in udder related to pregnancy. There was no accretion in udder weight up to 238 days of pregnancy. By subtracting the PREG from live weight of a pregnant cow, we obtained estimates of the weight of only maternal tissues in pregnant cows. Non-linear functions were adjusted to estimate the relationship between fasted, non-fasted and empty body weight, for pregnant and non-pregnant cows. Conclusions Our results allow for estimating the actual live weight of pregnant cows and their body constituents, and subsequent comparison as a function of days of gestation and feeding status. PMID:25793770

Feeding Vegetarian and Vegan Infants and Toddlers

MedlinePlus

... vegans) if breast-feeding is decreased or stopped. Cow's milk, soy milk, rice milk and homemade formulas ... milk: at least one quart per day of cow's or soy milk. Calcium: Breast- and formula-fed ...

Association of residual feed intake with abundance of ruminal bacteria and biopolymer hydrolyzing enzyme activities during the peripartal period and early lactation in Holstein dairy cows.

PubMed

Elolimy, Ahmed A; Arroyo, José M; Batistel, Fernanda; Iakiviak, Michael A; Loor, Juan J

2018-01-01

Residual feed intake (RFI) in dairy cattle typically calculated at peak lactation is a measure of feed efficiency independent of milk production level. The objective of this study was to evaluate differences in ruminal bacteria, biopolymer hydrolyzing enzyme activities, and overall performance between the most- and the least-efficient dairy cows during the peripartal period. Twenty multiparous Holstein dairy cows with daily ad libitum access to a total mixed ration from d - 10 to d 60 relative to the calving date were used. Cows were classified into most-efficient (i.e. with low RFI, n  = 10) and least-efficient (i.e. with high RFI, n  = 10) based on a linear regression model involving dry matter intake (DMI), fat-corrected milk (FCM), changes in body weight (BW), and metabolic BW. The most-efficient cows had ~ 2.6 kg/d lower DMI at wk 4, 6, 7, and 8 compared with the least-efficient cows. In addition, the most-efficient cows had greater relative abundance of total ruminal bacterial community during the peripartal period. Compared with the least-efficient cows, the most-efficient cows had 4-fold greater relative abundance of Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens at d - 10 and d 10 around parturition and tended to have greater abundance of Fibrobacter succinogenes and Megaspheara elsdenii . In contrast, the relative abundance of Butyrivibrio proteoclasticus and Streptococcus bovis was lower and Succinimonas amylolytica and Prevotella bryantii tended to be lower in the most-efficient cows around calving. During the peripartal period, the most-efficient cows had lower enzymatic activities of cellulase, amylase, and protease compared with the least-efficient cows. The results suggest that shifts in ruminal bacteria and digestive enzyme activities during the peripartal period could, at least in part, be part of the mechanism associated with better feed efficiency in dairy cows.

Repeated ruminal acidosis challenges in lactating dairy cows at high and low risk for developing acidosis: feeding, ruminating, and lying behavior.

PubMed

DeVries, T J; Beauchemin, K A; Dohme, F; Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K S

2009-10-01

An experiment was conducted to determine whether the susceptibility to ruminal acidosis, as defined through differences in days in milk (DIM), milk production level, and ration composition, influences cow feeding, ruminating, and lying behavior and whether these behaviors change during an acute bout of ruminal acidosis. Eight ruminally cannulated cows were assigned to 1 of 2 acidosis risk levels: low risk (LR, mid-lactation cows fed a 60:40 forage:concentrate ratio diet) or high risk (HR, early lactation cows fed a 45:55 forage:concentrate diet). As a result, diets were intentionally confounded with DIM and milk production to represent 2 different acidosis risk scenarios. Cows were exposed to an acidosis challenge in each of three 14-d periods. Each period consisted of 3 baseline days, a feed restriction day (restricting total mixed ration to 50% of ad libitum intake), an acidosis challenge day (1 h meal of 4 kg of ground barley/wheat before allocating the total mixed ration), and a recovery phase. Feeding, rumination, and standing/lying behavior were recorded for 2 baseline days, on the challenge day, and 1 and 4 d after the challenge day for each cow. Across the study, there were no differences in measures of standing, lying, or feeding behavior between the 2 groups of cows. The HR cows did, on average, spend less time ruminating (491 vs. 555 min/d) than the LR cows, resulting in a lesser percentage of observed cows ruminating across the day (44.6 vs. 48.1%). The acidosis challenge resulted in changes in behavior in all cows. Compared with the baseline, feeding time increased on the first day after the challenge (395 vs. 310 min/d), whereas lying time decreased (565 vs. 634 min/d). Rumination time decreased the first day following the challenge (436 min/d) relative to the baseline (533 min/d), but increased the following day (572 min/d). Fewer cows were observed to be ruminating at a given time on the first day following the challenge as compared with the baseline period. Despite this, on a herd level, numerous observations of the proportion of cows ruminating at any one time would need to be taken to accurately detect an acute bout of acidosis using changes in rumination behavior. Overall, these results suggest that risk of acidosis may have little overall effect on general behavior, with the exception of rumination. Furthermore, an acute bout of acidosis alters behavioral patterns of lactating dairy cows, particularly rumination behavior, and identification of these changes in behavior through repeated measurements may assist in the detection of an acidosis event within a herd.

Weather influences feed intake and feed efficiency in a temperate climate.

PubMed

Hill, Davina L; Wall, Eileen

2017-03-01

A key goal for livestock science is to ensure that food production meets the needs of an increasing global population. Climate change may heighten this challenge through increases in mean temperatures and in the intensity, duration, and spatial distribution of extreme weather events, such as heat waves. Under high ambient temperatures, livestock are expected to decrease dry matter intake (DMI) to reduce their metabolic heat production. High yielding dairy cows require high DMI to support their levels of milk production, but this may increase susceptibility to heat stress. Here, we tested how feed intake and the rate of converting dry matter to milk (feed efficiency, FE) vary in response to natural fluctuations in weather conditions in a housed experimental herd of lactating Holstein Friesians in the United Kingdom. Cows belonged to 2 lines: those selected for high genetic merit for milk traits (select) and those at the UK average (control). We predicted that (1) feed intake and FE would vary with an index of temperature and humidity (THI), wind speed, and the number of hours of sunshine, and that (2) the effects of (1) would depend on the cows' genetic merit. Animals received a mixed ration, available ad libitum, from automatic feed measurement gates. Using >73,000 daily feed intake and FE records from 328 cows over 8 yr, we found that select cows produced more fat- and protein-corrected milk, and had higher DMI and FE than controls. Cows of both lines decreased DMI and fat- and protein-corrected milk but, importantly, increased FE as THI increased. This suggests that improvements in the efficiency of converting feed to milk may partially offset the costs of reduced milk yield owing to a warmer climate, at least under conditions of mild heat stress. The rate of increase in FE with THI was steeper in select cows than in controls, which raises the possibility that select cows use more effective coping tactics. This is, to our knowledge, the first longitudinal study on the effects of weather on FE. Understanding how weather influences feed intake and efficiency can help us to develop management and selection practices that optimize productivity under unfavorable weather conditions. This will be an important aspect of climate resilience in future. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of novel sensors combining local positioning and acceleration to measure feeding behavior differences associated with lameness in dairy cattle.

PubMed

Barker, Z E; Vázquez Diosdado, J A; Codling, E A; Bell, N J; Hodges, H R; Croft, D P; Amory, J R

2018-04-25

Time constraints for dairy farmers are an important factor contributing to the under-detection of lameness, resulting in delayed or missed treatment of lame cows within many commercial dairy herds. Hence, a need exists for flexible and affordable cow-based sensor systems capable of monitoring behaviors such as time spent feeding, which may be affected by the onset of lameness. In this study a novel neck-mounted mobile sensor system that combines local positioning and activity (acceleration) was tested and validated on a commercial UK dairy farm. Position and activity data were collected over 5 consecutive days for 19 high-yield dairy cows (10 lame, 9 nonlame) that formed a subset of a larger (120 cow) management group housed in a freestall barn. A decision tree algorithm that included sensor-recorded position and accelerometer data was developed to classify a cow as doing 1 of 3 categories of behavior: (1) feeding, (2) not feeding, and (3) out of pen for milking. For each classified behavior the mean number of bouts, the mean bout duration, and the mean total duration across all bouts was determined on a daily basis, and also separately for the time periods in between milking (morning = 0630-1300 h; afternoon = 1430-2100 h; night = 2230-0500 h). A comparative analysis of the classified cow behaviors was undertaken using a Welch t-test with Benjamini-Hochberg post-hoc correction under the null hypothesis of no differences in the number or duration of behavioral bouts between the 2 test groups of lame and nonlame cows. Analysis showed that mean total daily feeding duration was significantly lower for lame cows compared with non-lame cows. Behavior was also affected by time of day with significantly lower mean total duration of feeding and higher total duration of nonfeeding in the afternoons for lame cows compared with nonlame cows. The results demonstrate how sensors that measure both position and acceleration are capable of detecting differences in feeding behavior that may be associated with lameness. Such behavioral differences could be used in the development of predictive algorithms for the prompt detection of lameness as part of a commercially viable automated behavioral monitoring system. The Authors. Published by FASS Inc. and Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).

Grazing behavior and production characteristics among cows differing in residual feed intake while grazing late season Idaho rangeland

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objectives were to determine if cows classified as either low- or high-residual feed intake (LRFI or HRFI) differed in BW, BCS, and winter grazing activity over time. Thirty Hereford x Angus (LRFI = 16; HRFI = 14) 2-year-old cows grazed sagebrush-steppe for 78 d beginning 29 September 2016. Body...

An outbreak of sand impaction in postpartum dairy cows

PubMed Central

Melendez, Pedro; Krueger, Traci; Benzaquen, Mauricio; Risco, Carlos

2007-01-01

Twenty-two cases of indigestion occurred in a 650-cow herd. Five cows had severe sand abomasal impaction, diagnosed by laparotomy. The pH of prepartum cows’ urine was < 6.0 and of sand 8.0. Feed showed a dietary cation-anion difference ≤ −110 mEq/kg. After feeding management corrections, no more cases were diagnosed. PMID:17987969

Ruminal bacterial community composition in dairy cows is dynamic over the course of two lactations and correlates with feed efficiency

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A group of 14 Holstein cows of similar age were followed through the course of their first two lactation cycles. During each lactation cycle, ruminal solids and liquids, milk samples and production data, and feed consumption data were collected for each cow during Early (76-82 days in milk, DIM), Mi...

77 FR 58021 - New Animal Drugs for Use in Animal Feeds; Monensin

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-19

...-choice Type C medicated feeds as defined in Sec. 510.455 of this chapter. (ii) Dairy cows (as described... block in cull cows and bulls has not been established. See paragraph (d)(10)(i) of this section. (ii.... The effectiveness of this block in cull cows and bulls has not been established. See paragraph (d)(10...

Methods and consequences of including feed intake and efficiency in genetic selection for multiple-trait merit.

PubMed

Barwick, Stephen A; Henzell, Anthony L; Walmsley, Brad J; Johnston, David J; Banks, Robert G

2018-05-04

Methods are presented for including feed intake and efficiency in genetic selection for multiple-trait merit when commercial production is from any combination of pasture or concentrates. Consequences for the production system and for individual animals are illustrated with a beef cattle example. Residual feed intake at pasture (RFI-p), residual feed intake in the feedlot (RFI-f), and cow condition score are additional traits of the breeding objective. Feed requirement change is costed in the economic values of other objective traits. Selection responses are examined when feed costs are ignored, partially or fully included in the breeding objective, and when net feed intake (NFI) EBVs are added to the index. When all feed cost was included and NFI EBVs were in the index, selection (with selection intensity, i = 1) increased production system $ net return by 6.0%, $ per unit of product by 5.2%, $ per unit of feed by 6.6%, total product by 0.7% and product per unit of feed by 1.3%. There was little change in production system total feed. When feed cost was ignored, selection decreased production system $ net return, $ per unit of product, and $ per unit of feed. At the individual trait level, when feed was fully included there were increases in weaning weight-direct (0.8 kg), feedlot entry weight (1.4 kg), dressing % (0.04%), carcass meat % (0.36%), carcase fat depth (0.12 mm), carcass marbling score (0.02 score), cow condition score (0.01 score), calving ease-direct (0.97%), calving ease-maternal (0.22%) and cow weaning rate (1.3%), and decreases in weaning weight-maternal (-0.9 kg), RFI-p (-0.09 kg DM/d), RFI-f (-0.11 kg DM/d), sale weight (-1.6 kg) and cow weight (-8.7 kg). Gains were evident over a range of feed price. Selection for $ net return also increased $ net return per unit of feed, suggesting that $ net return per unit area would increase in grazing industries. Feed cost for trait change was the source of a major genotype × environment interaction affecting animal rankings. Where industry production environments vary, and feed cost for trait change varies with the environment, we recommend that industry indexes be derived for more than one level of feed cost. Cow condition score did not decline while biological and economic efficiency of the production system and individual animal were improving, suggesting that efficiency can be improved under multiple-trait selection without compromising breeding cow welfare.

Strategies to gain body condition score in pasture-based dairy cows during late lactation and the far-off nonlactating period and their interaction with close-up dry matter intake.

PubMed

Roche, J R; Heiser, A; Mitchell, M D; Crookenden, M A; Walker, C G; Kay, J K; Riboni, M Vailati; Loor, J J; Meier, S

2017-03-01

In pasture-based systems, cows are generally thinner at the end of lactation than cows fed total mixed rations and, as a result, over-feeding of metabolizable energy (ME) during the far-off nonlactating period is a standard management policy to achieve optimum calving body condition score (BCS). An alternative would be to manage cows to gain BCS through late lactation, such that cows ended lactation close to optimum calving BCS and maintenance of BCS through to calving. We sought to quantify the effect of moderate or excessive ME intakes during the far-off nonlactating period in cows that had been managed to gain or maintain BCS through late lactation and whether the far-off management strategy interacted with close-up level of feeding. Effects on milk production and circulating indicators of energy balance and metabolic health in early lactation were evaluated. A herd of 150 cows was randomly assigned to 1 of 2 feeding levels in late lactation to achieve a low and high BCS at the time of dry-off (approximately 4.25 and 5.0 on a 10-point scale). Following dry-off, both herds were managed to achieve a BCS of 5.0 one month before calving; this involved controlled feeding (i.e., maintenance) and over-feeding of ME during the far-off dry period. Within each far-off feeding-level treatment, cows were offered 65, 90, or 120% of their pre-calving ME requirements for 3 wk pre-calving in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement (i.e., 25 cows/treatment). Body weight and BCS were measured weekly before and after calving, and milk production was measured weekly until wk 7 postcalving. Blood samples were collected weekly for 4 wk pre-calving and 5 wk postcalving, and on d 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 relative to calving, and analyzed for indicators of energy balance (e.g., blood fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyrate), calcium status, and inflammatory state. No interaction was observed between far-off and close-up feeding levels. Over-feeding of ME to low BCS cows during the far-off nonlactating period reduced blood fatty acid and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations in early lactation, and increased blood albumin to globulin ratio compared with cows that were dried off close to recommended calving BCS and control-fed during the far-off dry period. Cows consuming 65% of their ME requirements during the close-up period had lower fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate in early lactation, but produced less milk, particularly during the first 21 d of lactation, had more than 3-fold greater concentration of haptoglobin immediately postcalving, and had a lower blood cholesterol concentration and albumin to globulin ratio, when compared with cows offered 90 or 120% of their ME requirements. Collectively, these measurements indicate that a severe restriction (<70% of ME requirements) during the close-up nonlactating period increases the risk of disease in early lactation and reduces milk production. In summary, far-off over-feeding of ME to cows that needed to gain BCS did not influence peripartum metabolic health in grazing dairy cows, but restricting cows below 70% ME requirements during the close-up transition period resulted in a blood profile indicative of greater inflammation. The Authors. Published by the Federation of Animal Science Societies and Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).

Dietary Protected Feed Supplement to Increase Milk Production and Quality of Dairy Cows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pramono, A.; Handayanta, E.; Widayati, D. T.; Putro, P. P.; Kustono

2017-04-01

The efforts to improve and optimize productivity of dairy cows require sufficient availability of nutrients, especially high energy in the early period of lactation. Increasing energy intake in dairy cows can be conducted by increasing the density of energy. The research aimed to evaluate dietary protected feed supplement on milk production and quality, including: fat, protein, and lactose content of Friesian Holstein dairy cow milk. Protected feed supplement was produced from sardine fish oil, through saponification and microencapsulation protection methods. The experiment consists of two treatments i.e. P0: basal diet (control) and P1: basal diet + 3 % protected feed supplement. Each treatment was repeated 15 times. Data were analyzed by independent samples t-test analysis. Results showed that supplementation of protected sardine fish oil had no effect on lactose content, but increased milk yield production (p<0.01), milk fat content (p<0.05), and protein content (p<0.05).

Reproduction, mastitis, and body condition of seasonally calved Holstein and Jersey cows in confinement or pasture systems.

PubMed

Washburn, S P; White, S L; Green, J T; Benson, G A

2002-01-01

Dairy cows in confinement and pasture-based feeding systems were compared across four spring-calving and three fall-calving replicates for differences in reproduction, mastitis, body weights, and body condition scores. Feeding systems and replicates included both Jersey and Holstein cows. Cows in confinement were fed a total mixed ration, and cows on pasture were supplemented with concentrates and provided baled hay or haylage when pasture supply was limiting. Breeding periods were for 75 d in spring or fall. Reproductive performance did not differ significantly due to feeding system or season. Jerseys had higher conception rates (59.6 vs. 49.5 +/- 3.3%) and higher percentages of cows pregnant in 75 d (78.1 vs. 57.9 +/- 3.9%) than Holsteins. Cows in confinement had 1.8 times more clinical mastitis and eight times the rate of culling for mastitis than did cows on pasture. Jerseys had half as many clinical cases of mastitis per cow as Holsteins. Only 41 +/- 5% of confinement Holsteins remained for a subsequent lactation, starting within the defined calving season compared with 51 +/- 5% of pastured Holsteins and 71 and 72 +/- 5% of Jerseys, respectively. Body weights and condition scores were generally higher for confinement cows than pastured cows, and Jerseys had higher condition scores and lower body weights than Holsteins. In summary, pastured cows had fewer clinical cases of mastitis, lower body condition scores, and lower body weights than confinement cows. Holsteins were less likely to rebreed, had more mastitis, higher culling rates, and lower body condition scores than Jerseys.

Feeding distillers' grains, soybean hulls, or a mixture of both to cows as a forage replacement: Effects on intake, digestibility, and ruminal fermentation characteristics.

PubMed

Smith, W B; Coffey, K P; Rhein, R T; Kegley, E B; Philipp, D; Powell, J G; Caldwell, J D; Young, A N

2017-08-01

Coproduct feedstuffs offer a unique and potentially profitable avenue for cattle feeding strategies. However, research is lacking in the evaluation of varying coproducts on ruminal fermentation and digestive characteristics when included as the major component of the diet of cows. Our objective was to determine the effect of coproduct feedstuffs as a forage replacement on digestive and fermentative characteristics of cows. Eight ruminally fistulated cows (672 ± 32.0 kg initial BW and approximately 9 yr of age) were stratified by BW and randomly allocated to 1 of 4 diets (2 cows∙diet∙period) in a 2-period study: soybean hulls (SH), distillers' dried grains with solubles (DG), an isoenergetic mixture of soybean hulls and distillers' dried grains with solubles (MX), or ad libitum hay plus 0.9 kg/d of an isoenergetic mixture of soybean hulls and distillers' dried grains with solubles (HY). Diets were formulated to meet the ME requirements of a similar, companion study. Coproduct amounts were increased over a 14-d period. This was followed by a 14-d adaptation to diet and facilities and 5 d of total fecal collections. On the final day of fecal collections, rumen fluid was sampled immediately prior to feeding and 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 h after feeding for measurement of rumen VFA and ammonia concentrations. Intake of DM and OM was not different ( ≥ 0.28) among treatments, but digestibilities of DM, OM, NDF, and ADF were improved ( < 0.05) by coproduct feeding and by MX vs. the mean of SH and DG. Ruminal DM and OM fill were greater ( < 0.05) for cows offered HY than for cows offered the coproduct diets, greater for cows offered SH than for cows offered DG, and for the mean of SH and DG vs. MX. Ruminal retention time was greater ( < 0.05) for HY vs. the coproduct diets and for SH vs. DG. Apparent N absorption tended ( < 0.10) to be greater for cows offered the coproduct diets than for cows offered HY and greater for cows offered DG than for cows offered SH. Total VFA averaged across sampling times were greatest ( < 0.05) for cows offered SH, and ruminal ammonia N was greatest ( < 0.05) for cows offered either DG or MX at all sampling times. Based on these data, coproduct feedstuffs may be fed to meet the energy requirement of cows without negative effects on digestion or ruminal fermentation.

Feeding ground flaxseed to lactating dairy cows decreases the ruminal proportion of archaea, but does not change the major species of cellulolytic bacteria

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of incremental amounts of ground flaxseed (GFX) on ruminal microbiota of lactating Jersey cows. Twelve lactating organically-certified Jersey cows (76 ± 23 DIM and 431 ± 25 kg of BW), part of a larger feeding trial, were used in a replicated ...

Changes of Serum Calcium Concentration, Frequency of Ruminal Contraction and Feed Intake Soon after Parturition of Dairy Cows Fed Difructose Anhydride III.

PubMed

Wynn, S; Teramura, M; Sato, T; Hanada, M

2015-01-01

Requirements to control the large decrease in serum calcium (Ca) due to parturition and to increase the feed intake soon after parturition have been well accepted in dairy cows. This study was aimed to investigate the feed intake affected by serum Ca concentration with difructose anhydride (DFA) III supplement in dairy cows soon after parturition. Fourteen transition Holstein cows were divided into DFA and control (CONT) groups within 1 to 5 parity variations in each group. Measurement schedule for an individual cow was from 14 d before parturition to 7 d following parturition. The cows in DFA group were supplied 0.2 kg/head/d of DFA III feed containing 40 g of pure DFA III while the cows in CONT group received no DFA III. Other feeding procedures were the same for all cows in both groups. At parturition (d 0), serum Ca concentration sharply declined in both groups (p<0.05). Time interval for recovery from decreased serum Ca to its normal range (>9.0 mg/dL) tended to be faster in DFA group (12 h) than in the CONT group (48 h), but the differences were not significant. Active ruminal contraction was observed in DFA group at following parturition of d 1 (p<0.05), d 3 (p<0.05), and d 5 (p<0.01). Dry matter (DM) intake did not differ between the groups. However, positive correlations were observed between serum Ca concentration and ruminal contraction (p<0.001), and between ruminal contraction and DM intake (p<0.001) during following parturition. According to multiple regression analysis (R(2) = 0.824, p<0.001), the DM intake was positively affected by serum Ca concentration and ruminal contraction. These results suggest that feed intake soon after parturition in dairy cows can be increased by improvement of serum Ca concentration and active ruminal contraction, but DFA III supplementation in this study did not improve the lower serum Ca concentration due to parturition.

Changes of Serum Calcium Concentration, Frequency of Ruminal Contraction and Feed Intake Soon after Parturition of Dairy Cows Fed Difructose Anhydride III

PubMed Central

Wynn, S.; Teramura, M.; Sato, T.; Hanada, M.

2015-01-01

Requirements to control the large decrease in serum calcium (Ca) due to parturition and to increase the feed intake soon after parturition have been well accepted in dairy cows. This study was aimed to investigate the feed intake affected by serum Ca concentration with difructose anhydride (DFA) III supplement in dairy cows soon after parturition. Fourteen transition Holstein cows were divided into DFA and control (CONT) groups within 1 to 5 parity variations in each group. Measurement schedule for an individual cow was from 14 d before parturition to 7 d following parturition. The cows in DFA group were supplied 0.2 kg/head/d of DFA III feed containing 40 g of pure DFA III while the cows in CONT group received no DFA III. Other feeding procedures were the same for all cows in both groups. At parturition (d 0), serum Ca concentration sharply declined in both groups (p<0.05). Time interval for recovery from decreased serum Ca to its normal range (>9.0 mg/dL) tended to be faster in DFA group (12 h) than in the CONT group (48 h), but the differences were not significant. Active ruminal contraction was observed in DFA group at following parturition of d 1 (p<0.05), d 3 (p<0.05), and d 5 (p<0.01). Dry matter (DM) intake did not differ between the groups. However, positive correlations were observed between serum Ca concentration and ruminal contraction (p<0.001), and between ruminal contraction and DM intake (p<0.001) during following parturition. According to multiple regression analysis (R2 = 0.824, p<0.001), the DM intake was positively affected by serum Ca concentration and ruminal contraction. These results suggest that feed intake soon after parturition in dairy cows can be increased by improvement of serum Ca concentration and active ruminal contraction, but DFA III supplementation in this study did not improve the lower serum Ca concentration due to parturition. PMID:25557676

On-farm feeding interventions to increase milk production in lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Wanapat, Metha; Foiklang, Suban; Phesatcha, Kampanat; Paoinn, Chainarong; Ampapon, Thiwakorn; Norrapoke, Thitima; Kang, Sungchhang

2017-04-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of tropical legume (Phaseolus calcaratus) mixed with ruzi grass feeding on the performance of lactating dairy cows. Eighty-eight lactating dairy cows from 22 smallholder dairy farms northeast of Thailand were assigned to respective dietary treatments according to a Randomized Completely Block Design (RCBD). Four cows were selected from each farm and were allocated into two different feeding groups as follows: ruzi grass and P. calcaratus mixed with ruzi grass (1:1 ratio), respectively. All cows were fed with roughage ad libitum with 1:2 ratio of concentrate diet to milk yield. The results revealed that total dry matter intake, ruminal volatile fatty acids, and ammonia nitrogen concentration were enhanced when cows were fed with P. calcaratus mixed with ruzi grass (P < 0.05). Moreover, feeding tropical legume mixed with ruzi grass could increase milk production and milk protein in this study. Importantly, an economical assessment showed that milk income and the profit from milk sale were significantly greater in cows fed the mixture of roughage than those from the non-mixed group. This study concluded that high-quality roughage as tropical legume mixed with ruzi grass at the ratio of 1:1 brought out the remarkable and practical implementation for smallholder dairy farms, and the intervention was practical and deserving of more on-farm intervention.

An inhibitor persistently decreased enteric methane emission from dairy cows with no negative effect on milk production

PubMed Central

Hristov, Alexander N.; Oh, Joonpyo; Giallongo, Fabio; Frederick, Tyler W.; Harper, Michael T.; Weeks, Holley L.; Branco, Antonio F.; Moate, Peter J.; Deighton, Matthew H.; Williams, S. Richard O.; Kindermann, Maik; Duval, Stephane

2015-01-01

A quarter of all anthropogenic methane emissions in the United States are from enteric fermentation, primarily from ruminant livestock. This study was undertaken to test the effect of a methane inhibitor, 3-nitrooxypropanol (3NOP), on enteric methane emission in lactating Holstein cows. An experiment was conducted using 48 cows in a randomized block design with a 2-wk covariate period and a 12-wk data collection period. Feed intake, milk production, and fiber digestibility were not affected by the inhibitor. Milk protein and lactose yields were increased by 3NOP. Rumen methane emission was linearly decreased by 3NOP, averaging about 30% lower than the control. Methane emission per unit of feed dry matter intake or per unit of energy-corrected milk were also about 30% less for the 3NOP-treated cows. On average, the body weight gain of 3NOP-treated cows was 80% greater than control cows during the 12-wk experiment. The experiment demonstrated that the methane inhibitor 3NOP, applied at 40 to 80 mg/kg feed dry matter, decreased methane emissions from high-producing dairy cows by 30% and increased body weight gain without negatively affecting feed intake or milk production and composition. The inhibitory effect persisted over 12 wk of treatment, thus offering an effective methane mitigation practice for the livestock industries. PMID:26229078

An inhibitor persistently decreased enteric methane emission from dairy cows with no negative effect on milk production.

PubMed

Hristov, Alexander N; Oh, Joonpyo; Giallongo, Fabio; Frederick, Tyler W; Harper, Michael T; Weeks, Holley L; Branco, Antonio F; Moate, Peter J; Deighton, Matthew H; Williams, S Richard O; Kindermann, Maik; Duval, Stephane

2015-08-25

A quarter of all anthropogenic methane emissions in the United States are from enteric fermentation, primarily from ruminant livestock. This study was undertaken to test the effect of a methane inhibitor, 3-nitrooxypropanol (3NOP), on enteric methane emission in lactating Holstein cows. An experiment was conducted using 48 cows in a randomized block design with a 2-wk covariate period and a 12-wk data collection period. Feed intake, milk production, and fiber digestibility were not affected by the inhibitor. Milk protein and lactose yields were increased by 3NOP. Rumen methane emission was linearly decreased by 3NOP, averaging about 30% lower than the control. Methane emission per unit of feed dry matter intake or per unit of energy-corrected milk were also about 30% less for the 3NOP-treated cows. On average, the body weight gain of 3NOP-treated cows was 80% greater than control cows during the 12-wk experiment. The experiment demonstrated that the methane inhibitor 3NOP, applied at 40 to 80 mg/kg feed dry matter, decreased methane emissions from high-producing dairy cows by 30% and increased body weight gain without negatively affecting feed intake or milk production and composition. The inhibitory effect persisted over 12 wk of treatment, thus offering an effective methane mitigation practice for the livestock industries.

Analysis of copy number variations in Holstein cows identify potential mechanisms contributing to differences in residual feed intake

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Genomic structural variation is an important and abundant source of genetic and phenotypic variation. In this study, we performed an initial analysis of CNVs using BovineHD SNP genotyping data from 147 Holstein cows identified as having high or low feed efficiency as estimated by residual feed intak...

Relationship of feed efficiency of replacement beef heifers to subsequent feed efficiency as 3-year old suckled beef cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We determined the correlaton between Residual Feed Intake (RFI) measured as post-weaned growing heifers (phase 1) and RFI measured as lactating beef cows (phase 2) in the same cohort. Individual performance and daily DMI were evaluated in 74 yearling heifers, and were subsequently reevaluated upon t...

Cooling cows efficiently with water spray: Behavioral, physiological, and production responses to sprinklers at the feed bunk.

PubMed

Chen, Jennifer M; Schütz, Karin E; Tucker, Cassandra B

2016-06-01

Dairies commonly mount nozzles above the feed bunk that intermittently spray cows to dissipate heat. These sprinklers use potable water-an increasingly scarce resource-but there is little experimental evidence for how much is needed to cool cows in loose housing. Sprinkler flow rate may affect the efficacy of heat abatement, cattle avoidance of spray (particularly on the head), and water waste. Our objectives were to determine how sprinkler flow rate affects cattle behavioral, physiological, and production responses when cows are given 24-h access to spray in freestall housing, and to evaluate heat abatement in relation to water use. We compared 3 treatments: sprinklers that delivered 1.3 or 4.9L/min (both 3min on and 9min off, 24h/d) and an unsprayed control. Nine pairs of high-producing lactating Holstein cows received each treatment at a shaded feed bunk for 2d in a replicated 3×3 Latin square design [air temperature (T): 24-h maximum=33±3°C, mean ± SD]. Cows spent 5.8±0.9h/24h (mean ± SD) at the feed bunk overall, regardless of treatment. With few exceptions, cows responded similarly to the 1.3 and 4.9L/min flow rates. Sprinklers resulted in visits to the feed bunk that were on average 23 to 27% longer and 13 to 16% less frequent compared with the control, perhaps because cows avoided walking through spray. Indeed, when the sprinklers were on, cows left the feed bunk half as often as expected by chance, and when cows chose to walk through spray, they lowered their heads on average 1.7- to 3-fold more often than in the control. Despite possible reluctance to expose their heads to spray, cows did not avoid sprinklers overall. In warmer weather, cows spent more time at the feed bunk when it had sprinklers (on average 19 to 21min/24h for each 1°C increase in T), likely for heat abatement benefits. Compared with the control, sprinklers resulted in 0.3 to 0.7°C lower body temperature from 1300 to 1500h and 1700 to 2000h overall and attenuated the rise in this measure on warmer days (for each 10°C increase in T, body temperature increased by on average 0.5 to 0.7°C with sprinklers vs. 1.6°C without). Sprinkler access also resulted in milk yield that was, on average, 3.3 to 3.7kg/24h higher than in the control treatment. In this hot and dry climate, 1.3L/min cooled cows more efficiently than 4.9L/min, as the lower flow rate achieved equivalent reduction in body temperature and increase in milk yield relative to no spray, despite using 73% less water. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inclusion of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) silage in dairy cow rations affects nutrient digestibility, nitrogen utilization, energy balance, and methane emissions.

PubMed

Huyen, N T; Desrues, O; Alferink, S J J; Zandstra, T; Verstegen, M W A; Hendriks, W H; Pellikaan, W F

2016-05-01

Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) is a tanniniferous legume forage that has potential nutritional and health benefits preventing bloating, reducing nematode larval establishment, improving N utilization, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the use of sainfoin as a fodder crop in dairy cow rations in northwestern Europe is still relatively unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sainfoin silage on nutrient digestibility, animal performance, energy and N utilization, and CH4 production. Six rumen-cannulated, lactating dairy cows with a metabolic body weight (BW(0.75)) of 132.5±3.6kg were randomly assigned to either a control (CON) or a sainfoin (SAIN)-based diet over 2 experimental periods of 25 d each in a crossover design. The CON diet was a mixture of grass silage, corn silage, concentrate, and linseed. In the SAIN diet, 50% of grass silage dry matter (DM) of the CON diet was exchanged for sainfoin silage. The cows were adapted to 95% of ad libitum feed intake for a 21-d period before being housed in climate-controlled respiration chambers for 4 d, during which time feed intake, apparent total-tract digestibility, N and energy balance, and CH4 production was determined. Data were analyzed using a mixed model procedure. Total daily DM, organic matter, and neutral detergent fiber intake did not differ between the 2 diets. The apparent digestibility of DM, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber were, respectively, 5.7, 4.0, 15.7, and 14.8% lower for the SAIN diet. Methane production per kilogram of DM intake was lowest for the SAIN diet, CH4 production as a percentage of gross energy intake tended to be lower, and milk yield was greater for the SAIN diet. Nitrogen intake, N retention, and energy retained in body protein were greater for the SAIN than for the CON diet. Nitrogen retention as a percentage of N intake tended to be greater for the SAIN diet. These results suggest that inclusion of sainfoin silage in dairy cow rations reduces CH4 per kilogram of DM intake and nutrient digestibility. Moreover, sainfoin silage improves milk production and seems to redirect metabolism toward body protein accretion at the expense of body fat. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A comparison of three strains of holstein-friesian grazed on pasture and managed under different feed allowances.

PubMed

Macdonald, K A; Verkerk, G A; Thorrold, B S; Pryce, J E; Penno, J W; McNaughton, L R; Burton, L J; Lancaster, J A S; Williamson, J H; Holmes, C W

2008-04-01

This experiment compared Holstein-Friesian (HF) cows of New Zealand (NZ) origin representative of genetics present in the 1970s (NZ70; n = 45) and 1990s (NZ90; n = 60), and a group of HF cows of North American origin with 1990s genetics (NA90; n = 60), which were managed in grazing systems with a range of feeding allowances (4.5 to 7.0 t/cow per yr) over 3 yr. The NZ70 cows had the lowest Breeding Worth genetic index and the lowest breeding values for yields of fat, protein, and milk volume; the NZ90 and NA90 cows were selected to have similar breeding values for milk traits and were representative of cows of high genetic merit in the 1990s. The NZ90 cows had a higher milk protein concentration (3.71%) than either the NA90 (3.43%) or the NZ70 cows (3.41%), and a higher milk fat concentration (4.86%) than the NA90 cows (4.26%) with a level similar to the NZ70 cows (4.65%). The NZ90 cows produced significantly greater yields of fat, protein, and lactose than the NA90 and NZ70 cows. The NZ70 cows had the lowest mean annual body weight (473 kg) but the highest body condition score (BCS; 5.06). Days in milk were the same for the 2 NZ strains (286 d in milk), both of which were greater than the NA90 cows (252 d in milk). There was no genotype x environment interaction for combined milk fat and protein yield (milksolids), with NZ90 producing 52 kg/cow more than the NA90 at all feeding levels. The NZ70 strain had the highest seasonal average BCS (5.06), followed by the NZ90 (4.51) and the NA90 (4.13) strains on a 1 to 10 scale. Body condition score increased with higher feeding levels in the 2 NZ strains, but not in the NA strain. The first-parity cows commenced luteal activity 11 d later than older cows (parities 2 and 3), and the NA90 cows commenced luteal activity 4 and 10 d earlier than the NZ70 and NZ90 cows. Earlier estrus activity did not result in a higher in-calf rate. The NZ70 and NZ90 cows had similar in-calf rates (pregnancy diagnosed to 6 wk; 69%), which were higher than those achieved by NA90 cows (54%). Results showed that the NA90 strain used in this experiment was not suitable for traditional NZ grazing systems. Grazing systems need to be modified if the NA90 strain is to be successfully farmed in NZ. The data reported here show that the NA90 cows require large amounts of feed, but this will not prevent them from having a lower BCS than the NZ strains. Combined with poor reproductive performance, this means that NA90 cows are less productive than NZ HF in pasture-based seasonal calving systems with low levels of supplementation.

Effects of rumen-degradable protein:rumen-undegradable protein ratio and corn processing on production performance, nitrogen efficiency, and feeding behavior of Holstein dairy cows.

PubMed

Savari, M; Khorvash, M; Amanlou, H; Ghorbani, G R; Ghasemi, E; Mirzaei, M

2018-02-01

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of the ratio of rumen-degradable protein (RDP) to rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) and corn processing method on production performance, nitrogen (N) efficiency, and feeding behavior of high-producing Holstein dairy cows. Twelve multiparous Holstein cows (second parity; milk yield = 48 ± 3 kg/d) were assigned to a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Factor 1 was corn processing method [ground corn (GC) or steam flaked corn (SFC) with a flake density of about 390 g/L], and factor 2 was RDP:RUP ratio [low ratio (LR) = 60:40; high ratio (HR) = 65:35] based on crude protein (%). The crude protein concentrations were kept constant across the treatments (16.7% of DM). No significant interactions of main treatment effects occurred for lactation performance data. Cows fed 2 different RDP:RUP ratios exhibited similar dry matter intake (DMI), but those fed SFC showed decreased feed intake compared with those receiving GC (25.1 ± 0.48 vs. 26.2 ± 0.47 kg/d, respectively). Cows fed HR diets produced more milk than did those fed LR diets (44.4 ± 1.05 vs. 43.2 ± 1.05 kg/d, respectively). Milk fat content decreased but milk protein content increased in cows fed SFC compared with those fed GC. Feed efficiency (i.e., milk yield/DMI) was enhanced with increasing ratio of RDP:RUP (1.68 ± 0.04 vs. 1.74 ± 0.04 for LR and HR, respectively). Apparent N efficiency was higher in cows fed HR than in those fed LR (30.4 ± 0.61 vs. 29.2 ± 0.62, respectively). Compared with cows fed the GC-based diet, those receiving SFC exhibited lower values of N intake, N-NH 3 concentration, and fecal N excretion. Cows receiving SFC-based diets spent more time ruminating (min/kg of DMI) than did those fed GC. Although these results showed no interaction effects of RDP:RUP ratio and corn processing method on performance, higher RDP:RUP ratios and ground corn can be effective feeding strategies for feed to lactating cows receiving high-concentrate diets. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Expression of key lipid metabolism genes in adipose tissue is not altered by once-daily milking during a feed restriction of grazing dairy cows.

PubMed

Grala, T M; Roche, J R; Phyn, C V C; Rius, A G; Boyle, R H; Snell, R G; Kay, J K

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of reduced milking frequency, at 2 feeding levels, on gene expression in adipose tissue of grazing dairy cows during early lactation. Multiparous Holstein-Friesian and Holstein-Friesian × Jersey cows (n=120) were grazed on pasture and milked twice daily (2×) from calving to 34±6d in milk (mean ± standard deviation). Cows were then allocated to 1 of 4 treatments in a 2×2 factorial arrangement. Treatments consisted of 2 milking frequencies (2× or once daily; 1×) and 2 feeding levels for 3 wk: adequately fed (AF), consuming 14.3 kg of dry matter/cow per day, or underfed (UF), consuming 8.3 kg of dry matter/cow per day. After the treatment period, all cows were fed to target grazing residuals ≥1,600 kg of DM/cow per day and milked 2× for 20 wk. Adipose tissue was collected from 12 cows per treatment by subcutaneous biopsy at -1, 3, and 5 wk relative to treatment start, RNA was extracted, and transcript abundance of genes involved in lipid metabolism was quantified using a linear mixed model. At the end of the 3-wk treatment period, transcript abundance of genes involved in fatty acid (FA) uptake into adipose tissue (LPL), FA synthesis [FA synthase (FASN) and stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase (SCD)], FA oxidation [acyl-coenzyme A synthetase long-chain family member 1 (ACSL1) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 2 (CPT2)], glyceroneogenesis [glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 (GPD1) and pyruvate carboxylase (PC)], and triacylglyceride synthesis [diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2)] were greater in AF1× cows compared with all other treatments. However, when cows were underfed, no effects of milking frequency were observed on transcript abundance of genes involved in adipose lipid metabolism. Despite increases in plasma NEFA concentrations in UF cows, no effects of underfeeding were observed on the transcription of lipolytic genes. At 5 wk, after cows were returned to 2× milking and standard feed allowance, transcript abundances of genes involved in FA synthesis [acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase α (ACACA) and SCD)] were increased in cows previously UF. Expression of ACSL1 was decreased in UF1× cows relative to UF2× cows and CPT2 expression was greater in AF1× cows compared with AF2× cows. In conclusion, after 3 wk of reduced milking frequency during a feed restriction, transcription of genes involved in lipid metabolism in adipose tissue were not altered, possibly due to the reduced milk production in these animals. However, 3 wk of 1× milking in AF cows increased transcription of genes involved in FA synthesis, oxidation, and triacylglyceride synthesis. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of precalving body condition score and prepartum feeding level on production, reproduction, and health parameters in pasture-based transition dairy cows.

PubMed

Roche, J R; Meier, S; Heiser, A; Mitchell, M D; Walker, C G; Crookenden, M A; Riboni, M Vailati; Loor, J J; Kay, J K

2015-10-01

Precalving feeding level alters postcalving energy balance, dry matter intake, the liver and adipose tissue transcriptome, hepatic lipidosis, and the risk of metabolic diseases in both high-production cows consuming total mixed rations and moderate-production cows grazing pasture. We hypothesized that the reported benefits of a controlled restriction before calving are dependent on precalving body condition score (BCS): low BCS animals would not benefit from reduced feeding levels precalving, but high BCS cows would have metabolic and immunomodulatory profiles indicative of an improved health status. One hundred sixty-one days before calving, 150 cows were allocated randomly to 1 of 6 treatment groups (n = 25) in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement: 2 precalving BCS categories (4.0 and 5.0; based on a 10-point scale: BCS4 and BCS5, respectively) and 3 levels of energy intake during the 3 wk preceding calving (75, 100, and 125% of estimated requirements). Cows in the BCS4 and BCS5 groups were managed through late lactation to ensure that target calving BCS was achieved at dry off. Cows were then fed to maintain this BCS target until 3 wk before expected calving date, at which point they were managed within their allotted precalving energy intake treatments by offering different allowances of fresh pasture/cow per day. Milk production, body weight, and BCS were measured weekly; blood was sampled weekly before and after calving and on d 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 relative to calving. Aspirated plasma was assayed for nonesterified fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyrate, total protein, albumin, cholesterol, haptoglobin, IL-1β, IL-6, total antioxidant capacity, and reactive oxygen species. Liver was sampled wk 1, 2, and 4 postcalving for triacylglycerol analysis. Results confirm that precalving BCS and precalving feeding level have both independent and interdependent effects on production and health characteristics of transition dairy cows. Irrespective of precalving BCS, a controlled restriction precalving reduced the net release of nonesterified fatty acids from adipose tissue postpartum and increased plasma calcium concentrations, reducing the risk of milk fever. Fatter cows produced more milk but lost more BCS postcalving and had greater blood β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations and increased hepatic lipidosis. In comparison, after calving, indicators of reduced immune competence were accentuated in BCS4 cows subjected to a feed restriction before calving, probably increasing the risk of infectious diseases. It would appear from these results that optimally conditioned cows will benefit from a short-term (2-3 wk) controlled feed restriction (75-90% of requirements), whereas cows in less than optimal condition should be fed to requirements before calving. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Short communication: Associations between feed push-up frequency, feeding and lying behavior, and milk yield and composition of dairy cows.

PubMed

Miller-Cushon, E K; DeVries, T J

2017-03-01

Feeding management factors have great potential to influence activity patterns and feeding behavior of dairy cows, which may have implications for performance. The objectives of this study were to assess the effects of feed push-up frequency on the behavioral patterns of dairy cows, and to determine associations between behavior and milk yield and composition. Lactating Holstein dairy cows (n = 28, parity = 1.9 ± 1.1; mean ± SD) were housed in tiestalls, milked twice per day, and offered ad libitum access to water and a total mixed ration (containing, on a dry matter basis: 25% corn silage, 25% grass/alfalfa haylage, 30% high-moisture corn, and 20% protein/mineral supplement), provided twice per day. Cows were divided into 2 groups of 14 (balanced by days in milk, milk production, and parity) and individually exposed to each of 2 treatments in a crossover design with 21-d periods; treatment 1 had infrequent feed push-up (3×/d), whereas treatment 2 had frequent feed push-up (5×/d). During the last 7 d of each period, dry matter intake and milk production were recorded and lying behavior was monitored using electronic data loggers. During the last 2 d of each period, milk samples were collected for analysis of protein and fat content and feed samples of fresh feed and orts were collected for particle size analysis. The particle size separator had 3 screens (19, 8, and 1.18 mm) and a bottom pan, resulting in 4 fractions (long, medium, short, fine). Sorting was calculated as the actual intake of each particle size fraction expressed as a percentage of the predicted intake of that fraction. Feed push-up frequency had no effect on lying time [11.4 ± 0.37 h/d; mean ± standard error (SE)], milk production (40.2 ± 1.28 kg/d) and composition (milk protein: 3.30 ± 0.048%; milk fat: 3.81 ± 0.077%), or feed sorting. Cows sorted against long particles (78.0 ± 2.2%) and for short (102.6 ± 0.6%) and fine (108.4 ± 0.9%) particles. Milk fat content decreased by 0.1 percentage points for every 10% increase in sorting against long particles and was not associated with lying behavior or other cow-level factors. Milk protein content decreased by 0.03 percentage points for every hour decrease in lying time and by 0.04 percentage points for every 10% increase in sorting against long particles. These results suggest that sorting against long ration particles may negatively affect milk composition. Additionally, we did not find that altering feed push-up frequency affected feed sorting or cow standing and lying patterns. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Subclinical Ketosis on Dairy Cows in Transition Period in Farms with Contrasting Butyric Acid Contents in Silages

PubMed Central

Rodríguez, María Luisa; Martínez-Fernández, Adela; Soldado, Ana; Argamentería, Alejandro; Peláez, Mario; de la Roza-Delgado, Begoña

2014-01-01

This study examines the relationship between subclinical ketosis (SCK) in dairy cows and the butyric acid content of the silage used in their feeding. Twenty commercial farms were monitored over a period of 12 months. The feed at each farm and the silages used in its ration were sampled monthly for proximal analysis and for volatile fatty acid analysis. A total of 2857 urine samples were taken from 1112 cows to examine the ketonuria from about 30 days prepartum to 100 postpartum. Wide variation was recorded in the quality of silages used in the preparation of diets. Approximately 80% of the urine samples analyzed had no detectable ketone bodies, 16% returned values indicative of slight SCK, and the remainder, 4%, showed symptoms of ketosis. Most of the cases of hyperkenuria were associated with the butyric acid content of the silage used (r 2 = 0.56; P < 0.05). As the metabolizable energy content of the feed was similar, no relationship was observed between the proportion of cows with SCK and the energy content of the feed. In our study, the probability of dairy cows suffering SCK is higher when they are eating feed made from silage with a high butyric acid content (35.2 g/kg DM intake). PMID:25525616

Subclinical ketosis on dairy cows in transition period in farms with contrasting butyric acid contents in silages.

PubMed

Vicente, Fernando; Rodríguez, María Luisa; Martínez-Fernández, Adela; Soldado, Ana; Argamentería, Alejandro; Peláez, Mario; de la Roza-Delgado, Begoña

2014-01-01

This study examines the relationship between subclinical ketosis (SCK) in dairy cows and the butyric acid content of the silage used in their feeding. Twenty commercial farms were monitored over a period of 12 months. The feed at each farm and the silages used in its ration were sampled monthly for proximal analysis and for volatile fatty acid analysis. A total of 2857 urine samples were taken from 1112 cows to examine the ketonuria from about 30 days prepartum to 100 postpartum. Wide variation was recorded in the quality of silages used in the preparation of diets. Approximately 80% of the urine samples analyzed had no detectable ketone bodies, 16% returned values indicative of slight SCK, and the remainder, 4%, showed symptoms of ketosis. Most of the cases of hyperkenuria were associated with the butyric acid content of the silage used (r2=0.56; P<0.05). As the metabolizable energy content of the feed was similar, no relationship was observed between the proportion of cows with SCK and the energy content of the feed. In our study, the probability of dairy cows suffering SCK is higher when they are eating feed made from silage with a high butyric acid content (35.2 g/kg DM intake).

Delaying postpartum supplementation in cows consuming low-quality forage does not alter cow and calf productivity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Reducing the amount of supplemental feed postpartum without affecting productivity may enhance profitability of cow-calf operations. Therefore, sixteen 2-yr-old fall calving cows were used to evaluate effects of delaying postpartum supplementation on milk production, serum metabolites, cow and calf ...

Questionnaire investigation to clarify the occurrence rate and characteristics of maternal rejection behavior in Japanese black cattle (Bos taurus).

PubMed

Kohari, Daisuke; Takakura, Azusa

2017-12-01

We conducted a questionnaire investigation among breeding farmers to clarify the actual conditions of maternal rejection in Japanese Black cattle. We asked keeping experience of maternal rejective cows and compared occurrence patterns, rejective behavior manners, birth assistance methods, colostrum feeding method for calves, parity and rearing conditions of the cows. We found that 24% of the farms had kept rejective cows and 6% of the cows in these farms indicated maternal rejections. The most common occurrence pattern was 'Occurred from the first birth (65.6%)' and behavior manner was performing no maternal grooming with aggressive behavior (75%). Almost all the farmers assisted in each parturition (P < 0.05). There was not a significant difference among the colostrum feeding methods, but a significant difference in the rearing conditions of the cows, except for the cows with no data (P < 0.005). The parity of the rejective cows did not significantly differ in association with rejective behavior manners, birth assistance methods, colostrum feeding methods or rearing conditions. These results suggest that the occurrence rate of maternal rejection in Japanese Black cattle was approximately 6% and many of the rejective cows continuously performed no maternal grooming with aggressive behavior. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Performance, body fat reserves and plasma metabolites in Brown Swiss dairy cows: Indoor feeding versus pasture-based feeding.

PubMed

Frey, H-J; Gross, J J; Petermann, R; Probst, S; Bruckmaier, R M; Hofstetter, P

2018-04-01

Feeding dairy cows indoors or on pasture affects not only labour, machinery and housing costs, but also animals' performance and metabolism. This study investigates the effects of indoor feeding (IF) with a partial-mixed ration (PMR) versus pasture-based feeding (PF) on milk production, fertility, backfat thickness (BFT), body weight (BW) loss and energy metabolism of Brown Swiss (BS) dairy cows with similar genetic production potential. The IF herd consisted of 13 cows fed a PMR composed of maize and grass silage plus protein concentrate according to each cow's requirements. The PF herd consisted of 14 cows offered barn-ventilated hay ad libitum after calving from January until March and grazed on semi-continuous pastures during the vegetation period. The IF cows produced more energy-corrected milk (ECM) per standard lactation (9,407 vs. 5,960 kg; p < .01), more milk fat (378 vs. 227 kg; p < .01) and milk protein (326 vs. 215 kg; p < .01). The calving interval (377 vs. 405 days; p < .01) and time empty (86 vs. 118 days; p < .01) were shorter in the PF compared to IF, possibly also due to different selection criteria for maintaining the respective seasonal calving rhythm. The empty body fat loss calculated according to BCS until its nadir was higher in IF cows (IF: 10.4 vs. PF: 4.8 MJ/day; p < .01), but no differences were noted in total body fat loss estimated via BFT (p = .24). However, PF had lower blood glucose concentration at all investigated time points, but no differences occurred in serum non-esterified fatty acid and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations post-partum. In conclusion, BS cows were equally well suited for the IF with PMR and the PF system investigated here without developing a prominent metabolic load despite differences in nutrient supply. As such, investigated BS dairy cows in our trial seem to have a high capacity for metabolic adaptation to different production systems. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Differential response to stocking rates and feeding by two genotypes of Holstein-Friesian cows in a pasture-based automatic milking system.

PubMed

Nieman, C C; Steensma, K M; Rowntree, J E; Beede, D K; Utsumi, S A

2015-12-01

The throughput of automatic milking systems (AMS) is likely affected by differential traffic behavior and subsequent effects on the milking frequency and milk production of cows. This study investigated the effect of increasing stocking rate and partial mixed ration (PMR) on the milk production, dry matter intake (DMI), feed conversion efficiency (FCE) and use of AMS by two genotypes of Holstein-Friesian cows in mid-lactation. The study lasted 8 weeks and consisted in a factorial arrangement of two genotypes of dairy cattle, United States Holstein (USH) or New Zealand Friesian (NZF), and two pasture-based feeding treatments, a low stocking rate system (2 cows/ha) fed temperate pasture and concentrate, or a high stocking rate system (HSR; 3 cows/ha) fed same pasture and concentrate plus PMR. A total of 28 cows, 14 USH and 14 NZF, were used for comparisons, with 12 cows, six USH and six NZF, also used for tracking of animal movements. Data were analyzed by repeated measure mixed models for a completely randomized design. No differences (P>0.05) in pre- or post-grazing herbage mass, DMI and FCE were detected in response to increases in stocking rate and PMR feeding in HSR. However, there was a significant (P<0.05) grazing treatment×genotype×week interaction on milk production, explained by differential responses of genotypes to changes in herbage mass over time (P<0.001). A reduction (P<0.01) in hours spent on pasture was detected in response to PMR supplementation in HSR; this reduction was greater (P=0.01) for USH than NZF cows (6 v. 2 h, respectively). Regardless of the grazing treatment, USH cows had greater (P=0.02) milking frequency (2.51 v. 2.26±0.08 milkings/day) and greater (P<0.01) milk yield (27.3 v. 16.0±1.2 kg/day), energy-corrected milk (24.8 v. 16.5±1.0 kg/day), DMI (22.1 v. 16.6±0.8 kg/day) and FCE (1.25 v. 1.01±0.06 kg/kg) than NZF cows. There was also a different distribution of milkings/h between genotypes (P<0.001), with patterns of milkings/h shifting (P<0.001) as a consequence of PMR feeding in HSR. Results confirmed the improved FCE of grazing dairy cows with greater milk production and suggested the potential use of PMR feeding as a tactical decision to managing HSR and milkings/day in AMS farms.

Inventory of methane emissions from U.S. cattle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westberg, H.; Lamb, B.; Johnson, K. A.; Huyler, M.

2001-01-01

Many countries, including the United States, are in the process of inventorying greenhouse gas emissions as a prerequisite for designing control strategies. We have developed a measurement-based inventory of methane emissions from cattle in the United States. Methane emission factors were established for the major livestock groups using an internal tracer method. The groups studied included cows, replacement heifers, slaughter cattle, calves, and bulls in the beef sector and cows plus replacement heifers in the dairy industry. Since methane emission is dependent on the quality and quantity of feed, diets were chosen that are representative of the feed regimes utilized by producers in the United States. Regional cattle populations, obtained from U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, were combined with the methane emission factors to yield regional emission estimates. The methane totals from the five regions were then summed to give a U.S. inventory of cattle emissions for 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, and 1998. Annual releases ranged from 6.50 Tg in 1990 to a high of 6.98 Tg in 1996. On a regional scale the North Central region of the United States had the largest methane emissions from livestock followed by the South Central and the West. The beef cow group released the most methane (˜2.5 Tg yr-1) followed by slaughter cattle (˜1.7 Tg yr-1) and dairy cows at about 1.5 Tg yr-1. Methane released by cattle in the United States contributes about 11% of the global cattle source.

Iron status of one-year-olds and association with breast milk, cow's milk or formula in late infancy.

PubMed

Thorisdottir, Asa V; Ramel, Alfons; Palsson, Gestur I; Tomassson, Helgi; Thorsdottir, Inga

2013-09-01

Studies on iron status in infancy and early childhood have shown contradicting results concerning prolonged breast-feeding and cow's milk intake. The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between iron status among one-year-olds and feeding, with focus on the type of milk. Randomly selected healthy infants were prospectively investigated until 1 year of age in two cohorts born 1995-1996 (n = 114) and 2005 (n = 140). Information on birth data, feeding and growth until 12 months and iron status at 12 months was collected. Data from the two cohorts were pooled and the infants categorized into three groups according to their predominant milk consumption at 9 months of age, that is, breast milk, cow's milk or follow-on formula. The prevalence of iron deficiency was highest in the cow's milk group and lowest in the follow-on formula group. According to a linear model, adjusted for gender, birth weight and exclusive breast-feeding duration, cow's milk consumption was negatively associated with serum ferritin (SF) and formula positively, but breast milk not. Predicted SF (μg/l) = 11.652(intercept) - 5.362(boy) + 0.005 × birth weight (g) + 2.826(exclusively breastfed ≥ 4 months) + 0.027 × formula (ml) - 0.022 × cow's milk (ml) + 0.005 × breast milk (ml). Correction for other dietary factors did not change these results. In this pooled analysis, cow's milk intake in late infancy associated negatively, and follow-on formula positively, with iron status. Prolonged partial breast-feeding does not seem to be of importance for iron status. Fortified food seems to improve iron status in late infancy.

Feed conversion efficiency in dairy cows: Repeatability, variation in digestion and metabolism of energy and nitrogen, and ruminal methanogens.

PubMed

Arndt, C; Powell, J M; Aguerre, M J; Crump, P M; Wattiaux, M A

2015-06-01

The objective was to study repeatability and sources of variation in feed conversion efficiency [FCE, milk kg/kg dry matter intake (DMI)] of lactating cows in mid to late lactation. Trials 1 and 2 used 16 cows (106 to 368 d in milk) grouped in 8 pairs of 1 high- and 1 low-FCE cow less than 16 d in milk apart. Trial 1 determined the repeatability of FCE during a 12-wk period. Trial 2 quantified the digestive and metabolic partitioning of energy and N with a 3-d total fecal and urine collection and measurement of CH4 and CO2 emission. Trial 3 studied selected ruminal methanogens in 2 pairs of cows fitted with rumen cannulas. Cows received a single diet including 28% corn silage, 27% alfalfa silage, 17% crude protein, and 28% neutral detergent fiber (dry matter basis). In trial 1, mean FCE remained repeatedly different and averaged 1.83 and 1.03 for high- and low-FCE cows, respectively. In trial 2, high-FCE cows consumed 21% more DMI, produced 98% more fat- and protein-corrected milk, excreted 42% less manure per kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk, but emitted the same daily amount of CH4 and CO2 compared with low-FCE cows. Percentage of gross energy intake lost in feces was higher (28.6 vs. 25.9%), but urinary (2.76 vs. 3.40%) and CH4 (5.23 vs. 6.99%) losses were lower in high- than low-FCE cows. Furthermore, high-FCE cows partitioned 15% more of gross energy intake toward net energy for maintenance, body gain, and lactation (37.5 vs. 32.6%) than low-FCE cows. Lower metabolic efficiency and greater heat loss in low-FCE cows might have been associated in part with greater energy demand for immune function related to subclinical mastitis, as somatic cell count was 3.8 fold greater in low- than high-FCE cows. As a percentage of N intake, high-FCE cows tended to have greater fecal N (32.4 vs. 30.3%) and had lower urinary N (32.2 vs. 41.7%) and greater milk N (30.3 vs. 19.1%) than low-FCE cows. In trial 3, Methanobrevibacter spp. strain AbM4 was less prevalent in ruminal content of high-FCE cows, which emitted less CH4 per unit of DMI and per unit of neutral detergent fiber digested than low-FCE cows. Thus lower digestive efficiency was more than compensated by greater metabolic efficiencies in high- compared with low-FCE cows. There was not a single factor, but rather a series of mechanisms involved in the observed differences in efficiency of energy utilization of the lactating cows in this study. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of chromium on bioenergetics and leukocyte dynamics following immunoactivation in lactating Holstein cows.

PubMed

Horst, E A; Kvidera, S K; Mayorga, E J; Shouse, C S; Al-Qaisi, M; Dickson, M J; Ydstie, J; Ramirez Ramirez, H A; Keating, A F; Dickson, D J; Griswold, K E; Baumgard, L H

2018-06-01

Activated immune cells are insulin sensitive and utilize copious amounts of glucose. Because chromium (Cr) increases insulin sensitivity and may be immunomodulatory, our objective was to evaluate the effect of supplemental Cr (KemTrace Cr propionate, 20 g/d; Kemin Industries Inc., Des Moines, IA) on immune system glucose utilization and immune system dynamics following an intravenous endotoxin challenge in lactating Holstein cows. Twenty cows (320 ± 18 d in milk) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: (1) pair-fed (PF) control (PF-CON; 5 mL of saline; n = 5), (2) PF and Cr supplemented (PF-Cr; 5 mL of saline; n = 5), (3) lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-euglycemic clamp and control supplemented (LPS-CON; 0.375 µg/kg of body weight LPS; n = 5), and (4) LPS-euglycemic clamp and Cr supplemented (LPS-Cr; 0.375 µg/kg of body weight LPS; n = 5). The experiment was conducted serially in 3 periods (P). During P1 (3 d), cows received their respective dietary treatments and baseline values were obtained. At the initiation of P2 (2 d), either a 12-h LPS-euglycemic clamp was conducted or cows were PF to their respective dietary counterparts. During P3 (3 d), cows consumed feed ad libitum and continued to receive their respective dietary treatment. During P2, LPS administration decreased dry matter intake (DMI; 40%) similarly among diets, and by experimental design the pattern and magnitude of reduced DMI were similar in the PF cohorts. During P3, LPS-Cr cows tended to have decreased DMI (6%) relative to LPS-CON cows. Relative to controls, milk yield from LPS-challenged cows decreased (58%) during P2 and LPS-Cr cows produced less (16%) milk than LPS-CON cows. During P3, milk yield progressively increased similarly in LPS-administered cows, but overall milk yield remained decreased (24%) compared with PF controls. There were no dietary treatment differences in milk yield during P3. Circulating insulin increased 9- and 15-fold in LPS-administered cows at 6 and 12 h postbolus, respectively, compared with PF controls. Compared with LPS-CON cows, circulating insulin in LPS-Cr cows was decreased (48%) at 6 h postbolus. Relative to PF cows, circulating LPS binding protein and serum amyloid A from LPS-administered cows increased 2- and 5-fold, respectively. Compared with PF cows, blood neutrophil counts in LPS-infused cows initially decreased, then gradually increased 163%. Between 18 and 48 h postbolus, the number of neutrophils was increased (12%) in LPS-Cr versus LPS-CON cows. The 12-h total glucose deficit was 220 and 1,777 g for the PF and LPS treatments, respectively, but glucose utilization following immune activation was not influenced by Cr. In summary, supplemental Cr reduced the insulin response and increased circulating neutrophils following an LPS challenge but did not appear to alter the immune system's glucose requirement following acute and intense activation. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cow's milk - infants

MedlinePlus

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002448.htm Cow's milk - infants To use the sharing features on ... year old, you should not feed your baby cow's milk, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics ( ...

Dynamics of bacterial communities during manufacture and ripening of traditional Caciocavallo of Castelfranco cheese in relation to cows' feeding.

PubMed

Giello, Marina; La Storia, Antonietta; Masucci, Felicia; Di Francia, Antonio; Ercolini, Danilo; Villani, Francesco

2017-05-01

Traditional Caciocavallo of Castelfranco is a semi-hard "pasta-filata" cheese produced from raw cows' milk in Campania region. The aim of the present research is mainly focused on the study, by 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing and viable counts, of the dynamics of bacterial communities during manufacture and ripening of traditional Caciocavallo cheese. Moreover, the possible correlation between cheese microbiota and cows' feeding based on silage or hay was also evaluated. In general, except for enterococci, the technological process significantly affected all the microbial groups. According to 16S rRNA, raw cows' milk was dominated by Streptococcus thermophilus, L. lactis and Pseudomonas sp. in hay cheese production, whereas Lactococcus lactis and Acinetobacter sp. dominated silage production. Differences in the taxonomic structure of the milk's microbiota within diet groups were not related to silage and hay cows' feeding. Moreover, S. thermophilus was the unique species that dominate from raw milks to fermented intermediates and cheese in both hay and silage cheese productions. Feeding and ripening time influenced significantly sensory characteristics of the cheeses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

FORAGES AND PASTURES SYMPOSIUM: Improving efficiency of production in pasture- and range-based beef and dairy systems.

PubMed

Mulliniks, J T; Rius, A G; Edwards, M A; Edwards, S R; Hobbs, J D; Nave, R L G

2015-06-01

Despite overall increased production in the last century, it is critical that grazing production systems focus on improving beef and dairy efficiency to meet current and future global food demands. For livestock producers, production efficiency is essential to maintain long-term profitability and sustainability. This continued viability of production systems using pasture- and range-based grazing systems requires more rapid adoption of innovative management practices and selection tools that increase profitability by optimizing grazing management and increasing reproductive performance. Understanding the genetic variation in cow herds will provide the ability to select cows that require less energy for maintenance, which can potentially reduce total energy utilization or energy required for production, consequently improving production efficiency and profitability. In the United States, pasture- and range-based grazing systems vary tremendously across various unique environments that differ in climate, topography, and forage production. This variation in environmental conditions contributes to the challenges of developing or targeting specific genetic components and grazing systems that lead to increased production efficiency. However, across these various environments and grazing management systems, grazable forage remains the least expensive nutrient source to maintain productivity of the cow herd. Beef and dairy cattle can capitalize on their ability to utilize these feed resources that are not usable for other production industries. Therefore, lower-cost alternatives to feeding harvested and stored feedstuffs have the opportunity to provide to livestock producers a sustainable and efficient forage production system. However, increasing production efficiency within a given production environment would vary according to genetic potential (i.e., growth and milk potential), how that genetic potential fits the respective production environment, and how the grazing management fits within those genetic parameters. Therefore, matching cow type or genetic potential to the production environment is and will be more important as cost of production increases.

Modelling Pasture-based Automatic Milking System Herds: System Fitness of Grazeable Home-grown Forages, Land Areas and Walking Distances

PubMed Central

Islam, M. R.; Garcia, S. C.; Clark, C. E. F.; Kerrisk, K. L.

2015-01-01

To maintain a predominantly pasture-based system, the large herd milked by automatic milking rotary would be required to walk significant distances. Walking distances of greater than 1-km are associated with an increased incidence of undesirably long milking intervals and reduced milk yield. Complementary forages can be incorporated into pasture-based systems to lift total home grown feed in a given area, thus potentially ‘concentrating’ feed closer to the dairy. The aim of this modelling study was to investigate the total land area required and associated walking distance for large automatic milking system (AMS) herds when incorporating complementary forage rotations (CFR) into the system. Thirty-six scenarios consisting of 3 AMS herds (400, 600, 800 cows), 2 levels of pasture utilisation (current AMS utilisation of 15.0 t dry matter [DM]/ha, termed as moderate; optimum pasture utilisation of 19.7 t DM/ha, termed as high) and 6 rates of replacement of each of these pastures by grazeable CFR (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%) were investigated. Results showed that AMS cows were required to walk greater than 1-km when the farm area was greater than 86 ha. Insufficient pasture could be produced within a 1 km distance (i.e. 86 ha land) with home-grown feed (HGF) providing 43%, 29%, and 22% of the metabolisable energy (ME) required by 400, 600, and 800 cows, respectively from pastures. Introduction of pasture (moderate): CFR in AMS at a ratio of 80:20 can feed a 400 cow AMS herd, and can supply 42% and 31% of the ME requirements for 600 and 800 cows, respectively with pasture (moderate): CFR at 50:50 levels. In contrast to moderate pasture, 400 cows can be managed on high pasture utilisation (provided 57% of the total ME requirements). However, similar to the scenarios conducted with moderate pasture, there was insufficient feed produced within 1-km distance of the dairy for 600 or 800 cows. An 800 cow herd required 140 and 130 ha on moderate and high pasture-based AMS system, respectively with the introduction of pasture: CFR at a ratio of 50:50. Given the impact of increasing land area past 86 ha on walking distance, cow numbers could be increased by purchasing feed from off the milking platform and/or using the land outside 1-km distance for conserved feed. However, this warrants further investigations into risk analyses of different management options including development of an innovative system to manage large herds in an AMS farming system. PMID:25925068

Effects of garlic and juniper berry essential oils on ruminal fermentation and on the site and extent of digestion in lactating cows.

PubMed

Yang, W Z; Benchaar, C; Ametaj, B N; Chaves, A V; He, M L; McAllister, T A

2007-12-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding essential oils from garlic (GAR) and juniper berry (JUN), or monensin (MO) on feed intake, ruminal fermentation, the site and extent of digestion, microbial protein synthesis, milk production, and immune status in dairy cows. Four midlactating Holstein cows fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design with 21-d periods and 4 treatments: control (no additive), MO (330 mg/cow per d), GAR (5 g/cow per d), and JUN (2 g/cow per d). Cows were fed ad libitum a TMR consisting of 40% forage and 60% barley-based concentrate. Dry matter intake averaged 20.4 kg/d and was not affected by dietary additives. Total tract digestibilities of dry matter, organic matter, fiber, and starch were not affected by experimental treatments. However, ruminal digestibilities of dry matter and organic matter were higher (+13%) for GAR and JUN than for the control diet, mainly because of increased crude protein digestion in the rumen. Feeding GAR and JUN increased ruminal digestion of dietary protein by 11% as compared with the control. In contrast, ruminal digestion of dietary protein was reduced by 11% with MO as compared with the control. Milk fat content was lower for MO (2.68%) than for the GAR (3.46%), JUN (3.40%), and control (3.14%) diets. No effects of GAR, JUN, or MO were observed on milk production, ruminal microbial protein synthesis, ruminal pH, and ruminal concentrations of volatile fatty acids and ammonia N. The total and differential numbers of white blood cells as well as serum amyloid A and haptoglobin were not affected by the treatments, suggesting that additives had no effect on the immune status of cows. Results of this study indicate that supplementing dairy cows with GAR (5 g/d) and JUN (2 g/d) essential oils improved feed digestibility in the rumen, but possibly at the expense of a reduction in the flow of bypass protein to the small intestine. Feeding monensin could be beneficial in terms of increasing bypass protein from the rumen but did not improve feed digestion or milk production under the current experimental conditions.

Effect of diet composition and incubation time on feed indigestible neutral detergent fiber concentration in dairy cows.

PubMed

Krizsan, S J; Huhtanen, P

2013-03-01

Indigestible neutral detergent fiber (NDF) predicts forage digestibility accurately and precisely when determined by a 288-h ruminal in situ incubation, and it is an important parameter in mechanistic rumen models. The long incubation time required is a disadvantage. Further, intrinsic cell wall characteristics of feeds should be determined under ideal conditions for fiber digestion. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of diet composition and rumen incubation time on the concentrations of indigestible NDF (iNDF) for a wide range of feeds in dairy cows. Additionally, predicted concentrations of unavailable NDF generated using the National Research Council (NRC) model and the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) were evaluated. Indigestible NDF was evaluated in 18 feeds using 4 cows in a split-split plot design. Treatments were in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement, consisting of different diets and incubation times. Diet composition was primarily varied by changing the level of concentrate supplementation between 190 (low), 421 (medium), and 625 (high)g/kg of diet dry matter (DM). Grass silage was used as the basal forage for all cows. The feeds were incubated for 144, 216, and 288 h. Indigestible NDF was determined from 2-g samples weighed into polyester bags with a pore size of 12 µm and a pore area equal to 6% of the total surface area, giving a sample size to surface ratio of 10mg/cm(2). Across all feeds, the measured iNDF concentrations ranged from 6 to 516 g/kg of DM. The feed iNDF concentration was not affected by the cow used, but diet composition had a significant effect. The mean measured iNDF concentrations for cows consuming low-, medium-, and high-concentrate diets were 178, 186, and 197 g/kg of DM, respectively. The incubation time also affected the feed iNDF concentrations, which averaged 199, 185, and 177 g/kg of DM for 144-, 216-, and 288-h incubations, respectively. We also observed significant interactions between incubation time and feed, and between diet composition and feed, with fiber-rich feeds being most sensitive to these factors. The evaluation of model predictions of unavailable NDF indicated poor precision with prediction errors of 56 (NRC) and 84 (CNCPS)g/kg of DM. Indigestible NDF should be determined based on 288-h ruminal in situ incubations in cows consuming diets with a low proportion of concentrate to represent the feed fraction that is unavailable to the animal. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

First- and second-trimester WIC participation is associated with lower rates of breastfeeding and early introduction of cow's milk during infancy.

PubMed

Ziol-Guest, Kathleen M; Hernandez, Daphne C

2010-05-01

Existing literature suggests prenatal participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) may reduce breastfeeding among low-income mothers. However, little is known about whether the timing of WIC entrance during pregnancy influences infant feeding decisions. This study assesses the association between the timing of prenatal participation in WIC and various infant feeding practices, including breastfeeding initiation, breastfeeding for at least 4 months, exclusive breastfeeding, formula feeding, and early introduction of cow's milk and solid food. Cross-sectional survey matching of birth certificate data to mothers' interviews 9 months after the child's birth. Mothers provided information on participation in the WIC program, infant feeding practices, and sociodemographic characteristics. A nationally representative sample of 4,450 births in 2001 from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Birth Cohort. Multivariate logistic regression techniques (using STATA 9.0 SE, Stata Company, College Station, TX) estimated the relationship between the timing of prenatal WIC participation and infant feeding practices. Entry into the WIC program during the first or second trimester of pregnancy is associated with reduced likelihood of initiation of breastfeeding and early cow's milk introduction; and entry during the first trimester is associated with reduced duration of breastfeeding. WIC participation at any trimester is positively related to formula feeding. Prenatal WIC participation is associated with a greater likelihood of providing babies infant formula rather than breastmilk after birth. Findings also indicate that there are critical prenatal periods for educating women about the health risks of early cow's milk introduction. Given the health implications of feeding infants cow's milk too early, WIC may be successful in educating women on the health risks of introducing complementary foods early, even if direct counseling on cow's milk is not provided. Copyright 2010 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Absorption, distribution, and milk secretion of the perfluoroalkyl acids PFBS, PFHxS, PFOS, and PFOA by dairy cows fed naturally contaminated feed.

PubMed

Kowalczyk, Janine; Ehlers, Susan; Oberhausen, Anja; Tischer, Marion; Fürst, Peter; Schafft, Helmut; Lahrssen-Wiederholt, Monika

2013-03-27

The transfer of the perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS), perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) from feed into tissue and milk of dairy cows was investigated. Holstein cows (n = 6) were fed a PFAA-contaminated feed for 28 days. After the PFAA-feeding period, three cows were slaughtered while the others were fed PFAA-free feed for another 21 days (depuration period). For PFAA analysis plasma, liver, kidney, and muscle tissue, urine, and milk were sampled and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The average daily intake of dairy cows was 3.4 ± 0.7, 4.6 ± 1.0, 7.6 ± 3.7 and 2.0 ± 1.2 μg/kg body weight (bw) for PFBS, PFHxS, PFOS, and PFOA, respectively. Overall, PFBS, PFHxS, PFOS, and PFOA showed different kinetics in dairy cows. In plasma, concentrations of PFBS (mean = 1.2 ± 0.8 μg/L) and PFOA (mean = 8.5 ± 5.7 μg/L) were low, whereas PFHxS and PFOS continuously increased during the PFAA-feeding period up to maximal concentrations of 419 ± 172 and 1903 ± 525 μg/L, respectively. PFOS in plasma remained constantly high during the depuration period. PFOS levels were highest in liver, followed by kidney, without significant differences between feeding periods. The highest PFHxS levels were detected in liver and kidney of cows slaughtered on day 29 (61 ± 24 and 98 ± 31 μg/kg wet weight (ww)). The lowest PFAA levels were detected in muscle tissue. At the end of the feeding study, cumulative secretion in milk was determined for PFOS (14 ± 3.6%) and PFHxS (2.5 ± 0.2%). The other two chemicals were barely secreted into milk: PFBS (0.01 ± 0.02%) and PFOA (0.1 ± 0.06%). Overall, the kinetics of PFOA were similar to those of PFBS and substantially differed from those of PFHxS and PFOS. The very low concentration of PFBS in plasma and milk, the relatively high urinary excretion, and only traces of PFBS in liver (0.3 ± 0.3 μg/kg ww) and kidney (1.0 ± 0.3 μg/kg ww) support the conclusion that PFBS does not accumulate in the body of dairy cows.

Effects of long-term feeding of genetically modified corn (event MON810) on the performance of lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Steinke, K; Guertler, P; Paul, V; Wiedemann, S; Ettle, T; Albrecht, C; Meyer, H H D; Spiekers, H; Schwarz, F J

2010-10-01

A long-term study over 25 months was conducted to evaluate the effects of genetically modified corn on performance of lactating dairy cows. Thirty-six dairy cows were assigned to two feeding groups and fed with diets based on whole-crop silage, kernels and whole-crop cobs from Bt-corn (Bt-MON810) or its isogenic not genetically modified counterpart (CON) as main components. The study included two consecutive lactations. There were no differences in the chemical composition and estimated net energy content of Bt-MON810 and CON corn components and diets. CON feed samples were negative for the presence of Cry1Ab protein, while in Bt-MON810 feed samples the Cry1Ab protein was detected. Cows fed Bt-MON810 corn had a daily Cry1Ab protein intake of 6.0 mg in the first lactation and 6.1 mg in the second lactation of the trial. Dry matter intake (DMI) was 18.8 and 20.7 kg/cow per day in the first and the second lactation of the trial, with no treatment differences. Similarly, milk yield (23.8 and 29.0 kg/cow per day in the first and the second lactation of the trial) was not affected by dietary treatment. There were no consistent effects of feeding MON810 or its isogenic CON on milk composition or body condition. Thus, the present long-term study demonstrated the compositional and nutritional equivalence of Bt-MON810 and its isogenic CON. © 2010 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Effect of restricting silage feeding prepartum on time of calving, dystocia and stillbirth in Holstein-Friesian cows

PubMed Central

2007-01-01

A study was carried out to investigate the effect of restricting silage feeding on time of calving and calving performance in Holstein-Friesian cows. In the treatment group (n = 1,248 cows, 12 herds) silage feeding commenced in the evening (17:00 to 20:00 h), after a period of restricted access (2 to 10 h) while in the control group ad-libitum access to silage was provided over the 24 h period (n = 1,193 cows, 12 herds). Daytime and nighttime calvings were defined as calvings occurring between the hours of 06:30 and 00:29 and between 00:30 and 06:29, respectively. Restricting access to silage resulted in less calvings at night compared to cows with ad-libitum access to silage (18 vs 22%, P < 0.05). Cows with restricted access to silage had a higher percentage of difficult calvings (11 vs 7%, P < 0.001) and stillbirths (7 vs 5%, P < 0.05) compared to cows in the control group. The percentage of calvings at night was lower (13%) when access to silage was restricted for 10 h compared to 2, 4 or 6 h (22, 18, 25%, respectively) (P < 0.001). Calf sire breed, calf gender or cow parity did not influence time of calving. In conclusion, offering silage to pregnant Holstein-Friesian cows in the evening, after a period of restricted access, reduced the incidence of nighttime calvings, but increased the incidence of dystocia and stillbirth. PMID:21851689

Dairy cow breed interacts with stocking rate in temperate pasture-based dairy production systems.

PubMed

Spaans, O K; Macdonald, K A; Lancaster, J A S; Bryant, A M; Roche, J R

2018-05-01

Economic optimum stocking rates for grazing dairy systems have been defined by accounting for the pasture production potential of the farm [t of dry matter (DM)/ha], the amount of feed imported from outside the farm (t of DM/ha), and the size of the cow (kg). These variables were combined into the comparative stocking rate [CSR; kg of body weight (BW)/t of feed DM available] measure. However, CSR assumes no effect of cow genetics beyond BW, and there is increasing evidence of within-breed differences in residual feed intake and between-breed differences in the gross efficiency with which cows use metabolizable energy for milk production. A multiyear production system experiment was established to determine whether Jersey (J) and Holstein-Friesian (HF) breeds performed similarly at the same CSR. Fifty-nine J cows and 51 HF cows were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 CSR in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement; systems were designed to have a CSR of either 80 or 100 kg of BW/t of feed DM (J-CSR80, J-CSR100, HF-CSR80, and HF-CSR100 treatment groups). Data were analyzed for consistency of farmlet response over years using ANOVA procedures, with year and farmlet as fixed effects and the interaction of farmlet with year as a random effect. The collated biological data and financial data extracted from a national economic database were used to model the financial performance for the different breed and CSR treatments. On average, annual and individual season pasture DM production was greater for the J farmlets and was less in the CSR100 treatment; however, the effect of CSR was primarily driven by a large decline in pasture DM production in the HF-CSR100 treatment (breed × CSR interaction). This interaction in feed availability resulted in a breed × CSR interaction for the per-cow and per-hectare milk production variables, with HF cows producing more milk and milk components per cow in the CSR80 treatment but the same amount as the J cows in the CSR100 treatment. On a per-hectare basis, HF cows produced the same amount of 4% fat-corrected milk and lactose as J cows in the CSR80 treatment, but less fat; at CSR100, J cows produced more 4% fat-corrected milk, fat, and protein per hectare than HF cows. Our results support a greater gross efficiency for use of metabolizable energy by the J cow; 11% less total metabolizable energy was required to produce 1 kg of fat and protein at a system level. Economic modeling indicated that profitability of both breeds was less at CSR100, but the decline in profitability with increasing stocking rate was much greater in the HF breed. Holstein-Friesian cows were more profitable at CSR80 but were less profitable at CSR100. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The influence of feed and herd on fatty acid composition in 3 dairy breeds (Danish Holstein, Danish Jersey, and Swedish Red).

PubMed

Poulsen, N A; Gustavsson, F; Glantz, M; Paulsson, M; Larsen, L B; Larsen, M K

2012-11-01

The composition of milk fat from dairy cows is related to both genetic and environmental factors. Here, the effect of feed and herd was examined in 3 Scandinavian breeds, namely Danish Holstein-Friesian (DH), Danish Jersey (DJ), and Swedish Red (SR). In total, milk samples from 1,298 cows kept in indoor housing systems were collected from 61 conventional dairy herds in Denmark and Sweden. The fatty acid (FA) composition of milk was determined by gas chromatography and the content of α-tocopherol by HPLC. Based on the 17 individual FA determined, distinct FA profiles were observed for all breeds using univariate and multivariate statistics. The DJ cows were characterized by higher levels of saturated short-chain FA; in contrast, DH cows had higher content of unsaturated C18 FA, whereas higher levels of primarily C14:0, C14:1, C18:1 cis-9, and C18:3n-3 were evident in SR cows. This variation in milk fat composition across breeds was further reflected in different desaturase indices, which were generally higher in SR cows. In addition, α-tocopherol differed significantly among breeds, with DJ cows having the highest content. Herd-specific feeding plans were collected, and different feed items were separated into 4 broad feed categories, including grass products, maize silage, grain, and concentrate. The pronounced differences in overall feed composition among breeds were, to a large extent, due to regional differences between countries, with SR receiving higher levels of grain and grass silage compared with the Danish breeds. Within breeds, differences in feeding regimens among herds were furthermore higher in SR. Significant correlations between feed category and individual FA were observed in all breeds. Furthermore, variance components were estimated and used to determine the proportion of phenotypic variation that could be explained by herd. The herd effect for individual FA was generally lower for DH compared with the 2 other breeds. In addition, very low herd effects were shown for C14:1 and C16:1 in all breeds, suggesting that the content of these FA is mainly genetically regulated. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Behavioral and physiological effects of a short-term feed restriction in lactating dairy cattle with different body condition scores at calving.

PubMed

Schütz, K E; Cox, N R; Macdonald, K A; Roche, J R; Verkerk, G A; Rogers, A R; Tucker, C B; Matthews, L R; Meier, S; Webster, J R

2013-07-01

Body condition score (BCS) around calving, and the typical BCS loss for up to 100 d after parturition, is associated with both production and reproductive performance of dairy cattle. In addition, there is public concern that thin cows may have impaired welfare, particularly in early lactation where feed demand exceeds pasture growth, and a lag exists between peak milk energy requirements and intake. The aim of this experiment was to determine how BCS at calving influences behavioral and physiological responses to a short-term feed restriction at 47 DIM. Body condition score (on a 10-point scale) at calving was manipulated by modifying the diets in the previous lactation of healthy dairy cattle to generate 3 treatment groups: low BCS (3.4; n=17), medium BCS (4.6; n=18), or high BCS (5.4; n=20). Cows were tested in 4 groups for 8 consecutive days; testing consisted of different levels of feed allocation (d 1 and 2: 100%; d 3 and 4: 75%; d 5: 50%; d 6 to 8: 125%), where 100% was 15kg of DM/cow per day. All BCS groups had similar and marked behavioral and physiological responses to feed restriction. For example, they increased vocalization, time spent eating silage and grazing, aggressive behavior, and fat metabolism (as measured by concentrations of β-hydroxybutyrate and nonesterified fatty acids), and reduced milk production. Body condition affected some of these responses. Fewer cows with low BCS engaged in aggressive interactions in a feed competition test (trough filled with silage that could be consumed in 15 min) on the first day of feed restriction (low: 32%; medium: 74%; high: 64%; standard error of difference=15.4%). High BCS cows had greater concentrations of β-hydroxybutyrate and nonesterified fatty acids throughout the experimental period, which suggests more fat mobilization; however, plasma leptin and fecal glucocorticosteroid metabolite concentrations were unaffected by BCS. Whereas cows demonstrated marked responses to feed restriction, the results suggest that a BCS of 3.4, 4.6, or 5.4 in healthy cows at calving does not overwhelmingly influence this response at 47 DIM. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feeding barley grain steeped in lactic acid modulates rumen fermentation patterns and increases milk fat content in dairy cows.

PubMed

Iqbal, S; Zebeli, Q; Mazzolari, A; Bertoni, G; Dunn, S M; Yang, W Z; Ametaj, B N

2009-12-01

The objectives of the present in vivo and in situ trials were to evaluate whether feeding barley grain steeped in lactic acid (LA) would affect rumen fermentation patterns, in situ dry matter (DM) degradation kinetics, and milk production and composition in lactating dairy cows. The in vivo trial involved 8 rumen-fistulated Holstein cows fed once daily a total mixed ration containing rolled barley grain (27% in DM) steeped for 48 h in an equal quantity of tap water (CTR) or in 0.5% LA (TRT) in a 2 x 2 crossover design. The in situ trials consisted of incubation of untreated rolled barley grain in cows fed CTR or TRT diets and of incubation of 3 different substrates including CTR or barley grain steeped in 0.5% or 1.0% LA (TRT1 and TRT2, respectively) up to 72 h in the rumen. Results of the in vivo trial indicated that cows fed the TRT diet had greater rumen pH during most intensive fermentation phases at 10 and 12 h post-feeding. The latter effect was associated with a shorter duration in which rumen pH was below 5.8 for cows fed the TRT diet (2.4 h) compared with CTR diet (3.9 h). Furthermore, cows fed the TRT diet had lower concentrations of volatile fatty acids at 2 and 4 h post-feeding. In addition, concentrations of preprandial volatile fatty acids were lower in the rumen fluid of cows fed the TRT diet. Results also showed that molar proportion of acetate was lower, whereas propionate tended to increase by feeding cows the TRT diet. Cows fed the TRT diet demonstrated greater rumen in situ lag time of substrate DM degradation and a tendency to lower the fractional degradation rate. Other in situ results indicated a quadratic effect of LA on the effective rumen degradability of substrates whereby the latter variable was decreased from CTR to TRT1 but increased for TRT2 substrate. Although the diet did not affect actual milk yield, fat-corrected milk, percentages of milk protein, and lactose and concentration of milk urea nitrogen, cows fed the TRT diet increased milk fat content and tended to increase fat:protein ratio in the milk. In conclusion, results demonstrated that treatment of barley grain with LA lowered the risk of subacute rumen acidosis and maintained high milk fat content in late-lactating Holstein cows fed diets based on barley grain.

Effects of dietary betaine supplementation subjected to heat stress on milk performances and physiology indices in dairy cow.

PubMed

Zhang, L; Ying, S J; An, W J; Lian, H; Zhou, G B; Han, Z Y

2014-09-12

This study aimed to determine whether feeding betaine to cows elevates their production performance during summer heat stress. Thirty-two lactating Holstein cows were randomly divided into 4 groups: the control group, which received a total mixed ration (TMR), and 3 experimental groups that received TMR blended with 10 g/day (group I), 15 g/day (group II), and 20 g/day (group III) betaine for 8 weeks. Milk and blood were sampled throughout the experimental period. The average maximum and minimum air temperatures were 28.3 and 24.1°C, respectively. The average temperature-humidity index was 78.6 units. The results showed that feeding betaine to cows increased feed intake, milk yield, milk lactose, milk protein, plasma cortisol, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and malondialdehyde levels (P<0.05); however, it caused HSP70 levels to decrease (P<0.05). The milk performance of group II was significantly affected. These results indicate that supplementing betaine to the diet of dairy cows increases their milk performance and improves their antioxidant capacity; these processes help relieve the cow from heat stress. In conclusion, supplementing dairy cows with 15 g/day betaine generated the most positive influence on performance and productivity, and hence caused the greatest reduction in heat stress.

40 CFR 412.30 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS (CAFO) POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Dairy Cows and Cattle Other Than Veal... operations (CAFOs) under 40 CFR 122.23 and includes the following animals: mature dairy cows, either milking or dry; cattle other than mature dairy cows or veal calves. Cattle other than mature dairy cows...

40 CFR 412.30 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS (CAFO) POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Dairy Cows and Cattle Other Than Veal... operations (CAFOs) under 40 CFR 122.23 and includes the following animals: mature dairy cows, either milking or dry; cattle other than mature dairy cows or veal calves. Cattle other than mature dairy cows...

40 CFR 412.30 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS (CAFO) POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Dairy Cows and Cattle Other Than Veal... operations (CAFOs) under 40 CFR 122.23 and includes the following animals: mature dairy cows, either milking or dry; cattle other than mature dairy cows or veal calves. Cattle other than mature dairy cows...

40 CFR 412.30 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS (CAFO) POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Dairy Cows and Cattle Other Than Veal... operations (CAFOs) under 40 CFR 122.23 and includes the following animals: mature dairy cows, either milking or dry; cattle other than mature dairy cows or veal calves. Cattle other than mature dairy cows...

Constraints for nutritional grouping in Wisconsin and Michigan dairy farms.

PubMed

Contreras-Govea, F E; Cabrera, V E; Armentano, L E; Shaver, R D; Crump, P M; Beede, D K; VandeHaar, M J

2015-02-01

A survey was conducted in Wisconsin (WI) and Michigan (MI) to quantify the proportion of farms that use a single diet for all lactating cows and to better understand the reasons for current grouping strategies and the limitations to grouping for better nutritional management. A questionnaire was mailed to all WI dairy farmers with ≥200 lactating cows (971 farms) and to a random sample of grade-A MI dairy farmers (800 farms) of varying herd sizes. The survey return rate was 20% in WI (196 farms) and 26% in MI (211 farms; 59 of them had ≥200 lactating cows). Feeding 2 or more different diets to lactating cows was predominant: 63% in WI (124 farms, all ≥200 lactating cows), 76% in MI farms with ≥200 lactating cows (45 farms), and 28% in MI farms with <200 lactating cows (43 farms). Farmers feeding more than 1 diet used 1 or more of the following criteria for grouping lactating cows: stage of lactation, milk production, or body condition score. Overall for both states, 52% of the farms (211 from 407 farms) feeding more than 1 diet grouped cows according to their nutritional needs. However, a notable population of farms fed the same diet to all lactating cows: 37% in WI (72 farms), 24% in MI (14 farms) for herds of ≥200 lactating cows, and 72% in MI for herds of <200 lactating cows (109 MI farms). "Desire to keep it simple" and "milk drops when cows are moved to a different group" were identified as main constraints to having more groups within a farm for nutritional purposes. Farm facilities and labor were also limiting factors to grouping in farms with herd sizes of <200 lactating cows. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Whole cow's milk in infancy.

PubMed

Leung, Alexander Kc; Sauve, Reginald S

2003-09-01

Early introduction of whole cow's milk may lead to iron deficiency anemia. From a nutritional point of view, it is best to delay the introduction of whole cow's milk until the infant is one year old. While there is no evidence to suggest adverse clinical sequelae associated with the increased renal solute load in healthy infants, feeding with whole cow's milk would narrow the margin of safety in situations that may lead to dehydration. Early exposure to cow's milk proteins increases the risk of developing allergy to milk proteins. Because of the possible association between early exposure to cow's milk proteins and risk for type 1 diabetes mellitus, breast-feeding and avoidance of commercially available cow's milk and products containing intact cow's milk protein during the first year of life are strongly encouraged in families with a strong history of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. The authors suggest that the optimal food in infancy is human breast milk. If human milk is not available, it is preferred that iron-fortified formulas rather than whole cow's milk be used during the first year of life.

Impact of increasing milk production on whole farm environmental management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Increasing herd milk production can provide both economic benefit to the producer and environmental benefit to society. Simulated dairy farms with average annual herd productions from 16,000 to 30,000 lb/cow illustrate that increasing milk yield per cow improves feed efficiency, reduces feed costs a...

Concentrations of progesterone and insulin in serum of nonlactating dairy cows in response to carbohydrate source and processing.

PubMed

Moriel, P; Scatena, T S; Sá Filho, O G; Cooke, R F; Vasconcelos, J L M

2008-12-01

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of carbohydrate source and processing on serum progesterone (P4) and insulin concentrations of nonlactating dairy cows. In experiment 1, 12 ovariectomized grazing Gir x Holstein cows were stratified by body weight and body condition score, and randomly assigned to receive a supplement containing either finely ground corn or citrus pulp in a Latin square crossover design. Diets were fed individually, twice daily at a rate of 10.9 kg of dry matter per cow. Cows received a controlled intravaginal P4-releasing insert before the beginning of the study, and inserts were replaced every 7 d. During the first experimental period, cows were adapted to treatments from d 0 to 13 and blood was collected on d 14, whereas during the second experimental period cows were adapted to treatments from d 0 to 6 and blood samples were collected on d 7. In both periods, blood samples were collected immediately before and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 h after the first supplement feeding of the collection day. In experiment 2, the cows utilized in experiment 1 were randomly assigned to receive a supplement based on finely ground corn, coarsely ground corn, or high-moisture corn in a Latin square crossover design. Cows were fed and received the controlled intravaginal P4-releasing insert as in experiment 1. Within each of the 3 experimental periods, cows were adapted to diets from d 0 to 6, and blood samples were collected on d 7 as in experiment 1. Time effects were detected in experiments 1 and 2 because insulin concentrations increased by 1 h (4.6 +/- 0.90 vs. 7.4 +/- 0.91 microIU/mL for 0 and 1 h, respectively) and P4 concentrations decreased by 3 h (1.8 +/- 0.12 vs. 1.2 +/- 0.11 ng/mL for 0 and 3 h, respectively) after supplements were offered. In experiment 2, insulin concentrations were greater in cows fed high-moisture corn compared with those fed coarsely or finely ground corn (8.8 +/- 1.05, 5.7 +/- 1.05, and 6.1 +/- 1.05 microIU/mL, respectively). Data combined from both experiments indicated that cows with median insulin >or=4.5 microIU/mL before supplement feeding had greater P4 concentrations at 1 h, but lesser P4 concentrations at 5 h compared with cows with insulin <4.5 microIU/mL. Carbohydrate processing, but not carbohydrate source, affected serum insulin of nonlactating dairy cows.

Effects of feeding practices on milk yield and composition in peri-urban and rural smallholder dairy cow and pastoral camel herds in Kenya.

PubMed

Kashongwe, O B; Bebe, B O; Matofari, J W; Huelsebusch, C G

2017-06-01

Associations between feeding practices, milk yield, and composition were assessed in smallholder rural and peri-urban dairy cow (n = 97) and pastoral camel (n = 15) herds. A cross-sectional survey supplemented by follow-up collection of feed and milk samples for laboratory analyses was conducted. Data was analyzed using descriptive, correlation, and analysis of variance statistics. Feeding practices in rural smallholder dairy cows' herds were pastured based (87.7%) with napier grass (89.4%) and concentrates (93.9%) as forage and concentrate supplements. In smallholder peri-urban dairy cows' herds, it was napier grass based (68.4%) with concentrates (100%), oat forages (42.9%), and crop residues (28.6%). Pastoral camel herds were shrub browsing (53%), rangeland pasture grazing (20%), or Euphorbia tirucalli feeding (27%). Smallholder rural farmers offered more feeds (16.1 vs 15.3 kg/day) than peri-urban farmers, hence net energy for lactation (1.4 vs 1.3 Mcal/kg), crude protein (CP) (10 vs 12%), and milk yields (12 vs 9 kg/herd/day) was higher. Milk fat was higher in smallholder peri-urban (4.3%) than that of rural (3.9%). In pastoral camels, E. tirucalli feeding had higher daily milk yield/herd, fat, and CP (63 kg, 4.5 and 3.6%) than shrub browsing (35 kg, 4.2 and 3.0%) and grazing (23 kg yield, 2.6 and 2.7%). Five feeding practices out of 14 in smallholder dairy cattle herds resulted in more than 10 kg milk/cow/day because of low forage-to-concentrate ratio (2.5), inclusion of legume crop residue, or processing forages. They present opportunities for improved production in smallholder herds. In pastoral camel, E. tirucalli feeding showed the highest potential.

Effect of feeding rumen-protected methionine on productive and reproductive performance of dairy cows

PubMed Central

Toledo, Mateus Z.; Baez, Giovanni M.; Garcia-Guerra, Alvaro; Lobos, Nelson E.; Guenther, Jerry N.; Trevisol, Eduardo; Luchini, Daniel; Shaver, Randy D.

2017-01-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of daily top-dressing (individually feeding on the top of the total mixed ration) with rumen-protected methionine (RPM) from 30 ± 3 until 126 ± 3 Days in milk on productive and reproductive performance in lactating dairy cows. A total of 309 lactating dairy Holstein cows (138 primiparous and 171 multiparous) were randomly assigned to treatment diets containing either RPM (21.2 g of RPM + 38.8 g of dried distillers grain; 2.34% Methionine [Met] of metabolizable protein [MP]) or Control (CON; 60 g of dried distillers grain; 1.87% Met of MP). Plasma amino acids were evaluated at the time of artificial insemination (AI) and near pregnancy diagnosis. Milk production and milk composition were evaluated monthly. Pregnancy was diagnosed on Day 28 (by Pregnancy-specific protein B [PSPB]), 32, 47, and 61 (by ultrasound) and sizes of embryonic and amniotic vesicle were determined by ultrasound on Day 33 after AI. Feeding RPM increased plasma Met at 6, 9, 12, and 18 hours after top-dressing with a peak at 12 hours (52.4 vs 26.0 μM; P < 0.001) and returned to basal by 24 hours. Cows fed RPM had a small increase in milk protein percentage (3.08 vs 3.00%; P = 0.04) with no differences on milk yield and milk protein yield. Additionally, in multiparous cows, RPM feeding increased milk protein (3.03 vs 2.95%; P = 0.05) and fat (3.45 vs 3.14%; P = 0.01) percentages, although no effects were observed in primiparous cows. In multiparous cows fed RPM, pregnancy loss was lower between Days 28 to 61 (19.6 [10/51] vs. 6.1% [3/49]; P = 0.03) or between Days 32 to 61 (8.9 [4/45] vs. 0 [0/0] %; P = 0.03), although, there was no effect of treatment on pregnancy loss in primiparous cows. Consistent with data on pregnancy loss, RPM feeding increased embryonic abdominal diameter (P = 0.01) and volume (P = 0.009) and amniotic vesicle volume (P = 0.04) on Day 33 of pregnancy in multiparous cows but had no effect on embryonic size in primiparous cows. Thus, the increase in plasma Met concentrations after feeding RPM was sufficient to produce a small increase in milk protein percentage and to improve embryonic size and pregnancy maintenance in multiparous cows. Further studies are needed to confirm these responses and understand the biological mechanisms that underlie these responses as well as the timing and concentrations of circulating Met that are needed to produce this effect. PMID:29261700

Effect of feeding rumen-protected methionine on productive and reproductive performance of dairy cows.

PubMed

Toledo, Mateus Z; Baez, Giovanni M; Garcia-Guerra, Alvaro; Lobos, Nelson E; Guenther, Jerry N; Trevisol, Eduardo; Luchini, Daniel; Shaver, Randy D; Wiltbank, Milo C

2017-01-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of daily top-dressing (individually feeding on the top of the total mixed ration) with rumen-protected methionine (RPM) from 30 ± 3 until 126 ± 3 Days in milk on productive and reproductive performance in lactating dairy cows. A total of 309 lactating dairy Holstein cows (138 primiparous and 171 multiparous) were randomly assigned to treatment diets containing either RPM (21.2 g of RPM + 38.8 g of dried distillers grain; 2.34% Methionine [Met] of metabolizable protein [MP]) or Control (CON; 60 g of dried distillers grain; 1.87% Met of MP). Plasma amino acids were evaluated at the time of artificial insemination (AI) and near pregnancy diagnosis. Milk production and milk composition were evaluated monthly. Pregnancy was diagnosed on Day 28 (by Pregnancy-specific protein B [PSPB]), 32, 47, and 61 (by ultrasound) and sizes of embryonic and amniotic vesicle were determined by ultrasound on Day 33 after AI. Feeding RPM increased plasma Met at 6, 9, 12, and 18 hours after top-dressing with a peak at 12 hours (52.4 vs 26.0 μM; P < 0.001) and returned to basal by 24 hours. Cows fed RPM had a small increase in milk protein percentage (3.08 vs 3.00%; P = 0.04) with no differences on milk yield and milk protein yield. Additionally, in multiparous cows, RPM feeding increased milk protein (3.03 vs 2.95%; P = 0.05) and fat (3.45 vs 3.14%; P = 0.01) percentages, although no effects were observed in primiparous cows. In multiparous cows fed RPM, pregnancy loss was lower between Days 28 to 61 (19.6 [10/51] vs. 6.1% [3/49]; P = 0.03) or between Days 32 to 61 (8.9 [4/45] vs. 0 [0/0] %; P = 0.03), although, there was no effect of treatment on pregnancy loss in primiparous cows. Consistent with data on pregnancy loss, RPM feeding increased embryonic abdominal diameter (P = 0.01) and volume (P = 0.009) and amniotic vesicle volume (P = 0.04) on Day 33 of pregnancy in multiparous cows but had no effect on embryonic size in primiparous cows. Thus, the increase in plasma Met concentrations after feeding RPM was sufficient to produce a small increase in milk protein percentage and to improve embryonic size and pregnancy maintenance in multiparous cows. Further studies are needed to confirm these responses and understand the biological mechanisms that underlie these responses as well as the timing and concentrations of circulating Met that are needed to produce this effect.

Effects of rumen-protected Capsicum oleoresin on productivity and responses to a glucose tolerance test in lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Oh, J; Harper, M; Giallongo, F; Bravo, D M; Wall, E H; Hristov, A N

2017-03-01

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of rumen-protected Capsicum oleoresin (RPC) supplementation on feed intake, milk yield and composition, nutrient utilization, fecal microbial ecology, and responses to a glucose tolerance test in lactating dairy cows. Nine multiparous Holstein cows were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design balanced for residual effects with three 28-d periods. Each period consisted of 14 d for adaptation and 14 d for data collection and sampling. Treatments were 0 (control), 100, and 200 mg of RPC/cow per day. They were mixed with a small portion of the total mixed ration and top-dressed. Glucose tolerance test was conducted once during each experimental period by intravenous administration of glucose at a rate of 0.3 g/kg of body weight. Dry matter intake was not affected by RPC. Milk yield tended to increase for RPC treatments compared to the control. Feed efficiency was linearly increased by RPC supplementation. Concentrations of fat, true protein, and lactose in milk were not affected by RPC. Apparent total-tract digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein was linearly increased, and fecal nitrogen excretion was linearly decreased by RPC supplementation. Rumen-protected Capsicum oleoresin did not affect the composition of fecal bacteria. Glucose concentration in serum was not affected by RPC supplementation post glucose challenge. However, compared to the control, RPC decreased serum insulin concentration at 5, 10, and 40 min post glucose challenge. The area under the insulin concentration curve was also decreased 25% by RPC. Concentration of nonesterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate in serum were not affected by RPC following glucose administration. In this study, RPC tended to increase milk production and increased feed efficiency in dairy cows. In addition, RPC decreased serum insulin concentration during the glucose tolerance test, but glucose concentration was not affected by treatment. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of prepartum dietary cation-anion difference and source of vitamin D in dairy cows: Health and reproductive responses.

PubMed

Martinez, N; Rodney, R M; Block, E; Hernandez, L L; Nelson, C D; Lean, I J; Santos, J E P

2018-03-01

The objectives of the experiment were to evaluate the effects of feeding diets with distinct dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) levels and supplemented with 2 sources of vitamin D during the prepartum transition period on postpartum health and reproduction in dairy cows. The hypotheses were that feeding acidogenic diets prepartum would reduce the risk of hypocalcemia and other diseases, and the benefits of a negative DCAD treatment on health would be potentiated by supplementing calcidiol compared with cholecalciferol. Cows at 252 d of gestation were blocked by parity (28 nulliparous and 52 parous cows) and milk yield within parous cows, and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial, with 2 levels of DCAD, positive (+130 mEq/kg) or negative (-130 mEq/kg), and 2 sources of vitamin D, cholecalciferol or calcidiol, fed at 3 mg for each 11 kg of diet dry matter. The resulting treatment combinations were positive DCAD with cholecalciferol (PCH), positive DCAD with calcidiol (PCA), negative DCAD with cholecalciferol (NCH), and negative DCAD with calcidiol (NCA), which were fed from 252 d of gestation to calving. After calving, cows were fed the same lactation diet supplemented with cholecalciferol at 0.70 mg for every 20 kg of dry matter. Blood was sampled 7 d before parturition, and at 2 and 7 d postpartum to evaluate cell counts and measures of neutrophil function. Postpartum clinical and subclinical diseases and reproductive responses were evaluated. Feeding a diet with negative DCAD eliminated clinical hypocalcemia (23.1 vs. 0%) and drastically reduced the incidence and daily risk of subclinical hypocalcemia, and these effects were observed in the first 48 to 72 h after calving. The diet with negative DCAD tended to improve the intensity of oxidative burst activity of neutrophils in all cows prepartum and increased the intensity of phagocytosis in parous cows prepartum and the proportion of neutrophils with killing activity in parous cows postpartum (58.5 vs. 67.6%). Feeding calcidiol improved the proportion of neutrophils with oxidative burst activity (60.0 vs. 68.7%), reduced the incidences of retained placenta (30.8 vs. 2.5%) and metritis (46.2 vs. 23.1%), and reduced the proportion of cows with multiple diseases in early lactation. Combining the negative DCAD diet with calcidiol reduced morbidity by at least 60% compared with any of the other treatments. Cows with morbidity had lower blood ionized Ca and serum total Ca concentrations than healthy cows. Treatments did not affect the daily risk of hyperketonemia in the first 30 d of lactation. Despite the changes in cow health, manipulating the prepartum DCAD did not influence reproduction, but feeding calcidiol tended to increase the rate of pregnancy by 55%, which reduced the median days open by 19. In conclusion, feeding prepartum cows with a diet containing a negative DCAD combined with 3 mg of calcidiol benefited health in early lactation. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Source of metabolizable energy affects gene transcription in metabolic pathways in adipose and liver tissue of nonlactating, pregnant dairy cows.

PubMed

Crookenden, M A; Mandok, K S; Grala, T M; Phyn, C V C; Kay, J K; Greenwood, S L; Roche, J R

2015-02-01

The objective of this experiment was to determine if transcript abundance of genes involved in metabolic pathways in adipose and liver tissue could provide some explanation for the low efficiency with which ME in autumn pasture is used for BW gain. Nonlactating, pregnant (208 ± 19 d of gestation or approximately 75 d precalving) dairy cows (n = 90) were randomly allocated to either a control diet (i.e., offered fresh autumn pasture to maintenance requirements: 0.55 MJ ME/kg of measured metabolic BW [BW0.75] per day) or, in addition to the control diet, 1 of 2 supplement amounts (2.5 and 5.0 kg DM/d) of autumn pasture or 1 of 4 supplementary feeds (i.e., a control and 2 levels of feeding for each of 5 feeds: 11 groups of cows). Along with autumn pasture, evaluated feeds included spring pasture silage, maize silage, maize grain, and palm kernel expeller. Adipose and liver tissues were biopsied in wk 4 of the experiment and transcript abundance of genes involved in metabolic pathways associated with energy metabolism, lipolysis, and lipogenesis was determined. Additional feed, irrespective of type, increased BW gain (P < 0.01) and this effect was reflected in the expression of genes in adipose and liver tissue. However, autumn pasture had lower energy-use efficiency than the other feeds. Genes involved in both lipogenesis (ACACA, THRSP, GPAM, GPD1, and LPL) and lipolysis (PNPLA2) were upregulated (P < 0.05) in adipose tissue in response to increased ME intake/kilogram BW0.75. Hepatic expression of APOA1 decreased and that of APOB increased (P < 0.05) in cows offered maize grain and maize silage (i.e., starch-containing feeds). In comparison, pasture-fed cows demonstrated a degree of uncoupling of the somatotropic axis, with lower hepatic transcript abundance of both GHR1A and IGF-1 compared with cows offered any of the other 4 feeds. Changes to gene transcription indicate a possible molecular mechanism for the poor BW gain evident in ruminants consuming autumn pasture.

Review: Milking robot utilization, a successful precision livestock farming evolution.

PubMed

John, A J; Clark, C E F; Freeman, M J; Kerrisk, K L; Garcia, S C; Halachmi, I

2016-09-01

Automatic milking systems (AMS), one of the earliest precision livestock farming developments, have revolutionized dairy farming around the world. While robots control the milking process, there have also been numerous changes to how the whole farm system is managed. Milking is no longer performed in defined sessions; rather, the cow can now choose when to be milked in AMS, allowing milking to be distributed throughout a 24 h period. Despite this ability, there has been little attention given to milking robot utilization across 24 h. In order to formulate relevant research questions and improve farm AMS management there is a need to determine the current knowledge gaps regarding the distribution of robot utilization. Feed, animal and management factors and their interplay on levels of milking robot utilization across 24 h for both indoor and pasture-based systems are here reviewed. The impact of the timing, type and quantity of feed offered and their interaction with the distance of feed from the parlour; herd social dynamics, climate and various other management factors on robot utilization through 24 h are provided. This novel review draws together both the opportunities and challenges that exist for farm management to use these factors to improved system efficiency and those that exist for further research.

Short-term increases in stocking density affect the lying and social behavior, but not the productivity, of lactating Holstein dairy cows.

PubMed

Krawczel, P D; Klaiber, L B; Butzler, R E; Klaiber, L M; Dann, H M; Mooney, C S; Grant, R J

2012-08-01

Reduced access to resources because of increased stocking density may have a detrimental effect on the behavior of the lactating dairy cow. The objective of this study was to determine the short-term responses in behavior, productivity, fecal cortisol metabolites, and udder and leg hygiene of lactating Holstein dairy cows housed at stocking densities of 100 (1 cow per freestall and headlock), 113, 131, and 142%. Multiparous cows (n=92) and primiparous cows (n=44) were assigned to 1 of 4 pens (34 cows per pen) in a 4-row freestall barn. Pens were balanced for parity, milk production, and days in milk. Stocking densities were imposed for 14 d using a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Time spent feeding and time spent ruminating were quantified by 24 h of direct observation of focal cows (n=12 per pen) beginning at 0800 h on d 11 of each period. Data loggers recorded lying behavior (time and bouts) from the same focal cows per pen at 1-min intervals during the final 5 d of each period. Fecal cortisol metabolites were quantified from samples collected on d 13 and 14 of each period from the same focal cows. Displacements from the feed barrier were recorded on a pen basis after 9 milkings over the last 4 d of each period. Productivity was assessed on a pen basis from milk yield (recorded from d 10 to 14 of each period) and milk components (quantified from composite samples collected on d 12 of each period). Milk composition was further analyzed for milk fatty acid profiles, which were determined from a subset (n=6 per pen) of the focal cows. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS, with the pen (n=4 per treatment, except displacements where n=3 per treatment) as the experimental unit. Feeding and ruminating (h/d) did not differ among treatments. Lying time was reduced at stocking densities of 131 and 142%, relative to 100 or 113%. Lying bouts were not affected by treatment. Stocking densities of 131 and 142% reduced the percentage of time cows spent ruminating within a freestall relative to 100%. Displacements from the feed bunk increased linearly across treatments. Fecal cortisol metabolites, udder hygiene score, milk yields, milk composition, and milk fatty acids did not differ among treatments. Decreased lying time and increased aggression at the feed bunk suggest that an alteration of the time budgets of lactating dairy cows may occur at higher stocking densities, but it is unclear at what point these changes might have further biological consequences. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effects of feeding time on milk production, total-tract digestibility, and daily rhythms of feeding behavior and plasma metabolites and hormones in dairy cows.

PubMed

Niu, M; Ying, Y; Bartell, P A; Harvatine, K J

2014-12-01

The timing of feed intake entrains circadian rhythms regulated by internal clocks in many mammals. The objective of this study was to determine if the timing of feeding entrains daily rhythms in dairy cows. Nine Holstein cows were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with 14-d periods. An automated system recorded the timing of feed intake over the last 7 d of each period. Treatments were feeding 1×/d at 0830 h (AM) or 2030 h (PM) and feeding 2×/d in equal amounts at 0830 and 2030 h. All treatments were fed at 110% of daily intake. Cows were milked 2×/d at 0500 and 1700 h. Milk yield and composition were not changed by treatment. Daily intake did not differ, but twice-daily feeding tended to decrease total-tract digestibility of organic matter and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). A treatment by time of day interaction was observed for feeding behavior. The amount of feed consumed in the first 2h after feeding was 70% greater for PM compared with AM feeding. A low rate of intake overnight (2400 to 0500 h; 2.2 ± 0.74% daily intake/h, mean ± SD) and a moderate rate of intake in the afternoon (1200 to 1700 h; 4.8 ± 1.1% daily intake/h) was noted for all treatments, although PM slightly reduced the rate during the afternoon period compared with AM. A treatment by time of day interaction was seen for fecal NDF and indigestible NDF (iNDF) concentration, blood urea nitrogen, plasma glucose and insulin concentrations, body temperature, and lying behavior. Specifically, insulin increased and glucose decreased more after evening feeding than after morning feeding. A cosine function within a 24-h period was used to characterize daily rhythms using a random regression. Rate of feed intake during spontaneous feeding, fecal NDF and iNDF concentration, plasma glucose, insulin, NEFA, body temperature, and lying behavior fit a cosine function within a 24-h period that was modified by treatment. In conclusion, feeding time can reset the daily rhythms of feeding and lying behavior, core body temperature, fecal NDF and iNDF concentration, and plasma blood urea nitrogen, glucose, and insulin concentration of dairy cows, but has no effect on daily DMI and milk production. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Supplementing rumen-protected methionine and lysine in low-protein diets based on corn distillers grains fed to lactating dairy cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Feeding rumen-protected methionine (RPM) and lysine (RPL) may allow feeding lower crude protein (CP) diets to dairy cows, thereby increasing nitrogen efficiency and reducing environmental impact. Moreover, RPL supplementation may improve the value of corn distillers dried grains plus solubles (DDGS)...

Microarray analysis of subcutaneous adipose tissue from mature cows with divergent body weight gain after feed restriction and realimentation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Body weight response to periods of feed restriction and realimentation is critical and relevant to the agricultural industry. The purpose of this study was to evaluate differentially expressed genes identified in subcutaneous adipose tissue collected from cows divergent in body weight (BW) gain afte...

Provocation of allergic response by supplementary feeds of cows' milk.

PubMed Central

Roberts, S A; Soothill, J F

1982-01-01

The postweaning IgE and IgG antiovalbumin antibody responses were greater in rat pups which had received a cows' milk-based supplementary feed than in litter mates which had not. This effect was antigen non-specific and might be similar to that of supplementary feeds in the development of atopy in human infants. The total IgE concentration was similar in the two groups. Supplementary feeds did not increase the low values of IgE antiovalbumin in rats suckled by mothers immunised to ovalbumin. PMID:7065708

Economic values for health and feed efficiency traits of dual-purpose cattle in marginal areas.

PubMed

Krupová, Z; Krupa, E; Michaličková, M; Wolfová, M; Kasarda, R

2016-01-01

Economic values of clinical mastitis, claw disease, and feed efficiency traits along with 16 additional production and functional traits were estimated for the dairy population of the Slovak Pinzgau breed using a bioeconomic approach. In the cow-calf population (suckler cow population) of the same breed, the economic values of feed efficiency traits along with 15 further production and functional traits were calculated. The marginal economic values of clinical mastitis and claw disease incidence in the dairy system were -€ 70.65 and -€ 26.73 per case per cow and year, respectively. The marginal economic values for residual feed intake were -€ 55.15 and -€ 54.64/kg of dry matter per day for cows and breeding heifers in the dairy system and -€ 20.45, -€ 11.30, and -€ 6.04/kg of dry matter per day for cows, breeding heifers, and fattened animals in the cow-calf system, respectively, all expressed per cow and year. The sums of the relative economic values for the 2 new health traits in the dairy system and for residual feed intake across all cattle categories in both systems were 1.4 and 8%, respectively. Within the dairy production system, the highest relative economic values were for milk yield (20%), daily gain of calves (20%), productive lifetime (10%), and cow conception rate (8%). In the cow-calf system, the most important traits were weight gain of calves from 120 to 210 d and from birth to 120 d (19 and 14%, respectively), productive lifetime (17%), and cow conception rate (13%). Based on the calculation of economic values for traits in the dual-purpose Pinzgau breed, milk production and growth traits remain highly important in the breeding goal, but their relative importance should be adapted to new production and economic conditions. The economic importance of functional traits (especially of cow productive lifetime and fertility) was sufficiently high to make the inclusion of these traits into the breeding goal necessary. An increased interest of consumers in animal welfare and quality of dairy farm products should probably lead to the incorporation of health traits (clinical mastitis incidence and somatic cells score) into the breeding goal. However, keeping carcass traits in the breeding goal of the Slovak Pinzgau breed does not seem to be relevant to the long-term market situation. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Calcium sources for milk production in Holstein cows via changes in dry matter intake, mineral utilization, and mineral source buffering potential.

PubMed

Wohlt, J E; Ritter, D E; Evans, J L

1986-11-01

Three supplemental sources of inorganic calcium (calcite flour, aragonite, albacar), each differing in particle size and rate of reactivity, provided .6 or .9% calcium in corn silage:grain (1:1 dry matter) diets of high producing dairy cows. All cows were fed calcite flour at .6% calcium during the first 4 wk of lactation. On d 29 of lactation 5 cows were assigned to each of the six diets. Peak milk yield paralleled dry matter intake and was higher when calcite flour and aragonite provided .9% calcium, intermediate when all sources provided .6% calcium, and lower when albacar provided .9% calcium. However, adaptations to calcium source and to particle sizes of a calcium source (.35 to 1190 mu) were made within 40 d by lactating Holsteins. Starch increased and pH decreased in feces of cows fed albacar. Increasing calcium in the diet provided more buffering capacity in the gastrointestinal tract. True absorption of calcium did not differ from linearity due to source when fecal calcium was regressed on ingested calcium but did vary as a function of diet percentage. Thus, calcium retention was increased when cows were fed .9 vs. .6% calcium. These data suggest that a slow reacting (coarser) inorganic calcium source should be fed at a higher amount to optimize feed intake and milk production.

Effects of feeding organic trace minerals on milk production and reproductive performance in lactating dairy cows: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Rabiee, A R; Lean, I J; Stevenson, M A; Socha, M T

2010-09-01

The objectives of this meta-analysis were to evaluate the effectiveness of supplementation with the organic trace minerals (OTM; Availa-4 and 4-Plex, Zinpro Corp., Eden Prairie, MN) on milk yield, composition, and component yields and reproductive performance in dairy cows. Twenty research papers and reports on the effects of OTM were considered in this meta-analysis. Criteria for inclusion in the study were information on the form of OTM, an adequate description of randomization, production and reproduction data, and associated measures of variance (SE or SD) and P-values. The OTM increased milk production by 0.93 kg [95% confidence interval (CI)=0.61 to 1.25], milk fat by 0.04 kg (95% CI=0.02 to 0.05), and milk protein by 0.03 kg (95% CI=0.02 to 0.04) per day. Milk SCC was not different in cows supplemented with OTM. All production outcomes except milk solids (yield) and milk SCC were heterogeneous. Meta-regression analysis showed that feeding before calving, feeding for a full lactation after calving, and the use of other supplements increased responses over feeding after calving only, feeding for part of lactation, or not using other supplements, respectively. Supplementation of cows with OTM reduced days open (weighted mean difference=13.5 d) and number of services per conception (weighted mean difference=0.27) in lactating dairy cows. The risk of pregnancy on d 150 of lactation was greater in cows fed OTM (risk ratio=1.07), but OTM had no significant effect on the interval from calving to first service and 21-d pregnancy rate. There was no evidence of heterogeneity for any of the reproductive outcomes evaluated. The results of this meta-analysis showed that organic trace mineral supplementation could improve production and reproduction in lactating dairy cows. Copyright (c) 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A comparison of 2 evaporative cooling systems on a commercial dairy farm in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Ortiz, X A; Smith, J F; Villar, F; Hall, L; Allen, J; Oddy, A; Al-Haddad, A; Lyle, P; Collier, R J

2015-12-01

Efficacy of 2 cooling systems (Korral Kool, KK, Korral Kool Inc., Mesa, AZ; FlipFan dairy system, FF, Schaefer Ventilation Equipment LLC, Sauk Rapids, MN) was estimated utilizing 400 multiparous Holstein dairy cows randomly assigned to 1 of 4 cooled California-style shade pens (2 shade pens per cooling system). Each shaded pen contained 100 cows (days in milk=58±39, milk production=56±18 kg/d, and lactation=3±1). Production data (milk yield and reproductive performance) were collected during 3mo (June-August, 2013) and physiological responses (core body temperature, respiration rates, surface temperatures, and resting time) were measured in June and July to estimate responses of cows to the 2 different cooling systems. Water and electricity consumption were recorded for each system. Cows in the KK system displayed slightly lower respiration rates in the month of June and lower surface temperatures in June and July. However, no differences were observed in the core body temperature of cows, resting time, feed intake, milk yield, services/cow, and conception rate between systems. The FF system used less water and electricity during this study. In conclusion, both cooling systems (KK and FF) were effective in mitigating the negative effects of heat stress on cows housed in arid environments, whereas the FF system consumed less water and electricity and did not require use of curtains on the shade structure. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Associations of herd- and cow-level factors, cow lying behavior, and risk of elevated somatic cell count in free-stall housed lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Watters, M E Alexandrea; Meijer, Karin M A; Barkema, Herman W; Leslie, Kenneth E; von Keyserlingk, Marina A G; Devries, Trevor J

2013-09-01

Recent evidence suggests that the risk of intramammary infection in dairy cows is related to lying patterns. The objectives of this study were to quantify the standing and lying behavior of dairy cows milked 3×/d, determine the cow- and herd-level factors associated with these behaviors, and relate these findings to the risk of an elevated somatic cell count (SCC). Five commercial free-stall dairy herds in Eastern Ontario, milking 3×/d, were enrolled in a longitudinal study. Forty Holstein-Friesian cows/herd were randomly selected as focal animals based on days in milk (<200 d) and SCC (<100,000 cells/mL). Farms were followed for 4, 5-week periods. Individual-cow SCC was recorded at the beginning of each period and end of the final period. Elevated SCC (eSCC) was used as an indicator of subclinical mastitis. A new incident eSCC was defined as an individual cow that started the period with a SCC <100,000 cells/mL but whose next SCC exceeded 200,000 cells/mL. Lying behavior was recorded 5d after each milk sampling using data loggers. For these 5d, individual milking times and feeding times were also recorded. On d1 of each recording period 2 trained observers scored focal cows for hygiene and lameness. Throughout the course of the study, cows averaged 11.2h/d of lying time, split into 8.6 lying bouts/d that were on average 84.6 min in length. Later lactation cows had longer daily lying times that were split into fewer lying bouts of longer duration than cows earlier in lactation. Lame cows had longer daily lying times and lying bout durations than non-lame cows. Cows with greater milk yield had lower lying times than lower producing cows. Average post-milking standing time across the study herds was 103 min. Manipulation of feed (feed delivery or push-up) by the stockperson, in the hour before milking or shortly thereafter, resulted in the longest post-milking standing times. Over the study period, 48 new eSCC were detected, resulting in a mean herd incidence rate of 0.91 eSCC/cow-year at risk for all study herds. A non-linear relationship between post-milking standing time and eSCC incidence was found; compared to those cows that lie down <90 min after milking, cows that lie down for the first time >90 min after milking had a lower risk of acquiring a new eSCC. The risk of experiencing an eSCC was also increased in multiparous cows, and in those cows with a higher SCC at the beginning of the study. These results indicate that management practices that promote post-milking standing time, such as the manipulation of feed delivery around milking times, should be encouraged to reduce the risk of cows experiencing new eSCC. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Concentration of the mammalian lignans enterolactone and enterodiol in milk of cows fed diets containing different concentrations of whole flaxseed.

PubMed

Petit, H V; Gagnon, N

2009-10-01

A total of 32 lactating Holstein cows with mean body weight of 622 kg (s.e. = 24) were allotted, at week 25 of lactation, to eight groups of four cows blocked for similar days in milk. The objective of the experiment was to determine the effect of feeding four dietary concentrations (0, 50, 100 or 150 g/kg of dry matter) of whole flaxseed, which contains the plant lignan precursor secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), on concentrations of two mammalian lignans (enterodiol and enterolactone) in milk. The effects of the four diets on feed intake, milk production, milk composition and digestion were also studied. Cows within each block were assigned to one of the four isonitrogenous and isoenergetic total mixed diets and the experiment was carried out from week 25 to 29 of lactation. Diets were fed for ad libitum intake. Enterolactone was the mammalian lignan, of the two metabolites studied, detected in the milk of cows and its concentration in milk tended (P = 0.08) to increase linearly with higher intake of SDG in the diet. Feed intake, milk yield and milk composition were similar among diets. Milk fatty acid profile was slightly improved by feeding flaxseed, as shown by higher concentrations of fatty acids (e.g. n-3) recognized as being beneficial for human health. Those results suggest that feeding of whole flaxseed may result in changes in milk fatty acid composition and enterolactone content, which offer benefits for consumers.

The genetic and biological basis of feed efficiency in mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows.

PubMed

Hardie, L C; VandeHaar, M J; Tempelman, R J; Weigel, K A; Armentano, L E; Wiggans, G R; Veerkamp, R F; de Haas, Y; Coffey, M P; Connor, E E; Hanigan, M D; Staples, C; Wang, Z; Dekkers, J C M; Spurlock, D M

2017-11-01

The objective of this study was to identify genomic regions and candidate genes associated with feed efficiency in lactating Holstein cows. In total, 4,916 cows with actual or imputed genotypes for 60,671 single nucleotide polymorphisms having individual feed intake, milk yield, milk composition, and body weight records were used in this study. Cows were from research herds located in the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Feed efficiency, defined as residual feed intake (RFI), was calculated within location as the residual of the regression of dry matter intake (DMI) on milk energy (MilkE), metabolic body weight (MBW), change in body weight, and systematic effects. For RFI, DMI, MilkE, and MBW, bivariate analyses were performed considering each trait as a separate trait within parity group to estimate variance components and genetic correlations between them. Animal relationships were established using a genomic relationship matrix. Genome-wide association studies were performed separately by parity group for RFI, DMI, MilkE, and MBW using the Bayes B method with a prior assumption that 1% of single nucleotide polymorphisms have a nonzero effect. One-megabase windows with greatest percentage of the total genetic variation explained by the markers (TGVM) were identified, and adjacent windows with large proportion of the TGVM were combined and reanalyzed. Heritability estimates for RFI were 0.14 (±0.03; ±SE) in primiparous cows and 0.13 (±0.03) in multiparous cows. Genetic correlations between primiparous and multiparous cows were 0.76 for RFI, 0.78 for DMI, 0.92 for MBW, and 0.61 for MilkE. No single 1-Mb window explained a significant proportion of the TGVM for RFI; however, after combining windows, significance was met on Bos taurus autosome 27 in primiparous cows, and nearly reached on Bos taurus autosome 4 in multiparous cows. Among other genes, these regions contain β-3 adrenergic receptor and the physiological candidate gene, leptin, respectively. Between the 2 parity groups, 3 of the 10 windows with the largest effects on DMI neighbored windows affecting RFI, but were not in the top 10 regions for MilkE or MBW. This result suggests a genetic basis for feed intake that is unrelated to energy consumption required for milk production or expected maintenance as determined by MBW. In conclusion, feed efficiency measured as RFI is a polygenic trait exhibiting a dynamic genetic basis and genetic variation distinct from that underlying expected maintenance requirements and milk energy output. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Model studies on the detectability of genetically modified feeds in milk.

PubMed

Poms, R E; Hochsteiner, W; Luger, K; Glössl, J; Foissy, H

2003-02-01

Detecting the use of genetically modified feeds in milk has become important, because the voluntary labeling of milk and dairy products as "GMO free" or as "organically grown" prohibits the employment of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The aim of this work was to investigate whether a DNA transfer from foodstuffs like soya and maize was analytically detectable in cow's milk after digestion and transportation via the bloodstream of dairy cows and, thus, whether milk could report for the employment of transgene feeds. Blood, milk, urine, and feces of dairy cows were examined, and foreign DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction by specifically amplifying a 226-bp fragment of the maize invertase gene and a 118-bp fragment of the soya lectin gene. An intravenous application of purified plant DNA showed a fast elimination of marker DNA in blood or its reduction below the detection limit. With feeding experiments, it could be demonstrated that a specific DNA transfer from feeds into milk was not detectable. Therefore, foreign DNA in milk cannot serve as an indicator for the employment of transgene feeds unless milk is directly contaminated with feed components or airborne feed particles.

Inter-relationships among alternative definitions of feed efficiency in grazing lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Hurley, A M; López-Villalobos, N; McParland, S; Kennedy, E; Lewis, E; O'Donovan, M; Burke, J L; Berry, D P

2016-01-01

International interest in feed efficiency, and in particular energy intake and residual energy intake (REI), is intensifying due to a greater global demand for animal-derived protein and energy sources. Feed efficiency is a trait of economic importance, and yet is overlooked in national dairy cow breeding goals. This is due primarily to a lack of accurate data on commercial animals, but also a lack of clarity on the most appropriate definition of the feed intake and utilization complex. The objective of the present study was to derive alternative definitions of energetic efficiency in grazing lactating dairy cows and to quantify the inter-relationships among these alternative definitions. Net energy intake (NEI) from pasture and concentrate intake was estimated up to 8 times per lactation for 2,693 lactations from 1,412 Holstein-Friesian cows. Energy values of feed were based on the French Net Energy system where 1 UFL is the net energy requirements for lactation equivalent of 1kg of air-dry barley. A total of 8,183 individual feed intake measurements were available. Energy balance was defined as the difference between NEI and energy expenditure. Efficiency traits were either ratio-based or residual-based; the latter were derived from least squares regression models. Residual energy intake was defined as NEI minus predicted energy to fulfill the requirements for the various energy sinks. The energy sinks (e.g., NEL, metabolic live weight) and additional contributors to energy kinetics (e.g., live weight loss) combined, explained 59% of the variation in NEI, implying that REI represented 41% of the variance in total NEI. The most efficient 10% of test-day records, as defined by REI (n=709), on average were associated with a 7.59 UFL/d less NEI (average NEI of the entire population was 16.23 UFL/d) than the least efficient 10% of test-day records based on REI (n=709). Additionally, the most efficient 10% of test-day records, as defined by REI, were associated with superior energy conversion efficiency (ECE, i.e., NEL divided by NEI; ECE=0.55) compared with the least efficient 10% of test-day records (ECE=0.33). Moreover, REI was positively correlated with energy balance, implying that more negative REI animals (i.e., deemed more efficient) are expected to be, on average, in greater negative energy balance. Many of the correlations among the 14 defined efficiency traits differed from unity, implying that each trait is measuring a different aspect of efficiency. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adding liquid feed to a total mixed ration reduces feed sorting behavior and improves productivity of lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

DeVries, T J; Gill, R M

2012-05-01

This study was designed to determine the effect of adding a molasses-based liquid feed (LF) supplement to a total mixed ration (TMR) on the feed sorting behavior and production of dairy cows. Twelve lactating Holstein cows (88.2±19.5 DIM) were exposed, in a crossover design with 21-d periods, to each of 2 treatment diets: 1) control TMR and 2) control TMR with 4.1% dietary dry matter LF added. Dry matter intake (DMI), sorting, and milk yield were recorded for the last 7 d of each treatment period. Milk samples were collected for composition analysis for the last 3 d of each treatment period; these data were used to calculate 4% fat-corrected milk and energy-corrected milk yield. Sorting was determined by subjecting fresh feed and orts samples to particle separation and expressing the actual intake of each particle fraction as a percentage of the predicted intake of that fraction. Addition of LF did not noticeably change the nutrient composition of the ration, with the exception of an expected increase in dietary sugar concentration (from 4.0 to 5.4%). Liquid feed supplementation affected the particle size distribution of the ration, resulting in a lesser amount of short and a greater amount of fine particles. Cows sorted against the longest ration particles on both treatment diets; the extent of this sorting was greater on the control diet (55.0 vs. 68.8%). Dry matter intake was 1.4 kg/d higher when cows were fed the LF diet as compared with the control diet, resulting in higher acid-detergent fiber, neutral-detergent fiber, and sugar intakes. As a result of the increased DMI, cows tended to produce 1.9 kg/d more milk and produced 3.1 and 3.2 kg/d more 4% fat-corrected milk and energy-corrected milk, respectively, on the LF diet. As a result, cows tended to produce more milk fat (0.13 kg/d) and produced more milk protein (0.09 kg/d) on the LF diet. No difference between treatments was observed in the efficiency of milk production. Overall, adding a molasses-based LF to TMR can be used to decrease feed sorting, enhance DMI, and improve milk yield. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hot topic: Definition and implementation of a breeding value for feed efficiency in dairy cows.

PubMed

Pryce, J E; Gonzalez-Recio, O; Nieuwhof, G; Wales, W J; Coffey, M P; Hayes, B J; Goddard, M E

2015-10-01

A new breeding value that combines the amount of feed saved through improved metabolic efficiency with predicted maintenance requirements is described. The breeding value includes a genomic component for residual feed intake (RFI) combined with maintenance requirements calculated from either a genomic or pedigree estimated breeding value (EBV) for body weight (BW) predicted using conformation traits. Residual feed intake is only available for genotyped Holsteins; however, BW is available for all breeds. The RFI component of the "feed saved" EBV has 2 parts: Australian calf RFI and Australian lactating cow RFI. Genomic breeding values for RFI were estimated from a reference population of 2,036 individuals in a multi-trait analysis including Australian calf RFI (n=843), Australian lactating cow RFI (n=234), and UK and Dutch lactating cow RFI (n=958). In all cases, the RFI phenotypes were deviations from a mean of 0, calculated by correcting dry matter intake for BW, growth, and milk yield (in the case of lactating cows). Single nucleotide polymorphism effects were calculated from the output of genomic BLUP and used to predict breeding values of 4,106 Holstein sires that were genotyped but did not have RFI phenotypes themselves. These bulls already had BW breeding values calculated from type traits, from which maintenance requirements in kilograms of feed per year were inferred. Finally, RFI and the feed required for maintenance (through BW) were used to calculate a feed saved breeding value and expressed as the predicted amount of feed saved per year. Animals that were 1 standard deviation above the mean were predicted to eat 66 kg dry matter less per year at the same level of milk production. In a data set of genotyped Holstein sires, the mean reliability of the feed saved breeding value was 0.37. For Holsteins that are not genotyped and for breeds other than Holsteins, feed saved is calculated using BW only. From April 2015, feed saved has been included as part of the Australian national selection index, the Balanced Performance Index (BPI). Selection on the BPI is expected to lead to modest gains in feed efficiency. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Utilization of kura clover-reed canarygrass silage versus alfalfa silage by lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Kammes, K L; Heemink, G B H; Albrecht, K A; Combs, D K

2008-08-01

The mixture of kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.) and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) has proven to be extremely persistent in the northern United States, but information about dairy cow performance on this mixture is lacking. Twenty lactating Holstein cows were used in a crossover design to compare dry matter (DM) intake and milk production from diets containing kura clover-reed canarygrass silage (KRS) or alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) silage (AS). Forages were cut, wilted, ensiled in horizontal plastic bags, and allowed to ferment for at least 50 d before beginning the feeding experiment. The KRS was approximately 40% kura clover and 60% reed canarygrass. Treatments were total mixed rations formulated with either 57% of total DM from 1) AS or 2) KRS. Experimental periods were 28 d, with the first 14 d for diet adaptation and the last 14 d for measurement of intake and milk production. The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentrations of AS and KRS were 37.3 and 47.3%, respectively. The fermentation analyses indicated that both silages underwent a restricted fermentation, producing primarily lactic acid and some acetic acid. Dry matter intake (24.2 vs. 22.8 kg) and 4% fat-corrected milk (32.8 vs. 30.9 kg) were significantly higher for cows fed AS than for cows fed KRS. Cows consumed less NDF (6.7 vs. 8.0 kg) and less digestible NDF (3.0 vs. 4.4 kg) when fed AS diets compared with KRS diets, but the pool of ruminally undegraded NDF was similar (3.7 kg) between diets. Cows produced 1.5 kg of milk/kg of DM consumed regardless of the diet, indicating that digestible NDF of KRS was utilized with similar efficiency as the cell wall constituents of AS, but the intake of cows fed KRS may have been limited by rumen fill. Milk fat concentration tended to be higher for cows fed AS, but the milk true protein concentration and yields of fat and protein did not differ by treatment. Milk urea nitrogen content was higher when cows consumed AS (16.4 mg/ dL) compared with KRS (13.4 mg/dL). The cows fed KRS consumed more NDF but less total DMI, based on the results from this trial with diets formulated to contain approximately 60% of DM as forage, resulting in slightly lower milk yields than cows fed excellent-quality AS. This grass-legume mixture has the potential to be a source of quality forage for dairy cows in regions where alfalfa persistence is a problem.

Impact of cow strain and concentrate supplementation on grazing behaviour, milk yield and metabolic state of dairy cows in an organic pasture-based feeding system.

PubMed

Heublein, C; Dohme-Meier, F; Südekum, K-H; Bruckmaier, R M; Thanner, S; Schori, F

2017-07-01

As ruminants are able to digest fibre efficiently and assuming that competition for feed v. food use would intensify in the future, cereals and other field crops should primarily be destined to cover the dietary needs of humans and monogastric animals such as poultry and pigs. Farming systems with a reduced or absent concentrate supplementation, as postulated by organic agriculture associations, require adapted dairy cows. The aim of this experiment was to examine the impact of concentrate supplementation on milk production, grazing and rumination behaviour, feed intake, physical activity and blood traits with two Holstein-Friesian cow strains and to conclude the consequences for sustainable and organic farming. The experiment was a cross-over study and took place on an organic farm in Switzerland. In all, 12 Swiss Holstein-Friesian (HCH) cows and 12 New Zealand Holstein-Friesian (HNZ) cows, which were paired according to lactation number, days in milk and age for primiparous cows, were used. All cows grazed full time and were supplemented either with 6 kg/day of a commercial, organic cereal-grain mix or received no supplement. After an adaptation period of 21 days, a measurement period of 7 days followed, where milk yield and composition, pasture dry matter intake estimated with the n-alkane double-indicator technique, physical activity based on pedometer measurements, grazing behaviour recorded by automatic jaw movement recorder and blood samples were investigated. Non-supplemented cows had a lower milk yield and supplemented HCH cows produced more milk than supplemented HNZ cows. Grazing time and physical activity were greater for non-supplemented cows. Supplementation had no effect on rumination behaviour, but HNZ cows spent longer ruminating compared with HCH cows. Pasture dry matter intake decreased with the concentrate supplementation. Results of blood analysis did not indicate a strong negative energy balance for either non-supplemented or supplemented cows. Minor differences between cow strains in this short-term study indicated that both cow strains are equally suited for an organic pasture-based production system with no concentrate supplementation. Many factors such as milk yield potential, animal welfare and health, efficiency, grazing behaviour and social aspects influence the decision to supplement grazing dairy cows with concentrates.

Inclusion of calcium hydroxide-treated corn stover as a partial forage replacement in diets for lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Casperson, Brittany A; Wertz-Lutz, Aimee E; Dunn, Jim L; Donkin, Shawn S

2018-03-01

Chemical treatment may improve the nutritional value of corn crop residues, commonly referred to as corn stover, and the potential use of this feed resource for ruminants, including lactating dairy cows. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of prestorage chopping, hydration, and treatment of corn stover with Ca(OH) 2 on the feeding value for milk production, milk composition, and dry matter intake (DMI). Multiparous mid-lactation Holstein cows (n = 30) were stratified by parity and milk production and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 diets. Corn stover was chopped, hydrated, and treated with 6% Ca(OH) 2 (as-fed basis) and stored in horizontal silo bags. Cows received a control (CON) total mixed ration (TMR) or a TMR in which a mixture of treated corn stover and distillers grains replaced either alfalfa haylage (AHsub) or alfalfa haylage and an additional portion of corn silage (AH+CSsub). Treated corn stover was fed in a TMR at 0, 15, and 30% of the diet DM for the CON, AHsub, and AH+CSsub diets, respectively. Cows were individually fed in tiestalls for 10 wk. Milk production was not altered by treatment. Compared with the CON diet, DMI was reduced when the AHsub diet was fed and tended to be reduced when cows were fed the AH+CSsub diet (25.9, 22.7, and 23.1 ± 0.88 kg/d for CON, AHsub, and AH+CSsub diets, respectively). Energy-corrected milk production per unit of DMI (kg/kg) tended to increase with treated corn stover feeding. Milk composition, energy-corrected milk production, and energy-corrected milk per unit of DMI (kg/kg) were not different among treatments for the 10-wk feeding period. Cows fed the AHsub and AH+CSsub diets had consistent DMI over the 10-wk treatment period, whereas DMI for cows fed the CON diet increased slightly over time. Milk production was not affected by the duration of feeding. These data indicate that corn stover processing, prestorage hydration, and treatment with calcium hydroxide can serve as an alternative to traditional haycrop and corn silage in diets fed to mid-lactation dairy cows. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Body condition score and plane of nutrition prepartum affect adipose tissue transcriptome regulators of metabolism and inflammation in grazing dairy cows during the transition period.

PubMed

Vailati-Riboni, M; Kanwal, M; Bulgari, O; Meier, S; Priest, N V; Burke, C R; Kay, J K; McDougall, S; Mitchell, M D; Walker, C G; Crookenden, M; Heiser, A; Roche, J R; Loor, J J

2016-01-01

Recent studies demonstrating a higher incidence of metabolic disorders after calving have challenged the management practice of increasing dietary energy density during the last ~3 wk prepartum. Despite our knowledge at the whole-animal level, the tissue-level mechanisms that are altered in response to feeding management prepartum remain unclear. Our hypothesis was that prepartum body condition score (BCS), in combination with feeding management, plays a central role in the peripartum changes associated with energy balance and inflammatory state. Twenty-eight mid-lactation grazing dairy cows of mixed age and breed were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 treatment groups in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: 2 prepartum BCS categories (4.0 and 5.0, based on a 10-point scale; BCS4, BCS5) obtained via differential feeding management during late-lactation, and 2 levels of energy intake during the 3 wk preceding calving (75 and 125% of estimated requirements). Subcutaneous adipose tissue was harvested via biopsy at -1, 1, and 4 wk relative to parturition. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to measure mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) expression of targets related to fatty acid metabolism (lipogenesis, lipolysis), adipokine synthesis, and inflammation. Both prepartum BCS and feeding management had a significant effect on mRNA and miRNA expression throughout the peripartum period. Overfed BCS5 cows had the greatest prepartum expression of fatty acid synthase (FASN) and an overall greater expression of leptin (LEP); BCS5 was also associated with greater overall adiponectin (ADIPOQ) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG), whereas overfeeding upregulated expression of proadipogenic miRNA. Higher postpartum expression of chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) and the cytokines interleukin 6 (IL6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was detected in overfed BCS5 cows. Feed-restricted BCS4 cows had the highest overall interleukin 1 (IL1B) expression. Prepartum feed restriction resulted in greater chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) expression. Overall, changes in mRNA expression were consistent with the expression pattern of inflammation-related miRNA. These data shed light on molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of prepartum BCS and feeding management on metabolic and inflammatory status of adipose tissue during the peripartum period. Data support the use of a controlled feed restriction prepartum in optimally conditioned cows, as well as the use of a higher level of dietary energy in under-conditioned cows. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feeding rumen-protected methionine pre- and postpartum increases milk protein content and yield in early lactation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Objectives were to evaluate the effects of feeding rumen-protected methionine (MET) from 23 d (±12) before calving until 98 days in milk (DIM) on lactation performance, dry matter intake (DMI), body condition score (BCS) and body weight (BW) change of dairy cows. Multiparous Holstein cows (n = 223) ...

The effect of floor surface on dairy cow immune function and locomotion score

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The study evaluated the effect of 2 dairy cow housing systems on cow locomotion, leukocyte activity and expression of genes associated with lameness, during the dry and peri-parturient period. Cows were assigned to free-stall housing with either rubber (RUB; n=13) or concrete (CON; n=14) at the feed...

Effect of substituting brown rice for corn on lactation and digestion in dairy cows fed diets with a high proportion of grain.

PubMed

Miyaji, M; Matsuyama, H; Hosoda, K

2014-02-01

The effects of the substitution of brown rice (Oryza sativa L.; BR) for corn (Zea mays L.) in ensiled total mixed ration (TMR) that had a high proportion of grain on feed intake, lactation performance, ruminal fermentation, digestion, and N utilization were evaluated. Nine multiparous Holstein cows (51 ± 9 d in milk) were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with 3 dietary treatments: a diet containing 0, 20, or 40% steam-flaked BR and 40, 20, or 0% steam-flaked corn (dry matter basis). Cows were fed ad libitum an ensiled TMR consisting of 40.7% alfalfa silage, 11.8% grass silage, 7.1% soybean meal, and 40.0% steam-flaked grain (dry matter basis). The ensiled TMR was prepared by baling fresh TMR, and then sealed by a bale wrapper and stored outdoors at 5 to 30 °C for over 6 mo. Dry matter intake and milk yield were lower for cows fed 40% BR than for cows fed 40% corn. The ruminal pH and total volatile fatty acid concentrations were not affected by dietary treatment. The ruminal ammonia-N concentration decreased as the percentage of BR in the diets was elevated. The proportion of acetate decreased, and that of propionate and butyrate increased with the increasing levels of BR. Plasma urea-N concentrations was lower and glucose and insulin concentrations were higher for cows fed 40% BR than for cows fed 40% corn. The whole-tract apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and starch increased, and the digestibility of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber decreased with the increasing BR level in the diet, with no dietary effect on crude protein digestion. As a proportion of N intake, the urinary N excretion was lower and the retention of N was higher for cows fed 40% BR than for cows fed 40% corn, with no dietary effect observed on N secretion in milk and fecal N excretion. These results show that substituting BR for corn decreases urinary N losses and improves N utilization, but causes adverse effects on milk production when cows are fed high-grain diets at 40% of dietary dry matter. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feeding glycerol-enriched yeast culture improves lactation performance, energy status, and hepatic gluconeogenic enzyme expression of dairy cows during the transition period.

PubMed

Ye, G; Liu, J; Liu, Y; Chen, X; Liao, S F; Huang, D; Huang, K

2016-06-01

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of feeding glycerol-enriched yeast culture (GY) on feed intake, lactation performance, blood metabolites, and expression of some key hepatic gluconeogenic enzymes in dairy cows during the transition period. Forty-four multiparous transition Holstein cows were blocked by parity, previous 305-d mature equivalent milk yield, and expected calving date and randomly allocated to 4 dietary treatments: Control (no additive), 2 L/d of GY (75.8 g/L glycerol and 15.3 g/L yeast), 150 g/d of glycerol (G; 0.998 g/g glycerol), and 1 L/d of yeast culture (Y; 31.1 g/L yeast). All additives were top-dressed and hand mixed into the upper one-third of the total mixed ration in the morning from -14 to +28 d relative to calving. Results indicated that the DMI, NE intake, change of BCS, and milk yields were not affected by the treatments ( > 0.05). Supplementation of GY or Y increased milk fat percentages, milk protein percentages, and milk protein yields relative to the Control or G group ( < 0.05). Cows fed GY or G had higher glucose levels and lower β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) and NEFA levels in plasma than cows fed the Control ( < 0.05) and had lower NEFA levels than cows fed Y ( < 0.05). On 14 d postpartum, cows fed GY or G had higher enzyme activities, mRNA, and protein expression of cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK-C; < 0.05); higher enzyme activities ( < 0.05) and a tendency toward higher mRNA expression ( < 0.10) of glycerol kinase (GK); and a tendency toward higher enzyme activities of pyruvate carboxylase (PC) in the liver ( < 0.10) when compared with cows fed Control or Y. The enzyme activities, mRNA, and protein expression of PEPCK-C, PC, and GK did not differ between cows fed GY and G ( > 0.10). In conclusion, dietary GY or Y supplementation increased the milk fat and protein content of the cows in early lactation and GY or G supplementation improved the energy status as indicated by greater plasma glucose and lower plasma BHBA and NEFA concentrations and upregulated the hepatic gluconeogenic enzymes of dairy cows during the transition period. Feeding cows with a GY mixture in the peripartum period combined the effects of yeast on lactation performance and the effects of glycerol on energy status in dairy cows.

Response of lactating dairy cows to degree of steam-flaked barley grain in low-forage diets.

PubMed

Safaei, Kh; Ghorbani, G R; Alikhani, M; Sadeghi-Sefidmazgi, A; Yang, W Z

2017-10-01

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of processing method (grinding vs. steam flaking) and increasing densities of steam-flaked barley grain on dry matter intake (DMI), rumen pH and fermentation characteristics, digestibility of dry matter in the total digestive tract (DDTT), and milk production of dairy cows. Eight multiparous mid-lactation Holstein cows averaging 103 ± 24 DIM, 44.5 ± 4.7 kg milk/day and weighing 611 ± 43 kg at the start of the experiment were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with 21-day periods. Cows were fed diets consisting of (DM basis) 23.8% corn silage, 13.5% chopped alfalfa hay and 62.7% concentrate. The dietary treatments were either ground barley (GB) using a hammer mill or steam-flaked barley (SFB) - varying density at 390, 340 or 290 g/l. Processing method (GB vs. SFB) did not affect DMI (23.6 kg/day on average), DDTT (71.0% on average), milk yield (43.4 kg/day on average), milk components, rumen pH and molar proportions of acetate, propionate, butyrate and sorting activity. Ruminal isovalerate concentration tended (p = 0.06) to be higher for cows fed GB than those fed SFB-based diets. Decreasing the density of SFB from 390, 340 to 290 g/l tended to linearly increase DMI (p = 0.09), decrease total solids percentage of milk (p = 0.10) and linearly decreased milk urea nitrogen (12.8, 12.4 and 12.1 mg/dl; p = 0.04); also, the sorting index (SI) of the particles retained on the 19.0-mm sieve without affecting the SI of the particles retained on 8.0-mm, 1.18-mm or passed through 1.18-mm sieve (p = 0.05). These results indicated the limited effects of processing method (grinding vs. steam flaking) and densities of SFB (390, 290 or 290 g/l) on cows' performance and feed utilization for dairy cows fed low-forage diets. Therefore, both processing methods could be recommended under current feeding conditions of dairy cows. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Effect of mature body weight and stocking rate on cow and calf performance, cow herd efficiency, and economics in the southeastern United States.

PubMed

Beck, P A; Stewart, C B; Gadberry, M S; Haque, M; Biermacher, J

2016-04-01

Eight 4-ha mixed warm-season grass pastures in southwestern Arkansas (33°40'4″ N, 93°35'24″ W, and elevation 107 m) were stocked with either large mature size (571 kg [SD 55.2] BW) or small mature size (463 kg [SD 58.2] BW) spring-calving cows at 4 stocking rates (SR; 1, 1.5, 2, or 2.5 cow-calf pairs/ha) over 4 yr to test the effects of SR and mature body size on cow and calf performance and system economics. Each pasture received 112 kg/ha N as ammonium nitrate in May and was broadcast seeded to annual ryegrass ( Lam.) in mid October each fall along with 112 kg/ha N as ammonium nitrate. Data were analyzed by regression to determine the effects of cow size and SR on calf performance, cow BW change, calf gain, weaning weight per hectare, hay feeding requirements, and net returns. As SR increased, cow BW and BCS at weaning decreased ( < 0.01) by 26 kg and 0.36 condition scores, respectively, for each additional cow stocked per hectare ( = 0.44). Calf BW at weaning in October increased ( < 0.01) 19 kg for each 100-kg increase in cow BW but was not affected ( = 0.66) by SR. As cow BW increased, calf BW at weaning per 100 kg cow BW decreased ( < 0.01) 6.7 kg for each 100-kg increase in cow BW but was not affected ( = 0.44) by SR. Neither cow BW nor SR affected ( ≥ 0.53) pregnancy percentage, which averaged 88% over the 4-yr experiment. Calf BW weaned per hectare was not affected ( = 0.75) by cow BW but linearly increased ( < 0.01) by 217 kg for each additional cow per hectare SR. Hay feeding days and cost of hay per cow increased ( ≤ 0.05) and kilograms of hay offered per cow tended ( = 0.09) to linearly increase with increasing SR, yet cow BW had no effects ( > 0.22). Although there were no effects ( ≥ 0.38) of cow BW on carrying cost or net returns, increasing SR decreased ( < 0.01) total expenses by US$102/cow and increased net returns by $70/cow and $438/ha for each cow per hectare increase in SR. These data indicate that increasing cow size can increase weaning BW of calves but does not affect total production per hectare or profitability, even though weaning weight efficiency ratios were reduced. Increasing SR reduced cow BW and BCS at weaning and increased feeding of conserved forages but did not affect pregnancy rates and led to increases in total calf BW weaned per hectare and net returns.

Invited review: improving feed efficiency in dairy production: challenges and possibilities.

PubMed

Connor, E E

2015-03-01

Despite substantial advances in milk production efficiency of dairy cattle over the last 50 years, rising feed costs remain a significant threat to producer profitability. There also is a greater emphasis being placed on reducing the negative impacts of dairy production on the environment; thus means to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and nutrient losses to the environment associated with cattle production are being sought. Improving feed efficiency among dairy cattle herds offers an opportunity to address both of these issues for the dairy industry. However, the best means to assess feed efficiency and make genetic progress in efficiency-related traits among lactating cows without negatively impacting other economically important traits is not entirely obvious. In this review, multiple measurements of feed efficiency for lactating cows are described, as well as the heritability of the traits and their genetic and phenotypic correlations with other production traits. The measure of feed efficiency, residual feed intake is discussed in detail in terms of the benefits for its selection, how it could be assessed in large commercial populations, as well as biological mechanisms contributing to its variation among cows, as it has become a commonly used method to estimate efficiency in the recent scientific literature.

Cerebrospinal fluid prohormone processing and neuropeptides stimulating feed intake of dairy cows during early lactation.

PubMed

Kuhla, Björn; Laeger, Thomas; Husi, Holger; Mullen, William

2015-02-06

After parturition, feed intake of dairy cows increases within the first weeks of lactation, but the molecular mechanisms stimulating or delaying the slope of increase are poorly understood. Some of the molecules controlling feed intake are neuropeptides that are synthesized as propeptides and subsequently processed before they bind to specific receptors in feeding centers of the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid surrounds most of the feed intake regulatory centers and contains numerous neuropeptides. In the present study, we used a proteomic approach to analyze the neuropeptide concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid taken from dairy cows between day -18 and -10, and between day +10 and +20 relative to parturition. We found 13 proteins which were only present in samples taken before parturition, 13 proteins which were only present in samples taken after parturition, and 25 proteins which were commonly present, before and after parturition. Among them, differences in pro-neuropeptide Y, proenkephalin-A, neuroendocrine convertase-2, neurosecretory protein VGF, chromogranin-A, and secretogranin-1 and -3 concentrations relative to parturition highlight propeptides and prohormone processings involved in the control of feed intake and energy homeostasis. Scaffold analysis further emphasized an increased tone of endogenous opioids associated with the postparturient increase of feed intake.

Maintenance energy requirements of beef cows and relationship with cow and calf performance, metabolic hormones, and functional proteins.

PubMed

Cooper-Prado, M J; Long, N M; Davis, M P; Wright, E C; Madden, R D; Dilwith, J W; Bailey, C L; Spicer, L J; Wettemann, R P

2014-08-01

Gestating Angus, nonlactating, spring-calving cows were used to determine variation in maintenance energy requirements (MR); to evaluate the relationship among MR and cow and calf performance, plasma concentrations of IGF-I, T4, glucose, insulin, and ruminal temperature; and to describe the LM proteome and evaluate protein abundance in cows with different MR. Cows (4 to 7 yr of age) with a BCS of 5.0 ± 0.2 and BW of 582 ± 37 kg in the second to third trimester of gestation were studied in 3 trials (trial 1, n = 23; trial 2, n = 32; trial 3, n = 38). Cows were individually fed a complete diet in amounts to meet predicted MR (Level 1 Model of NRC), and feed intake was adjusted weekly until constant BW was achieved for at least 21 d (maintenance). Cows were classified on the basis of MR as low (>0.5 SD less than mean, LMR), moderate (±0.5 SD of mean, MMR), or high (>0.5 SD more than mean, HMR) MR. Blood samples were taken at maintenance and at 2 mo postpartum in trial 2. Muscle biopsies were taken from LMR and HMR after cows consumed actual MR for 28 d (trial 2) or 21 d (trial 3). Proteins from LM were separated by 2-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis and were identified, and abundance was quantified and compared. The greatest differences in MR between cows were 29%, 24%, and 25% in trials 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Daily MR (NEm, kcal·BW(-0.75)·d(-1)) averaged 89.2 ± 6.3, 93.0 ± 4.9, and 90.4 ± 4.6 in trials 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Postpartum BW and BCS, calf birth and weaning weights, postpartum luteal activity, and ruminal temperature were not influenced by MR of the cows. Concentrations of IGF-I were greater (P = 0.001) in plasma of MMR compared with LMR cows consuming predicted MR diets, and MR was negatively correlated with concentrations of IGF-I in plasma (r = -0.38; P = 0.05) at 2 mo postpartum. A total of 103 proteins were isolated from LM; 52 gene products were identified. Abundance of specific proteins in the LM was not influenced (P > 0.11) by MR. Variation in MR of cows will make it possible to improve feed efficiency by selection. Identification of biomarkers for MR will allow selection of more efficient cows, which consume less feed and produce calves with similar weaning weights. Productive cows that require less feed for maintenance will improve efficiency of production and enhance sustainability of the environment.

Modelling impacts of performance on the probability of reproducing, and thereby on productive lifespan, allow prediction of lifetime efficiency in dairy cows.

PubMed

Phuong, H N; Blavy, P; Martin, O; Schmidely, P; Friggens, N C

2016-01-01

Reproductive success is a key component of lifetime efficiency - which is the ratio of energy in milk (MJ) to energy intake (MJ) over the lifespan, of cows. At the animal level, breeding and feeding management can substantially impact milk yield, body condition and energy balance of cows, which are known as major contributors to reproductive failure in dairy cattle. This study extended an existing lifetime performance model to incorporate the impacts that performance changes due to changing breeding and feeding strategies have on the probability of reproducing and thereby on the productive lifespan, and thus allow the prediction of a cow's lifetime efficiency. The model is dynamic and stochastic, with an individual cow being the unit modelled and one day being the unit of time. To evaluate the model, data from a French study including Holstein and Normande cows fed high-concentrate diets and data from a Scottish study including Holstein cows selected for high and average genetic merit for fat plus protein that were fed high- v. low-concentrate diets were used. Generally, the model consistently simulated productive and reproductive performance of various genotypes of cows across feeding systems. In the French data, the model adequately simulated the reproductive performance of Holsteins but significantly under-predicted that of Normande cows. In the Scottish data, conception to first service was comparably simulated, whereas interval traits were slightly under-predicted. Selection for greater milk production impaired the reproductive performance and lifespan but not lifetime efficiency. The definition of lifetime efficiency used in this model did not include associated costs or herd-level effects. Further works should include such economic indicators to allow more accurate simulation of lifetime profitability in different production scenarios.

Effects of Prepartum Dietary Energy Level and Nicotinic Acid Supplementation on Immunological, Hematological and Biochemical Parameters of Periparturient Dairy Cows Differing in Parity

PubMed Central

Tienken, Reka; Kersten, Susanne; Frahm, Jana; Hüther, Liane; Meyer, Ulrich; Huber, Korinna; Rehage, Jürgen; Dänicke, Sven

2015-01-01

Simple Summary Several biological changes occur during the transition from late pregnancy to early lactation which is associated with a high susceptibility of health disorders. Nicotinic acid, as feed additive, is suggested to balance catabolic metabolism of periparturient dairy cows by attenuating lipolysis and impact production performance. This study provides information of the biological changes occurring around parturition with special emphasis on differences between primiparous and multiparous cows. Present results showed that energy-dense feeding prepartum did not result in metabolic imbalances postpartum in dairy cows which were similar in body condition score. Nicotinic acid supplementation did not reveal any effect. Abstract The periparturient period is critical according to health, productivity and profitability. As this period is fundamental for the success of the lactation period, the interest in improving periparturient health by dietary supplements increased in recent years. The present study investigated the effects of feeding nicotinic acid (NA) combined with varying dietary energy densities on immunological, hematological and biochemical parameters of periparturient cows differing in parity. Thirty-six multiparous and 20 primiparous dairy cows were enrolled in the study 42 days before expected parturition date until 100 days postpartum with the half of the cows being supplemented with 24 g of NA/d. After parturition a diet with 30% concentrate was fed to all cows which was followed by different concentrate escalation strategies. Dietary NA supplementation was ceased on day 24 postpartum. Dietary NA increased (P = 0.010) serum nicotinamide concentrations (mean of 3.35 ± 1.65 µg/mL), whereas NA could not be detected. Present data emphasize that periparturient cows are faced with major physiological challenges and that both parity-groups have different prerequisites to adapt to those changes irrespective of NA supplementation. The overfeeding of energy to cows which were similar in body condition score had only minor effects on periparturient immune system function and the metabolism of those cows. PMID:26479393

Ruminal Bacterial Community Composition in Dairy Cows Is Dynamic over the Course of Two Lactations and Correlates with Feed Efficiency

PubMed Central

Jewell, Kelsea A.; McCormick, Caroline A.; Odt, Christine L.; Weimer, Paul J.

2015-01-01

Fourteen Holstein cows of similar ages were monitored through their first two lactation cycles, during which ruminal solids and liquids, milk samples, production data, and feed consumption data were collected for each cow during early (76 to 82 days in milk [DIM]), middle (151 to 157 DIM), and late (251 to 257 DIM) lactation periods. The bacterial community of each ruminal sample was determined by sequencing the region from V6 to V8 of the 16S rRNA gene using 454 pyrosequencing. Gross feed efficiency (GFE) for each cow was calculated by dividing her energy-corrected milk by dry matter intake (ECM/DMI) for each period of both lactation cycles. Four pairs of cows were identified that differed in milk production efficiency, as defined by residual feed intake (RFI), at the same level of ECM production. The most abundant phyla detected for all cows were Bacteroidetes (49.42%), Firmicutes (39.32%), Proteobacteria (5.67%), and Tenericutes (2.17%), and the most abundant genera included Prevotella (40.15%), Butyrivibrio (2.38%), Ruminococcus (2.35%), Coprococcus (2.29%), and Succiniclasticum (2.28%). The bacterial microbiota between the first and second lactation cycles were highly similar, but with a significant correlation between total community composition by ruminal phase and specific bacteria whose relative sequence abundances displayed significant positive or negative correlation with GFE or RFI. These data suggest that the ruminal bacterial community is dynamic in terms of membership and diversity and that specific members are associated with high and low milk production efficiency over two lactation cycles. PMID:25934629

Continuous measurement of reticuloruminal pH values in dairy cows during the transition period from barn to pasture feeding using an indwelling wireless data transmitting unit.

PubMed

Gasteiner, J; Horn, M; Steinwidder, A

2015-04-01

This study was performed to investigate the effect of the transition from barn feeding to pasture on the pattern of reticuloruminal pH values in 8 multiparous dairy cows. A indwelling wireless data transmitting system for pH measurement was given to 8 multiparous cows orally. Reticuloruminal pH values were measured every 600 s over a period of 42 days. After 7 days of barn feeding (period 1), all of the animals were pastured with increasing grazing times from 2 to 7 h/day over 7 days (period 2). From day 15 to day 21 (period 3), the cows spent 7 h/day on pasture. Beginning on day 22, the animals had 20 h/day access to pasture (day and night grazing). To study reticuloruminal adaptation to pasture feeding, the phase of day and night grazing was subdivided into another 3 weekly periods (periods 4-6). Despite a mild transition period from barn feeding to pasture, significant effects on reticuloruminal pH values were observed. During barn feeding, the mean reticuloruminal pH value for all of the cows was 6.44 ± 0.14, and the pH values decreased significantly (p < 0.001) during period 2 and 3 to 6.24 ± 0.17 and 6.21 ± 0.19 respectively. During periods 4, 5 and 6, the reticuloruminal pH values increased again (pH 6.25 ± 0.22; pH 6.31 ± 0.17; pH 6.37 ± 0.16). Our results showed that the animals had significantly lowered reticuloruminal pH during the periods of feed transition from barn to pasture feeding. Despite these significant changes, the decrease was not harmful, as indicated by data of feed intake and milk production. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Variability, stability, and resilience of fecal microbiota in dairy cows fed whole crop corn silage.

PubMed

Tang, Minh Thuy; Han, Hongyan; Yu, Zhu; Tsuruta, Takeshi; Nishino, Naoki

2017-08-01

The microbiota of whole crop corn silage and feces of silage-fed dairy cows were examined. A total of 18 dairy cow feces were collected from six farms in Japan and China, and high-throughput Illumina sequencing of the V4 hypervariable region of 16S rRNA genes was performed. Lactobacillaceae were dominant in all silages, followed by Acetobacteraceae, Bacillaceae, and Enterobacteriaceae. In feces, the predominant families were Ruminococcaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Clostridiaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Rikenellaceae, and Paraprevotellaceae. Therefore, Lactobacillaceae of corn silage appeared to be eliminated in the gastrointestinal tract. Although fecal microbiota composition was similar in most samples, relative abundances of several families, such as Ruminococcaceae, Christensenellaceae, Turicibacteraceae, and Succinivibrionaceae, varied between farms and countries. In addition to the geographical location, differences in feeding management between total mixed ration feeding and separate feeding appeared to be involved in the variations. Moreover, a cow-to-cow variation for concentrate-associated families was demonstrated at the same farm; two cows showed high abundance of Succinivibrionaceae and Prevotellaceae, whereas another had a high abundance of Porphyromonadaceae. There was a negative correlation between forage-associated Ruminococcaceae and concentrate-associated Succinivibrionaceae and Prevotellaceae in 18 feces samples. Succinivibrionaceae, Prevotellaceae, p-2534-18B5, and Spirochaetaceae were regarded as highly variable taxa in this study. These findings help to improve our understanding of variation and similarity of the fecal microbiota of dairy cows with regard to individuals, farms, and countries. Microbiota of naturally fermented corn silage had no influence on the fecal microbiota of dairy cows.

Transformation of nitrogen contained in alfalfa silage, corn silage, corn grain and soybean meal into milk, manure and recycled back to corn

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To better understand the transformative nature of feed nitrogen (N) on confinement dairy farms (cows fed stored feed in barns), a series of cow, laboratory, and field experiments was undertaken to quantify the relative amounts of N contained in individual ration components that are secreted in milk,...

First parity evaluation of peak milk yield for range cows developed in the same ecophysiological system but receiving different concentrations of harvested feed inputs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Can range livestock producers reduce harvested feed inputs, during heifer development, and maintain production goals? To address this, we conducted a two year study measuring milk production (kg/d) and milk constituent concentrations (g/d) for 16 primiparous beef cows each year that were born from d...

First parity evaluation of peak milk yield for range cows developed in the same ecophysiological system but receiving different concentrations of harvested feed inputs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Reduction of harvested feed inputs during heifer development could optimize range livestock production and improve economic feasibility. The objective for this two year study was to measure milk production (kg/d) and milk constituent concentrations (g/d) for 16 primiparous beef cows each year that w...

Relationships among performance, residual feed intake, and temperament assessed in growing beef heifers and subsequently as 3-year-old, lactating beef cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Seventy-four beef heifers were used to evaluate the relationships among performance, residual feed intake (RFI), and temperament measured as growing heifers (Phase 1) and subsequently as 3-year-old lactating beef cows (Phase 2) in the same cohort. In both phases, females were housed in a covered fac...

Effect of corn silage hybrids differing in starch and neutral detergent fiber digestibility on lactation performance and total-tract nutrient digestibility by dairy cows.

PubMed

Ferraretto, L F; Fonseca, A C; Sniffen, C J; Formigoni, A; Shaver, R D

2015-01-01

Selection for hybrids with greater starch and NDF digestibility may be beneficial for dairy producers. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of feeding a TMR containing a floury-leafy corn silage hybrid (LFY) compared with a brown midrib corn silage hybrid (BMR) for intake, lactation performance, and total-tract nutrient digestibility in dairy cows. Ninety-six multiparous Holstein cows, 105±31d in milk at trial initiation, were stratified by DIM and randomly assigned to 12 pens of 8 cows each. Pens were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments, BMR or LFY, in a completely randomized design; a 2-wk covariate period with cows fed a common diet followed by a 14-wk treatment period with cows fed their assigned treatment diet. Starch digestibilities, in situ, in vitro, and in vivo, were greater for LFY compared with BMR; the opposite was observed for NDF digestibility. Cows fed BMR consumed 1.7kg/d more dry matter than LFY. Although, actual-, energy-, and solids-corrected milk yields were greater for BMR than LFY, feed conversions (kg of milk or component-corrected milk per kg of DMI) did not differ. Fat-corrected milk and milk fat yield were similar, as milk fat content was greater for cows fed LFY (4.05%) than BMR (3.83%). Cows fed BMR had lower milk urea nitrogen concentration, but greater milk protein and lactose yields compared with LFY. Body weight change and condition score were unaffected by treatment. Total-tract starch digestibility was greater for cows fed the LFY corn silage; however, dry matter intake and milk and protein yields were greater for cows fed the BMR corn silage. Although total-tract starch digestibility was greater for cows fed the LFY corn silage, feed efficiency was not affected by hybrid type due to greater dry matter intake and milk and protein yields by cows fed the BMR corn silage. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identification of biological traits associated with differences in residual energy intake among lactating Holstein cows.

PubMed

Fischer, A; Delagarde, R; Faverdin, P

2018-05-01

Residual feed intake, which is usually used to estimate individual variation of feed efficiency, requires frequent and accurate measurements of individual feed intake to be carried out. Developing a breeding scheme based on residual feed intake in dairy cows is therefore complicated, especially because feed intake is not measurable for a large population. Another solution could be to focus on biological determinants of feed efficiency, which could potentially be directly and broadband measurable on farm. Several phenotypes have been identified in literature as being associated with differences in feed efficiency. The present study therefore aims to identify which biological mechanisms are associated with residual energy intake (REI) differences among dairy cows. Several candidate phenotypes were recorded frequently and simultaneously throughout the first 238 d in milk for 60 Holstein cows fed on a constant diet based on maize silage. A multiple linear regression of the 238 d in milk average of net energy intake was fitted on the 238 d in milk averages for milk energy output, metabolic body weight, the sum over the 238 d in milk of both, body condition score loss and gain, and the residuals were defined as REI. A partial least square regression was fitted over all biological traits to explain REI variability. Linear multiple regression explained 93.6% of net energy intake phenotypic variation, with 65.5% associated with lactation requirement, 23.2% with maintenance, and 4.9% with body reserves change; the 6.4% residuals represented REI. Overall, measured biological traits contributed to 58.9% of REI phenotypic variability, which were mainly explained by activity (26.5%) and feeding behavior (21.3%). However, apparent confounding was observed between behavior, activity, digestibility, and rumen-temperature variables. Drawing a conclusion on biological traits that explain feed efficiency differences among dairy cows was not possible due to this apparent confounding between the measured variables. Further investigation is needed to validate these results and to characterize the causal relationship of feed efficiency with feeding behavior, digestibility, body reserves change, activity, and rumen temperature. The Authors. Published by FASS Inc. and Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).

Comparison of the impact of six heat-load management strategies on thermal responses and milk production of feed-pad and pasture fed dairy cows in a subtropical environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davison, T. M.; Jonsson, N. N.; Mayer, D. G.; Gaughan, J. B.; Ehrlich, W. K.; McGowan, M. R.

2016-12-01

Exposure to hot environments affects milk yield (MY) and milk composition of pasture and feed-pad fed dairy cows in subtropical regions. This study was undertaken during summer to compare MY and physiology of cows exposed to six heat-load management treatments. Seventy-eight Holstein-Friesian cows were blocked by season of calving, parity, milk yield, BW, and milk protein (%) and milk fat (%) measured in 2 weeks prior to the start of the study. Within blocks, cows were randomly allocated to one of the following treatments: open-sided iron roofed day pen adjacent to dairy (CID) + sprinklers (SP); CID only; non-shaded pen adjacent to dairy + SP (NSD + SP); open-sided shade cloth roofed day pen adjacent to dairy (SCD); NSD + sprinkler (sprinkler on for 45 min at 1100 h if mean respiration rate >80 breaths per minute (NSD + WSP) ); open-sided shade cloth roofed structure over feed bunk in paddock + 1 km walk to and from the dairy (SCP + WLK). Sprinklers for CID + SP and NSD + SP cycled 2 min on, 12 min off when ambient temperature >26°C. The highest milk yields were in the CID + SP and CID treatments (23.9 L cow-1 day-1), intermediate for NSD + SP, SCD and SCP + WLK (22.4 L cow-1 day-1), and lowest for NSD + WSP (21.3 L cow-1 day-1) ( P < 0.05). The highest ( P < 0.05) feed intakes occurred in the CID + SP and CID treatments while intake was lowest ( P < 0.05) for NSD + WSP and SCP + WLK. Weather data were collected on site at 10-min intervals, and from these, THI was calculated. Nonlinear regression modelling of MY × THI and heat-load management treatment demonstrated that cows in CID + SP showed no decline in MY out to a THI break point value of 83.2, whereas the pooled MY of the other treatments declined when THI >80.7. A combination of iron roof shade plus water sprinkling throughout the day provided the most effective control of heat load.

The impact of controlled nutrition during the dry period on dairy cow health, fertility and performance.

PubMed

Beever, David E

2006-12-01

Average dairy herd fertility is declining, with more serves per successful conception, extended calving intervals and increased culling due to failure to rebreed, all adding significant costs to milk production. Genetics, management and nutrition have all contributed to this decline in fertility; the paper focuses primarily on nutritional issues. The extent of body condition loss after calving and its possible impact on fertility is considered, with evidence that this phenomenon is common in many herds irrespective of average milk yields. Body tissue mobilisation after calving increases the flux of non-esterified fatty acids to the liver and pathways of fatty acid metabolism are considered. Particular attention is given to the effects of high plasma non-esterified fatty acid levels on fat accumulation in liver cells and possible impacts on nitrogen and glucose metabolism. Current nutritional practices with early lactation cows which aim to stimulate milk yield and peak milk production but have been shown to exacerbate body condition loss, are reviewed. The paper also considers cow health issues during the peri-parturient period and how these may affect milk yield and fertility. It is concluded that current feeding practices for dry cows, with the provision of increasing amounts of the lactation ration during the Close-up period to accustom the rumen microbes and offset the expected reduction in feed intake as pregnancy reaches term, have largely failed to overcome peri-parturient health problems, excessive body condition loss after calving or declining fertility. From an examination of the energy and protein requirements of dry cows, it is suggested that current Close-up feeding practices can lead to luxury intakes of nutrients that can increase fat deposition in the viscera and the liver. Under such conditions, metabolism of nutrients by the cow may be compromised. In contrast, limited feeding throughout the whole dry period has been shown to prevent many of the problems which can affect peri-parturient cows. A new feeding strategy based on a low energy: high fibre ration (9 MJ metabolisable energy and 130 g crude protein/kg ration dry matter) containing high levels of chopped straw and offered ad libitum as a total mixed ration throughout the whole dry period is proposed. The performance of 32 dairy farms in France where this strategy has been adopted for at least 3 years is provided, with positive outcomes now being obtained by UK and Irish dairy farmers. Independent US research evidence has confirmed some of these benefits whilst limited data on cow fertility is presented. It is hypothesised that luxury feeding during the dry period can cause cows to become insulin resistant leading to an increased risk of type II diabetes. Such cows are likely to have poorer fertility whilst possible mechanisms which increase the risk of peri-parturient health problems are discussed. Further research to understand the mechanisms of these effects is required and is currently ongoing. However the magnitude of the effects noted on an increasing number of dairy farms suggests this approach to feeding the dry cow is capable of bringing real benefits to many dairy herds in terms of fewer health problems, reduced body condition loss and improved fertility.

Effects of feeding rumen-degradable valine on milk production in late-lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Hultquist, Kayla M; Casper, David P

2016-02-01

The study objective was to determine if feeding the rumen-degradable AA Val can increase milk production comparable to recombinant bovine somatotropin (bST). Eight multiparous late-lactating (255±26.4 d in milk) Holstein dairy cows were blocked by milk yield (34.1±8.25 kg/d) and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments in a replicated 4×4 Latin square design with 21-d periods (7 d for dietary adaptation and 14 d for data collection). Treatments were control (CON), a single injection of recombinant bST (rbST), and Val fed at 40 (V40) and 80 g/d (V80). Cows were fed a total mixed ration with a distillers dried grains carrier at 113.4 g/d containing none or added AA. Dry matter intake (21.3, 22.0, 22.8, and 21.5 kg/d for CON, rbST, V40, and V80, respectively) was similar among treatments, except cows receiving V40 had greater dry matter intake than cows receiving V80. Milk yield (22.0, 26.1, 25.2, and 24.9 kg/d), 3.5% fat-corrected milk (22.1, 25.4, 24.4, and 24.3 kg/d), and energy-corrected milk (22.7, 26.1, 25.1, and 24.9 kg/d) were increased at similar amounts for cows receiving rbST, V40, and V80 compared with CON cows. Milk fat percentages (3.51, 3.36, 3.32, and 3.38%) were greatest for CON cows compared with cows receiving V40, whereas cows receiving other treatments were intermediate and similar. Milk protein percentages (3.20, 3.12, 3.15, and 3.13%) were greater for CON cows compared with cows receiving rbST and V40, whereas cows receiving V80 were intermediate and similar. Ruminal isobutyrate (1.19, 1.24, 1.44, and 1.74 mol/100 mol) concentrations were increased for cows receiving V40 and V80 compared with CON and rbST cows, with cows receiving V80 having greater concentrations than cows receiving V40. Plasma growth hormone concentrations (1.78, 1.99, 1.55, and 1.45 ng/mL) were greater for cows receiving rbST compared with cows receiving V40 and V80, whereas CON cows were intermediate and similar. Plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations (60.4, 106.1, 65.9, and 58.3 ng/mL) were greater for cows receiving rbST compared with cows receiving other treatments. This study suggests that feeding rumen degradable Val can increase milk yield comparable to recombinant bST. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

e-Cow: an animal model that predicts herbage intake, milk yield and live weight change in dairy cows grazing temperate pastures, with and without supplementary feeding.

PubMed

Baudracco, J; Lopez-Villalobos, N; Holmes, C W; Comeron, E A; Macdonald, K A; Barry, T N; Friggens, N C

2012-06-01

This animal simulation model, named e-Cow, represents a single dairy cow at grazing. The model integrates algorithms from three previously published models: a model that predicts herbage dry matter (DM) intake by grazing dairy cows, a mammary gland model that predicts potential milk yield and a body lipid model that predicts genetically driven live weight (LW) and body condition score (BCS). Both nutritional and genetic drives are accounted for in the prediction of energy intake and its partitioning. The main inputs are herbage allowance (HA; kg DM offered/cow per day), metabolisable energy and NDF concentrations in herbage and supplements, supplements offered (kg DM/cow per day), type of pasture (ryegrass or lucerne), days in milk, days pregnant, lactation number, BCS and LW at calving, breed or strain of cow and genetic merit, that is, potential yields of milk, fat and protein. Separate equations are used to predict herbage intake, depending on the cutting heights at which HA is expressed. The e-Cow model is written in Visual Basic programming language within Microsoft Excel®. The model predicts whole-lactation performance of dairy cows on a daily basis, and the main outputs are the daily and annual DM intake, milk yield and changes in BCS and LW. In the e-Cow model, neither herbage DM intake nor milk yield or LW change are needed as inputs; instead, they are predicted by the e-Cow model. The e-Cow model was validated against experimental data for Holstein-Friesian cows with both North American (NA) and New Zealand (NZ) genetics grazing ryegrass-based pastures, with or without supplementary feeding and for three complete lactations, divided into weekly periods. The model was able to predict animal performance with satisfactory accuracy, with concordance correlation coefficients of 0.81, 0.76 and 0.62 for herbage DM intake, milk yield and LW change, respectively. Simulations performed with the model showed that it is sensitive to genotype by feeding environment interactions. The e-Cow model tended to overestimate the milk yield of NA genotype cows at low milk yields, while it underestimated the milk yield of NZ genotype cows at high milk yields. The approach used to define the potential milk yield of the cow and equations used to predict herbage DM intake make the model applicable for predictions in countries with temperate pastures.

Effects of milk yield on biological efficiency and profit of beef production from birth to slaughter.

PubMed

Miller, S P; Wilton, J W; Pfeiffer, W C

1999-02-01

Effect of milk yield (MY) on biological efficiency and gross margin as an indicator of profit potential of beef production from birth to slaughter was determined. Data included 9 yr of spring-born single male calves. Biological efficiency was calculated as carcass weight/total feed energy intake, including nonlactating and lactating intakes of cow and creep and feedlot intakes of calf. Slaughter end point was finish constant at 9 mm of fat thickness. Gross margin was determined as returns minus feed costs. Three breeding systems were analyzed: purebred Hereford (HE), large rotational (LR), and small rotational (SR). Analyses were performed separately by breeding system when differences in the effect of MY among breeding systems were significant. Increased MY was associated with increased preweaning gain (P < .001), increased weight at start of feedlot trial (P < .001), and increased hot carcass weight (P < .05). No significant (P > .10) effect of MY on age at slaughter or on carcass weight per day of age at slaughter was found. Increased MY was associated with increased cow lactating energy intake (P < .10) and negatively associated with calf creep intake (P < .01). No effects of MY on intake of the cow during the nonlactating period, calf feedlot intake, or total feed intake were found. Increased MY was associated with a reduction in backfat thickness of the cow during the lactating period (P < .01) with no change in body weight. In the subsequent nonlactating period, increasing MY was associated with increased backfat thickness (P < .10) and body weight (P < .05). No effect of MY on change in backfat or weight of cow from calving to the end of the next nonlactating period was found. No effect of MY on biological efficiency to slaughter was detected. Milk yield was positively associated with gross margin from birth to slaughter (P < .05); results were similar when cow feed prices were reduced by 30%. Increased MY was associated with increased biological efficiency to weaning in HE (P < .01) and SR (P < .10), with no effect found in LR. When feeding cows to requirements, milk yield has a positive effect on the profit potential of beef production from birth to slaughter.

Effect of wheat hay particle size and replacement of wheat hay with wheat silage on rumen pH, rumination and digestibility in ruminally cannulated non-lactating cows.

PubMed

Shaani, Y; Nikbachat, M; Yosef, E; Ben-Meir, Y; Friedman, N; Miron, J; Mizrahi, I

2017-03-01

This study examined the effects on intake, diurnal rumen pH changes, rumination and digestibility of feeding ruminally cannulated non-lactating cows in a Latin square design (four cows×four periods) with four total mixed rations (TMRs) typical for lactating cows. TMRs were based on: long wheat hay or short wheat hay, wheat silage or wheat silage+1.5% NaHCO3 buffer, as the sole roughage source (30% of TMR dry matter (DM)). The level of physically effective NDF remaining above the 8 mm screen (peNDF) was similar in the long hay and silage-based TMRs (9.45% to 9.64% of DM) and lower in the short hay TMR (7.47% of DM). The four TMRs were offered individually at 95% of ad libitum intake to avoid orts within 24 h. Cows fed long hay consumed less DM than the short hay and silage groups (9.6 v. 10.5 and 10.8 kg/day, respectively) and sorted against large hay particles at 12 h post-feeding. Under the limitations of this study (non-lactating cows fed at restricted intake) short hay TMR prevented sorting within 12 h post-feeding, encouraged rumination per kg peNDF ingested, and had higher average rumen pH (6.24), whereas preventing sub acute ruminal acidosis (SARA, defined as pH<5.8 for at least 5 h/day). In contrast, the long hay and silage-based groups were under SARA. In vitro methane production of rumen fluid was higher in the hay-fed cows than in their silage-fed counterparts, and in all treatments lower at 1 h pre-feeding than at 6 h post-feeding. In vivo DM and NDF digestibility were similar for the short hay and silage TMRs, and higher than those of the long hay TMR. Under the conditions of this study, addition of 1.5% buffer to the wheat silage TMR had no effect on intake, rumen pH, creation of SARA and digestibility.

Metabolic Heat Stress Adaption in Transition Cows: Differences in Macronutrient Oxidation between Late-Gestating and Early-Lactating German Holstein Dairy Cows

PubMed Central

Derno, Michael; Otten, Winfried; Mielenz, Manfred; Nürnberg, Gerd

2015-01-01

High ambient temperatures have severe adverse effects on biological functions of high-yielding dairy cows. The metabolic adaption to heat stress was examined in 14 German Holsteins transition cows assigned to two groups, one heat-stressed (HS) and one pair-fed (PF) at the level of HS. After 6 days of thermoneutrality and ad libitum feeding (P1), cows were challenged for 6 days (P2) by heat stress (temperature humidity index (THI) = 76) or thermoneutral pair-feeding in climatic chambers 3 weeks ante partum and again 3 weeks post-partum. On the sixth day of each period P1 or P2, oxidative metabolism was analyzed for 24 hours in open circuit respiration chambers. Water and feed intake, vital parameters and milk yield were recorded. Daily blood samples were analyzed for glucose, β-hydroxybutyric acid, non-esterified fatty acids, urea, creatinine, methyl histidine, adrenaline and noradrenaline. In general, heat stress caused marked effects on water homeorhesis with impairments of renal function and a strong adrenergic response accompanied with a prevalence of carbohydrate oxidation over fat catabolism. Heat-stressed cows extensively degraded tissue protein as reflected by the increase of plasma urea, creatinine and methyl histidine concentrations. However, the acute metabolic heat stress response in dry cows differed from early-lactating cows as the prepartal adipose tissue was not refractory to lipolytic, adrenergic stimuli, and the rate of amino acid oxidation was lower than in the postpartal stage. Together with the lower endogenous metabolic heat load, metabolic adaption in dry cows is indicative for a higher heat tolerance and the prioritization of the nutritional requirements of the fast-growing near-term fetus. These findings indicate that the development of future nutritional strategies for attenuating impairments of health and performance due to ambient heat requires the consideration of the physiological stage of dairy cows. PMID:25938406

Metabolic Heat Stress Adaption in Transition Cows: Differences in Macronutrient Oxidation between Late-Gestating and Early-Lactating German Holstein Dairy Cows.

PubMed

Lamp, Ole; Derno, Michael; Otten, Winfried; Mielenz, Manfred; Nürnberg, Gerd; Kuhla, Björn

2015-01-01

High ambient temperatures have severe adverse effects on biological functions of high-yielding dairy cows. The metabolic adaption to heat stress was examined in 14 German Holsteins transition cows assigned to two groups, one heat-stressed (HS) and one pair-fed (PF) at the level of HS. After 6 days of thermoneutrality and ad libitum feeding (P1), cows were challenged for 6 days (P2) by heat stress (temperature humidity index (THI) = 76) or thermoneutral pair-feeding in climatic chambers 3 weeks ante partum and again 3 weeks post-partum. On the sixth day of each period P1 or P2, oxidative metabolism was analyzed for 24 hours in open circuit respiration chambers. Water and feed intake, vital parameters and milk yield were recorded. Daily blood samples were analyzed for glucose, β-hydroxybutyric acid, non-esterified fatty acids, urea, creatinine, methyl histidine, adrenaline and noradrenaline. In general, heat stress caused marked effects on water homeorhesis with impairments of renal function and a strong adrenergic response accompanied with a prevalence of carbohydrate oxidation over fat catabolism. Heat-stressed cows extensively degraded tissue protein as reflected by the increase of plasma urea, creatinine and methyl histidine concentrations. However, the acute metabolic heat stress response in dry cows differed from early-lactating cows as the prepartal adipose tissue was not refractory to lipolytic, adrenergic stimuli, and the rate of amino acid oxidation was lower than in the postpartal stage. Together with the lower endogenous metabolic heat load, metabolic adaption in dry cows is indicative for a higher heat tolerance and the prioritization of the nutritional requirements of the fast-growing near-term fetus. These findings indicate that the development of future nutritional strategies for attenuating impairments of health and performance due to ambient heat requires the consideration of the physiological stage of dairy cows.

Feed intake and production efficiency of beef cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to determine the relationships between DMI and growth as heifers and cows and calves weaned, weight of calf weaned, and milk production. Cows born in 1999-2001and sired by industry AI bulls (Angus, Hereford, Simmental, Limousin, Charolais, Gelbvieh, and Red Angus) an...

Lipid metabolism and mitochondrial energy production are key pathways involved in adipose tissue of cows transitioning from feed restriction to ad libitum diets

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Feed costs account for over 70% of the annual expenditures in cow/calf production. The majority of the nutrients are used to support the cow’s maintenance requirements and substrate cycling has been identified as one of the major contributors toward this type of energy expenditure. The objective of ...

Life cycle efficiency of beef production: VIII. Relationship between residual feed intake of heifers and subsequent cow efficiency ratios.

PubMed

Davis, M E; Lancaster, P A; Rutledge, J J; Cundiff, L V

2016-11-01

Data were collected from 1953 through 1980 from identical and fraternal twin beef and dairy females born in 1953, 1954, 1959, 1964, and 1969, and from crossbred females born as singles in 1974, and their progeny. Numbers of dams that weaned at least 1 calf and were included in the first analysis were 37, 45, and 56 in the 1964, 1969, and 1974 data sets, respectively. Respective numbers of dams that weaned 3 calves and were included in a second analysis were 6, 8, 8, 22, 33, and 33 in the 1953, 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, and 1974 experiments. Individual feed consumption was measured at 28-d intervals from the time females were placed on the experiment until 3 calves were weaned or the dams had reached 5 yr of age. Residual feed intake (RFI) and residual gain (RG) of the heifers that subsequently became the dams in this study were determined based on ADG and DMI from 240 d of age to first calving. Various measures of cow efficiency were calculated on either a life cycle or actual lifetime basis using ratios of progeny and dam weight outputs to progeny and dam feed inputs. Residual feed intake was phenotypically independent of ADG and metabolic midweight (MMW), whereas the correlation between RFI and DMI was positive and highly significant ( = 0.67; < 0.0001). Residual gain was highly correlated with ADG ( = 0.75; < 0.0001) and had near 0 correlations with DMI and MMW. Correlations indicated that heifers that ate less and had smaller metabolic midweights from 240 d of age to first calving had superior efficiency ratios as cows. Residual feed intake was not significantly correlated with age at puberty, age at calving, or milk production. Results of this study do not indicate any serious antagonisms of postweaning heifer RFI with subsequent cow and progeny performance traits or with life cycle or actual lifetime cow efficiency. In addition, selection for increased RG would result in earlier ages at calving, but would also tend to result in taller and heavier cows.

Short communication: Effect of a citrus extract in lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Ying, Y; Niu, M; Clarke, A R; Harvatine, K J

2017-07-01

Dry matter intake is a main driver of energy balance in lactating dairy cows, and some plant extracts have been commercially fed to dairy cows to stimulate feed intake. Citrus extracts contain several bioactive components and have been shown to modify metabolism in other animal models. Our hypothesis was that a citrus extract would increase dry matter intake. Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of a citrus extract on intake and milk production in lactating dairy cows. In experiment one, 11 early-lactation dairy cows (experiment 1; 77 ± 15 d in milk, mean ± standard deviation) were used in a switchback design, and in experiment two, 15 mid-lactation Holstein cows (experiment 2; 157 ± 44 d in milk, mean ± standard deviation) were used in a crossover design. In both experiments, treatments were control (no supplement) or a citrus extract (4 g/d in experiment 1 and 4.5 g/d in experiment 2). Treatment periods were 21 and 14 d in experiment 1 and experiment 2, respectively, with the final 7 d used for sample and data collection. No effect was observed for treatment on dry matter intake, feeding behavior, milk yield, milk fat yield, milk protein yield, or milk composition in either experiment. Treatment also had no effect on milk trans fatty acid profile, but the extract increased total 16 carbon fatty acids 0.9 and 0.6 percentage points in experiment 1 and experiment 2, respectively. Plasma nonesterified fatty acids were decreased 6 h after feeding in both experiments (11.1 and 16.0 μEq/L in experiment 1 and experiment 2, respectively). Plasma insulin was increased 1 h before feeding compared with the control in experiment 1 (3.36 vs. 2.13 µIU/mL) and tended to increase 1.79 units 1 h before feeding in experiment 2. The citrus extract had no effect on feed intake or milk production at the dose investigated, but changed plasma insulin and nonesterified fatty acids, indicating some metabolic effects requiring further investigation. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of feeding strategy and age on live animal performance, carcass characteristics, and economics of short-term feeding programs for culled beef cows.

PubMed

Sawyer, J E; Mathis, C P; Davis, B

2004-12-01

To evaluate production and economic effects of feeding management strategy and age on intensively managed culled beef cows, a study was conducted using 125 cows of British breeding blocked by age (Young = 3 and 4 yr olds; LowMid = 5 and 6 yr olds; HighMid = 7 and 8 yr olds; and Aged = 9 yr and older) and assigned to one of three steam-flaked corn based feeding strategies. Treatments were as follows: Conservative (CSV), 30% roughage throughout; Standard (STD), decrease roughage from 30 to 10% over 20 d; and Aggressive (AGR), decrease roughage from 30 to 10% over 10 d. There were four pens per treatment in a randomized complete block design. Cows were fed for a total of 54 d, and BW was measured on d 0, 14, 28, 42, and 54. Half the cows from each pen were randomly selected and slaughtered at a commercial abattoir, and carcass data were collected. Average daily gain, daily DMI, and G:F during each weigh period and across the entire feeding period were calculated. Over the 54-d feeding period, strategies that employed more energy-dense diets numerically increased ADG (1.28, 1.63, and 1.55 +/- 0.14 kg/d for CSV, STD, and AGR; P = 0.26) and decreased DMI (11.91, 10.74, and 10.89 +/- 0.27 kg/d for CSV, STD, and AGR; P = 0.05), such that G:F was lower for CSV than for STD or AGR (0.105, 0.150, and 0.141 +/- 0.010; P = 0.05). Carcass weight was least for the CSV strategy (298 kg) and greatest for STD (328 kg); AGR resulted in intermediate carcass weight (317 +/- 6 kg; P = 0.04). Total cost of gain was over 30% greater for CSV strategy than for STD or AGR strategies (P < 0.01). In many cases, block effects (age) had a greater effect on responses than treatments. Average daily gain, DMI, and G:F decreased linearly with age (P < 0.01). Hot carcass weight, dressing percent, and fat thickness decreased linearly with age (P < 0.03); yield grade decreased and carcass maturity attributes increased linearly with age (P < 0.02). Performance and intake differences resulted in linear increases in total cost of gain (P < 0.01) and breakeven price (P = 0.03) with increasing age. These data indicate advantages to more aggressive feeding management strategies for culled beef cows, although maximal intake may be achieved with higher-roughage diets. Despite management effects, an increase in market price above purchase price may be required for intensive feeding of culled beef cows to be a profitable enterprise.

Yeast culture increased plasma niacin concentration, evaporative heat loss, and feed efficiency of dairy cows in a hot environment.

PubMed

Dias, Julia D L; Silva, Rayana B; Fernandes, Tatiane; Barbosa, Eugenio F; Graças, Larissa E C; Araujo, Rafael C; Pereira, Renata A N; Pereira, Marcos N

2018-04-04

The supplementation of dairy cows with yeast culture may increase diet digestibility, plasma niacin concentration, heat dissipation, and lactation performance. Our objective was to evaluate the response of Holstein cows in late lactation (234 ± 131 d in milk) to dead yeast culture (YC, 15 g/d, Factor SC, GRASP, Saccharomyces cerevisiae) during Brazilian summer (temperature-humidity index >68 for 92.2% of the time). Thirty-two cows were individually fed a standard total mixed ration for 14 d and control (CTL) or YC treatments for 35 d, in a covariate adjusted complete randomized block design. Response was evaluated in wk 5 or as repeated measures over time. Cows were milked 3 times per day and treatments (YC or placebo) were orally dosed to each cow before each milking. Plasma niacin was 1.50 for CTL and 1.66 µg/mL for YC. The YC reduced rectal temperature, respiration rate, and skin temperature, whereas it tended to increase sweating rate. The proportion of cows with rectal temperature ≥39.2°C on CTL and YC was, respectively, 8 and 0% at 0730 h, 52 and 25% at 1500 h, and 35 and 26% at 2200 h. Plasma glucose was increased by YC. The total-tract apparent digestibility of nutrients, plasma urea N concentration, molar proportion of ruminal VFA, and urinary allantoin excretion were not affected by YC. Cows fed YC were less selective against feed particles >19 mm in the morning, in the afternoon were more selective against long feed particles and in favor of particles <8 mm, and refused short particles at night. Milk yield was not different (30.5 kg/d for CTL and 30.2 kg/d for YC). Feeding YC reduced dry matter intake (20.3 vs. 19.4 kg/d) and the digestible organic matter intake (15.6 vs. 13.9 kg/d). The inclusion of YC increased the ratios of milk to dry matter intake (1.50 vs. 1.64) and energy-corrected milk to dry matter intake (1.81 vs. 1.98). The covariate adjusted body weight (648 kg) and body condition score (3.0) did not differ. Milk solids yields and concentrations, linear somatic cell count, and milk urea N were also similar. The supplementation of YC increased plasma niacin concentration, body heat loss, and feed efficiency of late lactation dairy cows by reducing intake at similar milk yield. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Detection of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid DNA Adducts in Livers of Cattle Poisoned with Heliotropium europaeum.

PubMed

Fu, Peter P; Xia, Qingsu; He, Xiaobo; Barel, Shimon; Edery, Nir; Beland, Frederick A; Shimshoni, Jakob A

2017-03-20

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are among the most common poisonous plants affecting livestock, wildlife, and humans. Exposure of humans and livestock to toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids through the intake of contaminated food and feed may result in poisoning, leading to devastating epidemics. During February 2014, 73 mixed breed female beef cows from the Galilee region of Israel were accidently fed pyrrolizidine alkaloid contaminated hay for 42 days, resulting in the sudden death of 24 cows over a period of 63 days. The remaining cows were slaughtered 2.5 months after the last ingestion of the contaminated hay. In this study, we report the histopathological analysis of the livers from five of the slaughtered cows and quantitation of pyrrolizidine alkaloid-derived DNA adducts from their livers and three livers of control cows fed with feed free of weeds producing pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Histopathological examination revealed that the five cows suffered from varying degrees of bile duct proliferation, fibrosis, and megalocytosis. Selected reaction monitoring HPLC-ES-MS/MS analysis indicated that (±)-6,7-dihydro-7-hydroxy-1-hydroxymethyl-5H-pyrrolizine (DHP)-derived DNA adducts were formed in all five livers. The livers from the three control cows did not have any liver damage nor any indication of DHP-DNA adduct formed. These results confirm that the toxicity observed in these cattle was caused by pyrrolizidine alkaloid poisoning and that pyrrolizidine alkaloid-derived DNA adducts could still be detected and quantified in the livers of the chronically poisoned cows 2.5 months after their last exposure to the contaminated feed, suggesting that DHP-derived DNA adducts can serve as biomarkers for pyrrolizidine alkaloid exposure and poisoning.

Once-daily milking during a feed deficit decreases milk production but improves energy status in early lactating grazing dairy cows.

PubMed

Kay, J K; Phyn, C V C; Rius, A G; Morgan, S R; Grala, T M; Roche, J R

2013-10-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of milking frequency (MF) at 2 feeding levels (FL) on milk production, body condition score, and metabolic indicators of energy status in grazing dairy cows during early lactation. Multiparous Holstein-Friesian and Holstein-Friesian × Jersey cows (n=120) grazed pasture and were milked twice daily (2×) from calving until 34 ± 6 d in milk (mean ± standard deviation). Cows were then allocated to 1 of 4 treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Treatments consisted of 2 FL: adequately fed [AF; 14.3 kg dry matter intake (DMI)/cow per d] or underfed (UF; 8.3 kg of DMI/cow per d) and 2 MF: 2× or once daily (1×). Treatments were imposed for 3 wk. After the treatment period, all cows were offered a generous pasture allowance (grazing residuals >1,600 kg of dry matter/ha) and milked 2×. During the 3-wk treatment period, we observed an interaction between FL and MF for energy-corrected milk (ECM), such that the decrease due to 1× milking was greater in AF than in UF cows (20 and 14% decrease, respectively). No interactions were found posttreatment. Cows previously UF produced 7% less ECM than AF cows during wk 4 to 12; however, no subsequent effect was observed of the previous underfeeding. Cows previously milked 1× produced 5% less ECM during wk 4 to 12, and differences remained during wk 13 to 23. During the 3-wk treatment period, UF cows lost 0.2 body condition score units (1-10 scale) and this was not affected by 1× milking. During the treatment period, UF cows had lower plasma glucose, insulin, and insulin-like growth factor I, and greater nonesterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations than AF cows. Cows milked 1× had greater plasma glucose, insulin, and insulin-like growth factor I, and lower nonesterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations compared with cows milked 2×. In conclusion, energy status was improved by 1× milking; however, when UF cows were milked 1×, milk production was reduced by more than underfeeding alone. The immediate and residual responses to 1× milking need to be considered when using this management strategy during a feed deficit. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of different feeding strategies in intensive dairy farming systems on milk fatty acid profiles, and implications on feeding costs in Italy.

PubMed

Borreani, G; Coppa, M; Revello-Chion, A; Comino, L; Giaccone, D; Ferlay, A; Tabacco, E

2013-01-01

The aim of this work was to characterize the fatty acid (FA) profile of milk from intensive dairy farming systems in the Po Plain (Italy) to estimate the costs of the adopted feeding strategies and to simulate the effect of supplementary premiums on the basis of milk FA composition on milk income. Twenty dairy farms with 5 different feeding strategies were studied: 3 corn silage-based systems in which cows were supplemented with a great proportion (CCH), a medium proportion (CCM), or without commercial concentrate mix (CC0), and 2 systems in which part of corn silage was replaced with grass or legume silage (HF) or with fresh herbage (G), cut and fed indoors. Bulk milk was sampled and lactating cow performance, feeding strategies and forage characteristics were recorded through a survey, 3 times during a year. The milk FA supplementary premium was calculated considering C18:3n-3 and saturated FA (SFA) concentrations, and ratio of total cis C18:1 isomers to C16:0. The CCH, CCM, and CC0 systems bought most of their dairy cow feeds off farm, which allowed them to increase milk production to 35,000 L/yr per hectare. Their low dry matter and crude protein self-sufficiency led to higher feeding costs per liter of milk (from €0.158 to €0.184), and highest income over feed cost was achieved only for milk yield performance greater than 10,000 kg/cow per year. The use of homegrown forages in HF and G increased dry matter and crude protein self-sufficiency and reduced the feeding costs per liter of milk from 9 to 22%, compared with the other studied systems, making HF and G feeding economically competitive, even for a lower milk yield per cow. The studied systems highlighted a remarkable variation in FA profiles. The concentrations of C16:0 and SFA were the highest in CCH (31.53 and 67.84 g/100g of FA) and G (31.23 and 68.45 g/100g of FA), because of the larger proportion of commercial concentrate mix in the cow diet. The concentrations of C16:0 and SFA were the lowest in CCM (27.86 and 63.10 g/100g of FA), because of low roughage-to-concentrate ratio in the cow diet, which is known to favor milk fat depression, affecting particularly these FA. The calculated supplementary premium was the highest in the CCM system, based on milk FA profiles from those herds. The HF diet was rich in forages and resulted in greater concentration of C18:3n-3 in milk (0.57 g/100g of FA) than the other systems and thus led to an increase in milk FA supplementary premium. Milk from G and HF milk had the lowest ratio of Σn-6:Σn-3 FA compared with milk from the systems based on higher corn silage proportion in the cow diet (3.71, and 3.25, respectively, vs. 4.58 to 4.78), with the lower ratios being closer to recommendation for human nutrition. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Economic analysis of alternative nutritional management of dual-purpose cow herds in central coastal Veracruz, Mexico.

PubMed

Absalón-Medina, Victor Antonio; Nicholson, Charles F; Blake, Robert W; Fox, Danny Gene; Juárez-Lagunes, Francisco I; Canudas-Lara, Eduardo G; Rueda-Maldonado, Bertha L

2012-08-01

Market information was combined with predicted input-output relationships in an economic analysis of alternative nutritional management for dual-purpose member herds of the Genesis farmer organization of central coastal Veracruz, Mexico. Cow productivity outcomes for typical management and alternative feeding scenarios were obtained from structured sets of simulations in a companion study of productivity limitations and potentials using the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System model (Version 6.0). Partial budgeting methods and sensitivity analysis were used to identify economically viable alternatives based on expected change in milk income over feed cost (change in revenues from milk sales less change in feed costs). Herd owners in coastal Veracruz have large economic incentives, from $584 to $1,131 in predicted net margin, to increase milk sales by up to 74% across a three-lactation cow lifetime by improving diets based on good quality grass and legume forages. This increment is equal to, or exceeds, in value the total yield from at least one additional lactation per cow lifetime. Furthermore, marginal rates of return (change in milk income over feed costs divided by change in variable costs when alternative practices are used) of 3.3 ± 0.8 indicate clear economic incentives to remove fundamental productivity vulnerabilities due to chronic energy deficits and impeded growth of immature cows under typical management. Sensitivity analyses indicate that the economic outcomes are robust for a variety of market conditions.

Rumen Bacterial Community Composition in Holstein and Jersey Cows Is Different under Same Dietary Condition and Is Not Affected by Sampling Method

PubMed Central

Paz, Henry A.; Anderson, Christopher L.; Muller, Makala J.; Kononoff, Paul J.; Fernando, Samodha C.

2016-01-01

The rumen microbial community in dairy cows plays a critical role in efficient milk production. However, there is a lack of data comparing the composition of the rumen bacterial community of the main dairy breeds. This study utilizes 16S rRNA gene sequencing to describe the rumen bacterial community composition in Holstein and Jersey cows fed the same diet by sampling the rumen microbiota via the rumen cannula (Holstein cows) or esophageal tubing (both Holstein and Jersey cows). After collection of the rumen sample via esophageal tubing, particles attached to the strainer were added to the sample to ensure representative sampling of both the liquid and solid fraction of the rumen contents. Alpha diversity metrics, Chao1 and observed OTUs estimates, displayed higher (P = 0.02) bacterial richness in Holstein compared to Jersey cows and no difference (P > 0.70) in bacterial community richness due to sampling method. The principal coordinate analysis displayed distinct clustering of bacterial communities by breed suggesting that Holstein and Jersey cows harbor different rumen bacterial communities. Family level classification of most abundant (>1%) differential OTUs displayed that OTUs from the bacterial families Lachnospiraceae and p-2534-18B5 to be predominant in Holstein cows compared to Jersey cows. Additionally, OTUs belonging to family Prevotellaceae were differentially abundant in the two breeds. Overall, the results from this study suggest that the bacterial community between Holstein and Jersey cows differ and that esophageal tubing with collection of feed particles associated with the strainer provides a representative rumen sample similar to a sample collected via the rumen cannula. Thus, in future studies esophageal tubing with addition of retained particles can be used to collect rumen samples reducing the cost of cannulation and increasing the number of animals used in microbiome investigations, thus increasing the statistical power of rumen microbial community evaluations. PMID:27536291

Why are dairy cows not able to cope with the subacute ruminal acidosis?

PubMed

Brzozowska, A M; Sloniewski, K; Oprzadek, J; Sobiech, P; Kowalski, Z M

2013-01-01

One of the largest challenges for the dairy industry is to provide cows with a diet which is highly energetic but does not negatively affect their rumens' functions. In highly productive dairy cows, feeding diets rich in readily fermentable carbohydrates provides energy precursors needed for maximum milk production, but simultaneously decreases ruminal pH, leading to a widespread prevalence of subacute ruminal acidosis. Maximizing milk production without triggering rumen acidosis still challenges dairy farmers, who try to prevent prolonged bouts of low ruminal pH mainly by proper nutrition and management practices. The animals try to avoid overeating fermentable feeds, as it causes negative consequences by disturbing digestive processes. The results of several experiments show that ruminants, including sheep and beef cattle, are able to modify some aspects of feeding behaviour in order to adjust nutrient intake to their needs and simultaneously prevent physiological disturbances. Particularly, such changes (e.g., increased preference for fibrous feeds, reduced intake of concentrates) were observed in animals, which were trying to prevent the excessive drop of rumen fluid pH. Thanks to a specific mechanism called "the postingestive feedback", animals should be able to work out such a balance in intake, so they do not suffer either from hunger or from negative effects of over-ingesting the fermentable carbohydrates. This way, an acidosis should not be a frequent problem in ruminants. However, prolonged periods of excessively decreased rumen pH are still a concern in dairy cows. It raises a question, why the regulation of feed intake by postingestive feedback does not help to maintain stable rumen environment in dairy cows?

In vitro embryo production: growth performance, feed efficiency, and hematological, metabolic, and endocrine status in calves.

PubMed

Rérat, M; Zbinden, Y; Saner, R; Hammon, H; Blum, J W

2005-07-01

The potential management benefits of in vitro embryo production have been offset by an increased incidence of health-related problems in resulting calves [increased birth weight, congenital abnormalities, and peri- and postnatal mortality (large-offspring syndrome)] and of recipient cows (prolonged gestation, dystocia, increased hydroallantois, abortion). The aim of the present research was to determine whether relevant metabolic, endocrine, or hematological traits could be related to the causes of enhanced growth performance of in vitro fertilized calves. Growth performance and feed efficiency as well as hematological, metabolic, and endocrine traits studied in calves derived from in vitro-produced embryos (IVP; n = 11) and in calves derived from artificial insemination (AI; n = 8). Donor cows from which oocytes for in vitro fertilization were obtained had a heterogeneous background, thus excluding genetic maternal influences. On the other hand, semen for in vitro fertilization and for artificial insemination was from the same bull, and recipient cows were held under the same husbandry and feeding conditions as AI cows, thus reducing the variability. Blood samples were collected preprandially on d 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 28, 56, and 112 of life and every 20 min between 0830 and 1630 h on d 7 and 112 for the evaluation of growth hormone secretory patterns. Gestation of IVP cows was longer than that of AI cows, but birth weights were similar in both groups. Feed intake, average daily gain, and body length during the experimental period, body weight from wk 8 to 16, and gain/feed ratio during the first month of life were higher in IVP than in AI calves. At birth, potassium, 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine, and thyroxine concentrations were lower in IVP than in AI calves. Concentrations of sodium and potassium on d 7, of triglycerides on d 28, and of albumin on d 56 were higher in IVP than in AI calves. In conclusion, IVP calves had higher feed intake and growth rate during the entire growth period and improved feed efficiency in the first month of life than AI calves, but this was not mirrored by consistent changes of hematological, metabolic, or endocrine traits, whose concentrations were in the normal range. Additional work is needed to study IVP calves under field conditions.

[Effect of feeding methods in infants on serum lipid profile].

PubMed

Maślanka, R; Siemianowicz, K; Stajszczyk, M; Wojakowski, W

1995-07-01

Mothers very often do not start to breast feed their children, or stop very quickly and introduce various formulas based either on modified or unmodified cow's milk. These infant formulas differ from human milk in their chemical composition. Breast milk is the most suitable source of all nutrients required for the development of a newborn or infant. The serum levels of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids were determined. The influence of the type of feeding on the levels of the above-mentioned lipids was analyzed. Higher serum levels of triglycerides in babies fed formulas based on modified cow's milk than in those fed formulas based on unmodified milk were found. Higher serum levels of phospholipids were found in breast-fed babies than in those fed formulas based on unmodified cow's milk.

Effects of feed naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins on metabolism and immunity of dairy cows.

PubMed

Korosteleva, S N; Smith, T K; Boermans, H J

2009-04-01

A previous study in dairy cows showed some effect of feed contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins on metabolism and immunity. A subsequent experiment investigated the effect of feedborne Fusarium mycotoxins on some immune functions in more detail. A total mixed ration (TMR) containing a blend of feedstuffs naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins was fed for 63 d to 12 mid-lactation Holstein cows with an average milk production of 36 kg/d in a completely randomized design with repeated measures including 1) control TMR and 2) contaminated TMR. Wheat, corn, hay, and corn silage were the contaminated feedstuffs. Deoxynivalenol was the major contaminant and was found in TMR at 3.5 mg/kg of dry matter. The parameters measured were 1) performance: body weight, body condition score, dry matter intake, milk production, composition and somatic cell count; 2) health: blood serum chemistry, hematology, coagulation profile, and rumen fluid ammonia levels; 3) immune function: total serum immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM), specific antibody response to ovalbumin, and neutrophil phagocytosis. Dry matter intake, body weight, milk production, and milk composition were not affected by diet. Neutrophil phagocytosis was depressed throughout the experiment in cows fed the contaminated diet. Serum sodium concentrations and osmolality were significantly elevated throughout the experiment in cows fed the contaminated diet. Primary antibody response to ovalbumin immunization was higher in cows fed the contaminated diet compared with controls. It was concluded that feed naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins can affect metabolic parameters and immune function of dairy cows.

Influence of cow breed type, age and previous lactation status on cow height, calf growth, and patterns of body weight, condition, and blood metabolites for cows grazing bahiagrass pastures

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Economic analysis has revealed that in most parts of the country, the largest economic costs for cattle production are for winter feed. This study was initiated to evaluate the effect of two winter nutrition programs on three breeds of cows grazing bahiagrass pastures in central Florida. Data on 4...

How Does “Hunger” Level Impact Grazing Behavior?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Grazing behavior can be influenced through feeding and grazing management decisions. Research at our USDA-ARS lab showed that ruminal fill, or how ‘hungry’ the cow is, can affect grazing behavior. Cows that had less ruminal fill took a bigger bite that was shallow and wide, compared to a ‘full’ cow ...

Modification of immune responses and digestive system microbiota of lactating dairy cows by feeding Bovamine(R)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We evaluated the immune modulatory effects as well as effects on productivity of Bovamine® (Lactobacillus acidophilus strain NP51 and Probionibacterium freudenreichii) fed to Holstein and Jersey dairy cows during late lactation (average DIM = 202.44 days on wk-0). Cows were randomized to treatment g...

Matching forage systems with cow size and environment for sustainable cow-calf production in the southern region

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

There has been increased interest in intensification of cow-calf production due to an increasing world population and red meat demand along with reductions in available grazing lands. Intensified production can come about by increasing fertilization, supplementation, or feeding of stored forages, bu...

Dynamics of biological and chemical parameters during vermicomposting of solid textile mill sludge mixed with cow dung and agricultural residues.

PubMed

Kaushik, Priya; Garg, V K

2004-09-01

In India, thousands of tons of textile mill sludge are produced every year. We studied the ability of epigeic earthworm Eisenia foetida to transform textile mill sludge mixed with cow dung and/or agricultural residues into value added product, i.e., vermicompost. The growth, maturation, mortality, cocoon production, hatching success and the number of hatchlings were monitored in a range of different feed mixtures for 11 weeks in the laboratory under controlled environmental conditions. The maximum growth and reproduction was obtained in 100% cow dung, but worms grew and reproduced favorably in 80% cow dung + 20% solid textile mill sludge and 70% cow dung + 30% solid textile mill sludge also. Addition of agricultural residues had adverse effects on growth and reproduction of worms. Vermicomposting resulted in significant reduction in C:N ratio and increase in TKN, TP, TK and TCa after 77 days of worm activity in all the feeds. Vermicomposting can be an alternate technology for the management of textile mill sludge if mixed with cow dung in appropriate quantities. Copyright 2003 Elsevier Ltd.

Prevalence and magnitude of acidosis sequelae to rice-based feeding regimen followed in Tamil Nadu, India.

PubMed

Murugeswari, Rathinam; Valli, Chinnamani; Karunakaran, Raman; Leela, Venkatasubramanian; Pandian, Amaresan Serma Saravana

2018-04-01

In Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India, rice is readily available at a low cost, hence, is cooked (cooking akin to human consumption) and fed irrationally to cross-bred dairy cattle with poor productivity. Hence, a study was carried out with the objective to examine the prevalence of acidosis sequelae to rice-based feeding regimen and assess its magnitude. A survey was conducted in all the 32 districts of Tamil Nadu, by randomly selecting two blocks per districts and from each block five villages were randomly selected. From each of the selected village, 10 dairy farmers belonging to the unorganized sector, owning one or two cross-bred dairy cows in early and mid-lactation were randomly selected so that a sample size of 100 farmers per district was maintained. The feeding regimen, milk yield was recorded, and occurrence of acidosis and incidence of laminitis were ascertained by the veterinarian with the confirmative test to determine the impact of feeding cooked rice to cows. It is observed that 71.5% of farmers in unorganized sector feed cooked rice to their cattle. The incidence of acidosis progressively increased significantly (p<0.05) from 29.00% in cows fed with 0.5 kg of cooked rice to 69.23% in cows fed with more than 2.5 kg of cooked rice. However, the incidence of acidosis remained significantly (p<0.05) as low as 9.9% in cows fed feeding regimen without cooked rice which is suggestive of a correlation between excessive feeding cooked rice and onset of acidosis. Further, the noticeable difference in the incidence of acidosis observed between feeding cooked rice and those fed without rice and limited intake of oil cake indicates that there is a mismatch between energy and protein supply to these cattle. Among cooked rice-based diet, the incidence of laminitis increased progressively (p<0.05) from 9.2% to 37.9% with the increase in the quantum of cooked rice in the diet. The study points out the importance of protein supplementation in rice-based feeding regimen to set right the mismatched supply between nitrogen and fermentable organic matter in the rumen. This research has practical implications for animal health, welfare, nutrition, and management.

Prevalence and magnitude of acidosis sequelae to rice-based feeding regimen followed in Tamil Nadu, India

PubMed Central

Murugeswari, Rathinam; Valli, Chinnamani; Karunakaran, Raman; Leela, Venkatasubramanian; Pandian, Amaresan Serma Saravana

2018-01-01

Background and Aim In Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India, rice is readily available at a low cost, hence, is cooked (cooking akin to human consumption) and fed irrationally to cross-bred dairy cattle with poor productivity. Hence, a study was carried out with the objective to examine the prevalence of acidosis sequelae to rice-based feeding regimen and assess its magnitude. Materials and Methods A survey was conducted in all the 32 districts of Tamil Nadu, by randomly selecting two blocks per districts and from each block five villages were randomly selected. From each of the selected village, 10 dairy farmers belonging to the unorganized sector, owning one or two cross-bred dairy cows in early and mid-lactation were randomly selected so that a sample size of 100 farmers per district was maintained. The feeding regimen, milk yield was recorded, and occurrence of acidosis and incidence of laminitis were ascertained by the veterinarian with the confirmative test to determine the impact of feeding cooked rice to cows. Results It is observed that 71.5% of farmers in unorganized sector feed cooked rice to their cattle. The incidence of acidosis progressively increased significantly (p<0.05) from 29.00% in cows fed with 0.5 kg of cooked rice to 69.23% in cows fed with more than 2.5 kg of cooked rice. However, the incidence of acidosis remained significantly (p<0.05) as low as 9.9% in cows fed feeding regimen without cooked rice which is suggestive of a correlation between excessive feeding cooked rice and onset of acidosis. Further, the noticeable difference in the incidence of acidosis observed between feeding cooked rice and those fed without rice and limited intake of oil cake indicates that there is a mismatch between energy and protein supply to these cattle. Among cooked rice-based diet, the incidence of laminitis increased progressively (p<0.05) from 9.2% to 37.9% with the increase in the quantum of cooked rice in the diet. Conclusion The study points out the importance of protein supplementation in rice-based feeding regimen to set right the mismatched supply between nitrogen and fermentable organic matter in the rumen. This research has practical implications for animal health, welfare, nutrition, and management PMID:29805211

Effect of dietary potassium and anionic salts on acid-base and mineral status in periparturient cows.

PubMed

Rérat, M; Schlegel, P

2014-06-01

Dry cow diets based on grassland forage from intensive production contain high amounts of K and could be responsible for a reduced ability to maintain Ca homoeostasis. The aim of this study was to determine whether a moderate anionic salt supplementation to a forage-based pre-calving diet with varying native K content affects the mineral and acid-base status in transition cows. Twenty-four dry and pregnant Holstein cows, without antecedent episodes of clinical hypocalcemia, were assigned to two diets during the last 4 weeks before estimated calving date. Twelve cows were fed a hay-based diet low in K (18 g K/kg DM), and 12, a hay-based diet high in K (35 g K/kg DM). Within each diet, six cows received anionic salts during the last 2 weeks before the estimated calving day. After calving, all cows received the high K diet ad libitum. Blood samples were taken daily from day 11 pre-partum to day 5 post-partum. Urine samples were taken on days 7 and 2 pre-partum and on day 2 post-partum. The anionic salt did not alter feed intake during the pre-partum period. Serum Ca was not influenced by the dietary treatments. Feeding pre-partum diets with low K concentrations induced a reduced metabolic alkalotic charge, as indicated by reduced pre-partum urinary base-acid quotient. Transition cows fed the low K diet including anionic salts induced a mild metabolic acidosis before calving, as indicated by higher urinary Ca, lower urinary pH and net acid-base excretion. Although serum Ca during the post-partum period was not affected by dietary treatment, feeding a low K diet moderately supplemented with anionic salts to reach a dietary cation-anion difference close to zero permitted to obtain a metabolic response in periparturient cows without altering the dry matter intake. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

[Management of the dry and transition periods of dairy cattle in free stall housing systems in Lower Saxony. - Part 2: Risk factores for subclinical ketosis, hypocalcaemia and increased lipomobilisation].

PubMed

Oetting-Neumann, Pamela; Rohn, Karl; Hoedemaker, Martina

2018-02-01

Determination of the frequency of subclinical hypocalcaemia, increased lipomobilisation and subclinical ketosis as problems in dairy herds and identification of possible risk factors. Information was obtained from 51 dairy farms on husbandry, feeding, management of the cows and heifers, animal health and prophylactic treatments using a questionnaire. Blood samples from 20% of the cows and 30% of the heifers of each farm (= herd sample) were collected in the week ante partum (a. p.) for determination of serum calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) concentrations and in the week post partum (p. p.) for measurement of serum β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentration. For evaluation of the herd sample results, the percentage of animals with a laboratory value above a determined threshold value for the various parameters was calculated. When the percentage exceeded a certain threshold (alert) level, a herd problem was assumed. Alert levels from the literature and adapted levels were used. For minerals, an adapted alert level of 10% was taken as a basis. In cows, the alert level for Ca, Mg, P (too low) and P (too high) was exceeded in 13.7%, 13.7%, 25.7% and 7.8% of the herd samples, respectively. NEFA (a. p.) and BHB (p. p.) had an adapted alert level of 30%. For NEFA, the alert level was exceeded by cows and heifers on 47.1 % and 51.0% of the farms, respectively. For BHB, the alert level was exceeded by cows and heifers on 33.3% and 13.7% of the farms, respectively. As risk factors, a too large group size for the transition cows (Ca, Mg), pasturing (Ca, BHB), one phasic feeding of dry cows (Mg, BHB) and a lack of a separated dry cow area (BHB) were identi fied. Risk factors for the heifers were no pasturing of the young stock (NEFA) and a low frequency of pushing up the diet in the feed bunk (BHB). Subclinical ketosis in cows and an increased lipomobilisation in heifers were frequent herd problems in the dairy herds studied and were asso ciated with husbandry, feeding and management. Therefore, these herd problems should be handled intensively in veterinary herd health programs with the aim to establish effective preventive measures. Schattauer GmbH.

Technical note: Mining data from on-farm electronic equipment to identify the time dairy cows spend away from the pen.

PubMed

Thompson, A J; Weary, D M; von Keyserlingk, M A G

2017-05-01

The electronic equipment used on farms can be creatively co-opted to collect data for which it was not originally designed. In the current study, we describe 2 novel algorithms that harvest data from electronic feeding equipment and data loggers used to record standing and lying behavior, to estimate the time that dairy cows spend away from their pen to be milked. Our 2 objectives were to (1) measure the ability of the first algorithm to estimate the time cows spend away from the pen as a group and (2) determine the capability of a second algorithm to estimate the time it takes for individual cows to return to their pen after being milked. To achieve these objectives, we conducted 2 separate experiments: first, to estimate group time away, the feeding behavior of 1 pen of 20 Holstein cows was monitored electronically for 1 mo; second, to measure individual latency to return to the pen, feeding and lying behavior of 12 healthy Holstein cows was monitored electronically from parturition to 21 d in milk. For both experiments, we monitored the time each individual cow exited the pen before each milking and when she returned to the pen after milking using video recordings. Estimates generated by our algorithms were then compared with the times captured from the video recordings. Our first algorithm provided reliable pen-based estimates for the minimum time cows spent away from the pen to be milked in the morning [coefficient of determination (R 2 ) = 0.92] and afternoon (R 2 = 0.96). The second algorithm was able to estimate of the time it took for individual cows to return to the pen after being milked in the morning (R 2 = 0.98), but less so in the afternoon (R 2 = 0.67). This study illustrates how data from electronic systems used to assess feeding and lying behavior can be mined to estimate novel measures. New work is now required to improve the estimates of our algorithm for individuals, for example by adding data from other electronic monitoring systems on the farm. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Invited review: Current perspectives on eating and rumination activity in dairy cows.

PubMed

Beauchemin, K A

2018-06-01

Many early studies laid the foundation for our understanding of the mechanics of chewing, the physiological role of chewing for the cow, and how chewing behavior is affected by dietary characteristics. However, the dairy cow has changed significantly over the past decades, as have the types of diets fed and the production systems used. The plethora of literature published in recent years provides new insights on eating and ruminating activity of dairy cows. Lactating dairy cows spend about 4.5 h/d eating (range: 2.4-8.5 h/d) and 7 h/d ruminating (range: 2.5-10.5 h/d), with a maximum total chewing time of 16 h/d. Chewing time is affected by many factors, most importantly whether access to feed is restricted, intake of neutral detergent fiber from forages, and mean particle size of the diet. Feed restriction and long particles (≥19 mm) have a greater effect on eating time, whereas intake of forage neutral detergent fiber and medium particles (4-19 mm) affects rumination time. It is well entrenched in the literature that promoting chewing increases salivary secretion of dairy cows, which helps reduce the risk of acidosis. However, the net effect of a change in chewing time on rumen buffing is likely rather small; therefore, acidosis prevention strategies need to be broad. Damage to plant tissues during mastication creates sites that provide access to fungi, adhesion of bacteria, and formation of biofilms that progressively degrade carbohydrates. Rumination and eating are the main ways in which feed is reduced in particle size. Contractions of the rumen increase during eating and ruminating activity and help move small particles to the escapable pool and into the omasum. Use of recently developed low-cost sensors that monitor chewing activity of dairy cows in commercial facilities can provide information that is helpful in management decisions, especially when combined with other criteria. Although accuracy and precision can be somewhat variable depending on sensor and conditions of use, relative changes in cow behavior, such as a marked decrease in rumination time of a cow or sustained low rumination time compared with a contemporary group of cows, can be used to help detect estrus, parturition, and some illnesses. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the dietary, animal, and management factors that affect eating and ruminating behavior in dairy cows and presents an overview of the physiological importance of chewing with emphasis on recent developments and practical implications for feeding and managing the modern housed dairy cow. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Technical note: Nitrogen isotopic fractionation can be used to predict nitrogen-use efficiency in dairy cows fed temperate pasture.

PubMed

Cheng, L; Sheahan, A J; Gibbs, S J; Rius, A G; Kay, J K; Meier, S; Edwards, G R; Dewhurst, R J; Roche, J R

2013-12-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between nitrogen isotopic fractionation (δ(15)N) and nitrogen-use efficiency (milk nitrogen/nitrogen intake; NUE) in pasture-fed dairy cows supplemented with increasing levels of urea to mimic high rumen degradable protein pastures in spring. Fifteen cows were randomly assigned to freshly cut pasture and either supplemented with 0, 250, or 336 g urea/d. Feed, milk, and plasma were analyzed for δ(15)N, milk and plasma for urea nitrogen concentration, and plasma for ammonia concentration. Treatment effects were tested using ANOVA and relationships between variables were established by linear regression. Lower dry matter intake (P = 0.002) and milk yield (P = 0.002) occurred with the highest urea supplementation (336 g urea/d) compared with the other two treatments. There was a strong linear relationship between milk δ(15)N - feed δ(15)N and NUE: [NUE (%) = 58.9 - 10.17 × milk δ(15)N - feed δ(15)N (‰) (r(2) = 0.83, P < 0.001, SE = 1.67)] and between plasma δ(15)N - feed δ(15)N and NUE: [NUE (%) = 52.4 - 8.61 × plasma δ(15)N - feed δ(15)N (‰) (r(2) = 0.85, P < 0.001, SE = 1.56)] . This study confirmed the potential use of δ(15)N to predict NUE in cows consuming different levels of rumen degradable protein.

Effects of dietary CLA supplementation, parity and different concentrate levels before calving on immunoglobulin G1, G2 and M concentrations in dairy cows.

PubMed

Eger, Melanie; Horn, Jana; Hussen, Jamal; Schuberth, Hans-Joachim; Scharf, Maria; Meyer, Ulrich; Dänicke, Sven; Bostedt, Hartwig; Breves, Gerhard

2017-10-01

Peripartal dairy cows exhibit a higher susceptibility for infectious diseases, which might be linked to the negative energy balance occurring at the onset of lactation. A dietary supplementation of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) may reduce milk fat yield and subsequently lower the energy deficit. The utilization of immunoglobulins (Ig) for colostrogenesis might impair humoral immunity in peripartal dairy cows; therefore this study investigated the effects of a CLA supplement, parity and different dietary energy levels on plasma and colostrum IgG1, IgG2 and IgM levels in dairy cows and their calves. Blood samples were collected from 64 cows from 21days before until 56days after parturition and colostrum samples for the first 3days of lactation. Plasma immunoglobulin concentrations of 19 calves were determined before colostrum uptake. Neither plasma IgG1, nor IgG2 levels were affected by CLA or dietary energy level. However, immunoglobulin levels were affected by parity. Heifers possessed the lowest IgG1 concentrations. IgG2 concentrations were highest in cows with 2 lactations prior to parturition and in heifers after parturition. Plasma IgM levels were characterized by a sharp decrease 3days prior to parturition and were scarcely affected by the feeding regimen or parity. Generally, immunoglobulin levels appear to be mostly independent from the peripartal energy balance of the cows and are not influenced by dietary CLA. However, pronounced differences among parities for IgG1 and IgG2 were revealed which should be further evaluated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Short communication: Ability of dogs to detect cows in estrus from sniffing saliva samples.

PubMed

Fischer-Tenhagen, C; Tenhagen, B-A; Heuwieser, W

2013-02-01

Efficient estrus detection in high-producing dairy cows is a permanent challenge for successful reproductive performance. In former studies, dogs have been trained to identify estrus-specific odor in vaginal fluid, milk, urine, and blood samples under laboratory conditions with an accuracy of more than 80%. For on-farm utilization of estrus-detection dogs it would be beneficial in terms of hygiene and safety if dogs could identify cows from the feed alley. The objective of this proof of concept study was to test if dogs can be trained to detect estrus-specific scent in saliva of cows. Saliva samples were collected from cows in estrus and diestrus. Thirteen dogs of various breeds and both sexes were trained in this study. Five dogs had no experience in scent detection, whereas 8 dogs had been formerly trained for detection of narcotics or cancer. In the training and test situation, dogs had to detect 1 positive out of 4 samples. Dog training was based on positive reinforcement and dogs were rewarded with a clicker and food for indicating saliva samples of cows in estrus. A false indication was ignored and documented in the test situation. Dogs with and without prior training were trained for 1 and 5 d, respectively. For determining the accuracy of detection, the position of the positive sample was unknown to the dog handler, to avoid hidden cues to the dog. The overall percentage of correct positive indications was 57.6% (175/304), with a range from 40 (1 dog) to 75% (3 dogs). To our knowledge, this is the first indication that dogs are able to detect estrus-specific scent in saliva of cows. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Life cycle efficiency of beef production: II. Relationship of cow efficiency ratios to traits of the dam and progeny weaned.

PubMed

Davis, M E; Rutledge, J J; Cundiff, L V; Hauser, E R

1983-10-01

Several measures of life cycle cow efficiency were calculated using weights and individual feed consumptions recorded on 160 dams of beef, dairy and beef X dairy breeding and their progeny. Ratios of output to input were used to estimate efficiency, where outputs included weaning weights of progeny plus salvage value of the dam and inputs included creep feed consumed by progeny plus feed consumed by the dam over her entire lifetime. In one approach to estimating efficiency, inputs and outputs were weighted by probabilities that were a function of the cow herd age distribution and percentage calf crop in a theoretical herd. The second approach to estimating cow efficiency involved dividing the sum of the weights by the sum of the feed consumption values, with all pieces of information being given equal weighting. Relationships among efficiency estimates and various traits of dams and progeny were examined. Weights, heights, and weight:height ratios of dams at 240 d of age were not correlated significantly with subsequent efficiency of calf production, indicating that indirect selection for lifetime cow efficiency at an early age based on these traits would be ineffective. However, females exhibiting more efficient weight gains from 240 d to first calving tended to become more efficient dams. Correlations of efficiency with weight of dam at calving and at weaning were negative and generally highly significant. Height at withers was negatively related to efficiency. Ratio of weight to height indicated that fatter dams generally were less efficient. The effect of milk production on efficiency depended upon the breed combinations involved. Dams calving for the first time at an early age and continuing to calve at short intervals were superior in efficiency. Weaning rate was closely related to life cycle efficiency. Large negative correlations between efficiency and feed consumption of dams were observed, while correlations of efficiency with progeny weights and feed consumptions in individual parities tended to be positive though nonsignificant. However, correlations of efficiency with accumulative progeny weights and feed consumptions generally were significant.

Effects of supplementing glycerol and soybean oil in drinking water on feed and water intake, energy balance, and production performance of periparturient dairy cows.

PubMed

Osborne, V R; Odongo, N E; Cant, J P; Swanson, K C; McBride, B W

2009-02-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of supplementing glycerol and soybean oil in drinking water on feed and water intake, calculated energy balance, and production performance of periparturient dairy cows. Ninety multiparous Holstein dairy cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: 1) no nutrients supplemented in the drinking water (control); 2) 20 g/L of glycerin supplemented in the drinking water (glycerol); and 3) 10 g/L of soybean oil supplemented in the drinking water (SBO). The trial lasted from 7 d prepartum to 7 d postpartum. Cows were offered a close-up and milking cow TMR for ad libitum intake, pre- and postpartum, respectively. The dry matter intake of cows supplemented with glycerol and SBO was lower than for the control cows throughout the experimental period but not different from each other. Water intake for the control cows was greater than the average for the glycerol and SBO cows prepartum, and greater than for SBO cows but similar to that of glycerol cows postpartum. Glycerol cows consumed more water than SBO cows. There were no differences in energy intake and energy balance of the cows pre- and postpartum. Serum triacylglycerol concentration for glycerol cows was lower than for the control and SBO cows prepartum and was lower than for the SBO cows postpartum. There were no differences in the serum nonesterified fatty acids and glucose concentrations throughout the experiment. There were no differences in the serum beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) concentrations at parturition, but serum BHBA concentration of the glycerol cows was greater than for control and SBO cows during the prepartum period. However, during the postpartum period, serum BHBA concentrations of the control cows were greater than for glycerol and SBO cows. There were no differences in calf birth weights or milk yield and composition. Although the glucogenic property of glycerol supplemented in the drinking water at 20 g/L may not have been sufficient to elicit a milk yield response, it did reduce the concentration of BHBA postpartum.

Increasing milk solids production across lactation through genetic selection and intensive pasture-based feed system.

PubMed

Coleman, J; Pierce, K M; Berry, D P; Brennan, A; Horan, B

2010-09-01

The objective of the study was to quantify the effect of genetic improvement using the Irish total merit index, the Economic Breeding Index (EBI), on overall performance and lactation profiles for milk, milk solids, body weight (BW), and body condition score (BCS) within 2 pasture-based systems of milk production likely to be used in the future, following abolition of the European Union's milk quota system. Three genotypes of Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle were established from within the Moorepark dairy research herd: LowNA, indicative of animals with North American origin and average or lower genetic merit at the time of the study; HighNA, North American Holstein-Friesians of high genetic merit; and HighNZ, New Zealand Holstein-Friesians of high genetic merit. Animals from within each genotype were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 possible pasture-based feeding systems (FS): 1) The Moorepark pasture (MP) system (2.64 cows/ha and 344 kg of concentrate supplement per cow per lactation) and 2) a high output per hectare (HC) system (2.85 cows/ha and 1,056 kg of concentrate supplement per cow per lactation). Pasture was allocated to achieve similar postgrazing residual sward heights for both treatments. A total of 126, 128, and 140 spring-calving dairy cows were used during the years 2006, 2007, and 2008, respectively. Each group had an individual farmlet of 17 paddocks and all groups were managed similarly throughout the study. The effects of genotype, FS, and the interaction between genotype and FS on milk production, BW, and BCS across lactation were studied using mixed models with factorial arrangements of genotype and FS accounting for the repeated cow records across years. No significant genotype by FS interaction was observed for any of the variables measured. Results show that milk solids production of the national average dairy cow can be increased across lactation through increased EBI. High EBI genotypes (HighNA and HighNZ) produced more milk solids per cow and per hectare than the LowNA genotype (2.7 and 4.1%, respectively). The results also suggest that when concentrate supplementation is used to facilitate increased stocking rates, increased herbage utilization and decreased substitution of concentrate for herbage can be achieved. When implemented, the HC FS could increase the overall productivity of pasture-fed dairy farming systems where land availability is the primary limiting factor of production. Copyright (c) 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Restoration of in situ fiber degradation and the role of fibrolytic microbes and ruminal pH in cows fed grain-rich diets transiently or continuously.

PubMed

Pourazad, P; Khiaosa-Ard, R; Metzler-Zebeli, B U; Klevenhusen, F; Zebeli, Q

2017-12-01

In this study, we used two different grain-rich feeding models (continuous or transient) to determine their effects on in situ fiber degradation and abundances of important rumen fibrolytic microbes in the rumen. The role of the magnitude of ruminal pH drop during grain feeding in the fiber degradation was also determined. The study was performed in eight rumen-fistulated dry cows. They were fed forage-only diet (baseline), and then challenged with a 60% concentrate diet for 4 weeks, either continuously (n=4 cows) or transiently (n=4 cows). The cows of transient feeding had 1 week off concentrate in between. Ruminal degradation of grass silage and fiber-rich hay was determined by the in situ technique, and microbial abundances attached to incubated samples were analyzed by quantitative PCR. The in situ trials were performed at the baseline and in the 1st and the last week of concentrate feeding in the continuous model. The in situ trials were done in cows of the transient model at the baseline and in the 1st week of the re-challenge with concentrate. In situ degradation of NDF and ADF of the forage samples, and microbial abundances were determined at 0, 4, 8, 24 and 48 h of the incubation. Ruminal pH and temperature during the incubation were recorded using indwelling pH sensors. Compared with the respective baseline, both grain-rich feeding models lowered ruminal pH and increased the duration of pH below 5.5 and 5.8. Results of the grass silage incubation showed that in the continuous model the extent of NDF and ADF degradation was lower in the 1st, but not in the last week compared with the baseline. For the transient model, degradation of NDF of the silage was lower during the re-challenge compared with the baseline. Degradation of NDF and ADF of the hay was suppressed by both feeding models compared with the respective baseline. Changes in fiber degradation of either grass silage or hay were not related to the magnitude of ruminal pH depression during grain-rich feeding. In both feeding models total fungal numbers and relative abundance of Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens attached to the incubated forages were decreased by the challenge. Overall, Fibrobacter succinogenes was more sensitive to the grain challenge compared with Ruminococcus albus and Ruminococcus flavefaciens. The study provided evidence for a restored ruminal fiber degradation after prolonged time of grain-rich feeding, however depending on physical and chemical characteristics of forages.

Atypical H-Type Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in a Cow Born after the Reinforced Feed Ban on Meat-and-Bone Meal in Europe

PubMed Central

Guldimann, Claudia; Gsponer, Michaela; Drögemüller, Cord; Oevermann, Anna

2012-01-01

The significance of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathies (BSE) in cattle for controlling the BSE epidemic is poorly understood. Here we report a case of atypical H-type BSE in a cow born after the implementation of the reinforced feed ban in Europe. This supports an etiology of H-type BSE unrelated to that of classical BSE. PMID:23035195

Technical note: assessment of recovery site of mobile nylon bags for measuring ileal digestibility of starch in dairy cows.

PubMed

Norberg, E; Volden, H; Harstad, O M

2007-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate recovery site of mobile nylon bags for measuring ileal digestibility of ruminally undegraded starch in dairy cows. Eight feed samples of untreated and treated concentrates were examined. Three lactating cows equipped with rumen fistula and duodenal and ileal cannulas were used in the experiment. The mobile nylon bags containing intact feeds or residues after a 12-h ruminal incubation were pretreated using a 2-step procedure to simulate abomasal digestion before insertion through the duodenal cannula. To assess the effect of hindgut fermentation on starch digestibility, approximately half of the bags were collected from the ileum and half from the feces. The results indicate that feed samples should be preincubated in rumen before insertion into duodenum, and that samples with relatively high fractions of rumen-undigestible starch should be collected from the ileum instead of from feces.

Effect of feeding strategies on weaning weight and milk production of Holstein × Zebu calves in dual purpose milk production systems.

PubMed

de Menezes, Gustavo Chamon de Castro; Valadares Filho, Sebastião de campos; Lopez-Villalobos, Nicolas; Ruas, José Reinaldo Mendes; Detmann, Edenio; Zanetti, Diego; Menezes, Arismar de Castro; Morris, Stephen; Mariz, Lays Débora Silva; de Duarte, Marcio de Souza

2015-08-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of five feeding strategies on calf weaning weight, and cow milk production and composition in Brazilian Holstein × Zebu cows. A total of 60 cows and their calves were allocated to each of five treatments. Cows in treatments 1, 2 and 3 were milked for 270 days and cows in treatments 4 and 5 were milked for 180 days. Calves in treatment 1 (CON) were not supplemented with concentrate whereas calves from treatment 2 (CLPN) received 1 kg of concentrate daily from 90 to 270 days of age and calves from treatment 3 received 1 kg of concentrated from 180 to 270 days of age. Calves in treatment 4 (CCPS) were supplemented with 1 kg of concentrate from 90 to 180 days of age and calves in treatment 5 (CLPS) were supplemented with 1 kg of concentrate from 90 to 270 days of age. Calves from the CLPS treatment had greater milk and protein intakes (P < 0.05) and greater growth rate than calves from the other treatments. Our results indicate that the traditional system of feeding calves with no concentrate results in a weight gain of 600 g/day. The CLPS treatment produced calves with the highest live weight and growth rate. The nutritional strategy with restricted supply of milk for the calves with concomitantly short-term concentrate supplementation does not improve performance of calves but did increase feed costs.

Mesquite seed density in fecal samples of Raramuri Criollo vs. Angus x Hereford cows grazing Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study was part of a larger project investigating breed-related differences in feeding habits of Raramuri Criollo (RC) versus Angus x Hereford (AH) cows. Seed densities in fecal samples collected in July and August 2015 were analyzed to compare presumed mesquite bean consumption of RC and AH cow...

Use of an unmanned aerial vehicle-mounted video camera to assess feeding behavior of Raramuri Criollo cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We determined the feasibility of using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) video monitoring to predict intake of discrete food items of rangeland-raised Raramuri Criollo non-nursing beef cows. Thirty-five cows were released into a 405-m2 rectangular dry lot, either in pairs (pilot tests) or individually (...

Impact of dietary starch concentration formulated with two types corn silage on the performance of dairy cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study explored the effect of feeding different starch concentrations and conventional or brown midrib corn silage on the performance of lactating dairy cows. Forty-eight Holstein cows were assigned to 1 of 4 diets using a randomized complete block design with a 2-wk covariate period followed by...

Effects of feeding fatty acid calcium and the interaction of forage quality on production performance and biochemical indexes in early lactation cow.

PubMed

Hu, Z Y; Yin, Z Y; Lin, X Y; Yan, Z G; Wang, Z H

2015-10-01

Multiparous early lactation Holstein cows (n = 16) were used in a randomized complete block design to determine the effects of feeding fatty acid calcium and the interaction of forage quality on production performance and biochemical indexes in early lactation cow. Treatments were as follows: (i) feeding low-quality forage without supplying fatty acid calcium (Diet A), (ii) feeding low-quality forage with supplying 400 g fatty acid calcium (Diet B), (iii) feeding high-quality forage without supplying fatty acid calcium (Diet C) and (iv) feeding high-quality forage with supplying 400 g fatty acid calcium. This experiment consisted 30 days. The milk and blood samples were collected in the last day of the trail. Intakes were recorded in the last 2 days of the trail. Supplementation of fatty acid calcium decreased significantly dry matter intake (DMI) (p < 0.01). Addition fatty acid calcium decreased milk protein percentage (p < 0.01) and milk SNF percentage (p < 0.01), but increased MUN (p < 0.05). Supplemented fatty acid decreased concentration of blood BHBA (p < 0.05), but increased TG, NEFA, glucagon, GLP-1, CCK, leptin, ApoA-IV, serotonin and MSH concentration in blood, the CCK concentration and feed intake showed a significant negative correlation (p < 0.05). Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Feeding Your 1- to 2-Year-Old

MedlinePlus

... begun the meal. Some kids don't like cows milk at first because it's different from the breast ... the mixture so that it eventually becomes 100% cow's milk. Why Is Iron Important? It's important to watch ...

Feeding Your 8- to 12-Month-Old

MedlinePlus

... cause botulism in babies. Do not give regular cow's milk until your baby is older than 12 months ... babies are ready to go from formula to cow's milk. If you're breastfeeding, you can continue beyond ...

Cow and herd variation in milk urea nitrogen concentrations in lactating dairy cattle.

PubMed

Aguilar, M; Hanigan, M D; Tucker, H A; Jones, B L; Garbade, S K; McGilliard, M L; Stallings, C C; Knowlton, K F; James, R E

2012-12-01

Milk urea nitrogen (MUN) is correlated with N balance, N intake, and dietary N content, and thus is a good indicator of proper feeding management with respect to protein. It is commonly used to monitor feeding programs to achieve environmental goals; however, genetic diversity also exists among cows. It was hypothesized that phenotypic diversity among cows could bias feed management decisions when monitoring tools do not consider genetic diversity associated with MUN. The objective of the work was to evaluate the effect of cow and herd variation on MUN. Data from 2 previously published research trials and a field trial were subjected to multivariate regression analyses using a mixed model. Analyses of the research trial data showed that MUN concentrations could be predicted equally well from diet composition, milk yield, and milk components regardless of whether dry matter intake was included in the regression model. This indicated that cow and herd variation could be accurately estimated from field trial data when feed intake was not known. Milk urea N was correlated with dietary protein and neutral detergent fiber content, milk yield, milk protein content, and days in milk for both data sets. Cow was a highly significant determinant of MUN regardless of the data set used, and herd trended to significance for the field trial data. When all other variables were held constant, a percentage unit change in dietary protein concentration resulted in a 1.1mg/dL change in MUN. Least squares means estimates of MUN concentrations across herds ranged from a low of 13.6 mg/dL to a high of 17.3 mg/dL. If the observed MUN for the high herd were caused solely by high crude protein feeding, then the herd would have to reduce dietary protein to a concentration of 12.8% of dry matter to achieve a MUN concentration of 12 mg/dL, likely resulting in lost milk production. If the observed phenotypic variation is due to genetic differences among cows, genetic choices could result in herds that exceed target values for MUN when adhering to best management practices, which is consistent with the trend for differences in MUN among herds. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of precalving feed allowance on periparturient metabolic and hormonal responses and milk production in grazing dairy cows.

PubMed

Roche, J R; Kolver, E S; Kay, J K

2005-02-01

Fifty-two multiparous dairy cows were allocated to 4 treatments consuming 5.4, 8.2, 10.0, or 11.0 kg/d of pasture dry matter per cow for 27 +/- 9.6 d precalving. This equated to 1.3, 1.9, 2.4, and 2.6% of body weight (BW; not including the conceptus weight). Following calving, all cows were fed ad libitum on pasture. Blood was sampled 17 d precalving, on day of calving, and on d 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 28, and 35 postcalving. Results suggest that the near-term grazing dairy cow requires 1.05 MJ of ME/kg of BW(0.75) and that previous estimates of energy requirements were underestimated. Precalving plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin-like growth factor-1, and leptin increased quadratically with increasing pasture intake. This was associated with precalving plasma concentrations of growth hormone that declined linearly, and concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids and beta-hydroxybutyrate that declined quadratically with increasing dry matter intake (DMI). Postcalving plasma concentrations of these metabolites showed no lasting effect of precalving feeding. The effect of precalving nutrition on milk production was small, and other than milk fat, was confined to wk 1 postcalving. Milk fat yield increased with increasing precalving DMI and calving body condition score until wk 3 post-calving, after which treatment effects were not evident. These results indicate that the level of feeding in grazing dairy cows during the last month before calving has only small effects on cow metabolic and hormonal status, and on milk production in the first 5 wk of lactation.

Does supplementation of beef calves by creep feeding systems influence milk production and body condition of the dams?

PubMed

Lopes, Sidnei Antônio; Paulino, Mário Fonseca; Detmann, Edenio; Valente, Ériton Egídio Lisboa; de Barros, Lívia Vieira; Rennó, Luciana Navajas; de Campos Valadares Filho, Sebastião; Martins, Leandro Soares

2016-08-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of beef calves' supplementation in creep feeding systems on milk yield, body weight (BW), and body condition score (BCS) of their dams on tropical pastures using a meta-analytical approach. The database was obtained from 11 experiments conducted between 2009 and 2014 in Brazil, totaling 485 observations (cows). The database consisted of 273 Nellore and 212 crossbred (7/8 Nellore × 1/8 Holstein) cows. All experiments were carried out in the suckling phase (from 3 to 8 months of age of calves) during the transition phase between rainy and dry seasons from February to June of different years. The data were analyzed by a meta-analytical approach using mixed models and taking into account random variation among experiments. Calves' supplementation (P ≥ 0.59) and the calves' sex (P ≥ 0.48) did not affect milk yield of cows. The average fat-corrected milk (FCM) yield was 6.71 and 6.83 kg/day for cows that had their calves supplemented and not supplemented, respectively. Differences were observed (P < 0.0001) for milk yield due to the genetic group where crossbred cows presented greater FCM yield (7.37 kg/day) compared with Nellore cows (6.17 kg/day). There was no effect of the calves' supplementation on BW change (P ≥ 0.11) and BCS change (P ≥ 0.23) of the cows. Therefore, it is concluded that supplementation of beef calves using creep feeding systems in tropical pastures does not affect milk yield, body weight, or body condition of their dams.

Effects of feeding pregnant beef cows selenium-enriched alfalfa hay on selenium status and antibody titers in their newborn calves.

PubMed

Wallace, L G; Bobe, G; Vorachek, W R; Dolan, B P; Estill, C T; Pirelli, G J; Hall, J A

2017-06-01

In newborn dairy calves, it has been demonstrated that supranutritional maternal and colostral Se supplementation using Se yeast or sodium selenite, respectively, improves passive transfer of IgG. In beef cattle, agronomic biofortification with Se is a more practical alternative for Se supplementation, whereby the Se concentration of hay is increased through the use of Se-containing fertilizer amendments. It has been previously demonstrated that agronomic Se biofortification is an effective strategy to improve immunity and performance in Se-replete weaned beef calves. The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of feeding beef cows Se-enriched alfalfa () hay during the last 8 to 12 wk of gestation on passive transfer of antibodies to calves. At 10 wk ± 16 d before calving, 45 cows were assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups with 3 pens (5 cows/pen) per treatment: Control cows were fed non-Se-fortified alfalfa hay plus a mineral supplement containing 120 mg/kg Se from sodium selenite, Med-Se cows were fed alfalfa hay fertilized with 45.0 g Se/ha as sodium selenate, and High-Se cows were fed alfalfa hay fertilized with 89.9 g Se/ha as sodium selenate; both the Med-Se and the High-Se groups received mineral supplement without added Se. Colostrum and whole blood (WB) were collected from cows at calving, and WB was collected from calves within 2 h of calving and at 12, 24, 36, and 48 h of age. Concentrations of IgG1 and J-5 antibody in cow colostrum and calf serum were quantified using ELISA procedures. Selenium concentrations linearly increased in WB ( < 0.001) and colostrum ( < 0.001) of cows and in WB of newborn calves ( < 0.001) with increasing Se concentration in alfalfa hay. Colostrum concentrations of IgG1 ( = 0.03) were increased in cows fed Se-biofortified alfalfa hay, but J-5 antibody ( = 0.43) concentrations were not. Calf serum IgG1 ( = 0.43) and J-5 antibody ( = 0.44) concentrations during the first 48 h of age were not affected by prior Se treatment of cows. These data suggest that feeding Se-biofortified alfalfa hay promotes the accumulation of Se and antibodies in colostrum but does not affect short-term serum antibody concentrations in calves.

Investigations conducted by Department of Agriculture Research of the American Smelting and Refining Company, concerning the feeding quality of alfalfa injured by sulfur dioxide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cunningham, O.C.; Addington, L.H.

1937-01-01

Alfalfa which was produced in the proximity of a smelting company was fed to dairy cows and the results compared to dairy cows fed a matched crop which was grown many miles away. The fumigated alfalfa had 20% or more of the leaflets that were affected. The feeding experiment lasted 90 days with milk and butter fat production carefully determined and a sulfur analysis was made of each hay. Results indicate that there were no significant difference in milk or in butter fat production, nor in the weight of the cows in favor of either ration.

Feeding a high-concentrate corn straw diet increased the release of endotoxin in the rumen and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the mammary gland of dairy cows.

PubMed

Zhou, Jun; Dong, Guozhong; Ao, Changjin; Zhang, Sen; Qiu, Min; Wang, Xi; Wu, Yongxia; Erdene, Khas; Jin, Lu; Lei, Chunlong; Zhang, Zhu

2014-08-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of feeding a high-concentrate corn straw diet on the release of endotoxin in the rumen and the changes of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the mammary gland of dairy cows in comparison with a low-concentrate corn straw diet and a low-concentrate mixed forage diet. Thirty second-parity Chinese Holstein cows in mid-lactation with a body condition score of 2.86 ± 0.29, weighing 543 ± 57 kg and producing 24.32 ± 3.86 kg milk per day were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 diets (n = 10 per treatment): 1) low-concentrate mixed forage diet (LCF) with a concentrate to roughage ratio of 46 : 54; 2) high-concentrate corn straw diet (HCS) with a concentrate to roughage ratio of 65 : 35; 3) low-concentrate corn straw diet (LCS) with the same concentrate to roughage ratio (46 : 54) as LCF. The experiment lasted 6 weeks, and samples were collected in the last week. Milk samples were analyzed for conventional components, rumen fluid samples were analyzed for pH and endotoxin, and mammary arterial and venous plasma samples were analyzed for concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Concentrations of endotoxin in rumen fluid and feces of cows fed HCS were significantly higher than those of cows fed LCS and LCF. Feeding HCS increased the release of IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 in the mammary gland compared with feeding LCS. Concentrations of cytokines (IL-1β and IL-8) in mammary venous plasma had a negative correlation with milk production efficiencies. Results indicated that the high-concentrate corn straw diet increased the concentrations of endotoxin in rumen fluid and feces. Furthermore, feeding the high-concentrate corn straw diet stimulated the mammary gland to release more pro-inflammatory cytokines. The results suggest that feeding a high-concentrate corn straw diet induce a higher pro-inflammatory response in the mammary gland and thus may partly decrease the milk production efficiencies in dairy cows.

Corn silage versus corn silage:alfalfa hay mixtures for dairy cows: effects of dietary potassium, calcium, and cation-anion difference.

PubMed

Erdman, R A; Piperova, L S; Kohn, R A

2011-10-01

Corn silage (CS) has replaced alfalfa hay (AH) and haylage as the major forage fed to lactating dairy cows, yet many dairy producers believe that inclusion of small amounts of alfalfa hay or haylage improves feed intake and milk production. Alfalfa contains greater concentrations of K and Ca than corn silage and has an inherently higher dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD). Supplemental dietary buffers such as NaHCO(3) and K(2)CO(3) increase DCAD and summaries of studies with these buffers showed improved performance in CS-based diets but not in AH-based diets. We speculated that improvements in performance with AH addition to CS-based diets could be due to differences in mineral and DCAD concentrations between the 2 forages. The objective of this experiment was to test the effects of forage (CS vs. AH) and mineral supplementation on production responses using 45 lactating Holstein cows during the first 20 wk postpartum. Dietary treatments included (1) 50:50 mixture of AH and CS as the forage (AHCS); (2) CS as the sole forage; and (3) CS fortified with mineral supplements (CaCO(3) and K(2)CO(3)) to match the Ca and K content of the AHCS diet (CS-DCAD). Feed intake and milk production were equivalent or greater for cows fed the CS and CS-DCAD diets compared with those fed the AHCS diet. Fat percentage was greater in cows fed the CS compared with the AHCS diet. Fat-corrected milk (FCM; 3.5%) tended to be greater in cows fed the CS and CS-DCAD diets compared with the AHCS diet. Feed efficiencies measured as FCM/dry matter intake were 1.76, 1.80, and 1.94 for the AHCS, CS, and CS-DCAD diets, respectively. The combined effects of reduced feed intake and increased FCM contributed to increased feed efficiency with the CS-DCAD diet, which contained 1.41% K compared with 1.18% K in the CS diet, and we speculate that this might be the result of added dietary K and DCAD effects on digestive efficiency. These results indicate no advantage to including AH in CS-based diets, but suggest that improving mineral supplementation in CS-based diets may increase feed efficiency. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of including NaOH-treated corn straw as a substitute for wheat hay in the ration of lactating cows on performance, digestibility, and rumen microbial profile.

PubMed

Jami, E; Shterzer, N; Yosef, E; Nikbachat, M; Miron, J; Mizrahi, I

2014-03-01

This study measured the effects of including 5% NaOH-treated corn straw (T-CS) as a substitute for 15% wheat hay in the control total mixed ration (TMR) of lactating cows on performance, digestibility, and rumen microbial profile. Two groups of 21 cows each, similar in initial performance, were fed individually 1 of the 2 TMR examined. Voluntary dry matter intake of cows fed the control TMR was 4.3% higher than that of the T-CS cows, but in vivo dry matter and organic matter digestibilities of both groups were similar. Crude protein digestibility was higher in the control cows but digestibility of neutral detergent fiber polysaccharides (cellulose and hemicelluloses) was higher in the T-CS TMR. This was followed by 4.6% reduction in rumination time of the T-CS group. A slightly higher milk yield was observed in the control cows compared with the T-CS group; however, milk fat and milk protein content were higher in cows fed the T-CS TMR. This was reflected in 1.3% increase in energy-corrected milk yield and 5.34% increase in production efficiency (energy-corrected milk yield/intake) of the T-CS cows compared with the control. Welfare of the cows, as assessed by length of daily recumbence time, was improved by feeding the T-CS TMR relative to the control group. As a whole, the rumen bacterial community was significantly modulated in the T-CS group in the experimental period compared with the preexperimental period, whereas the bacterial community of the control group remained unchanged during this period. Out of the 8 bacterial species that were quantified using real-time PCR, a notable decrease in cellulolytic bacteria was observed in the T-CS group, as well as an increase in lactic acid-utilizing bacteria. These results illustrate the effect of T-CS on the composition of rumen microbiota, which may play a role in improving the performance of the lactating cow. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of water addition to a total mixed ration on feed temperature, feed intake, sorting behavior, and milk production of dairy cows.

PubMed

Felton, C A; DeVries, T J

2010-06-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of water addition to a high-moisture total mixed ration (TMR) on feed temperature, feed intake, feed sorting behavior, and milk production of dairy cows. Twelve lactating Holstein cows (155.8+/-60.1 DIM), individually fed once daily at 1000 h, were exposed to 3 diets in a Latin square design with 28-d treatment periods. Diets had the same ingredient composition [30.9% corn silage, 30.3% alfalfa haylage, 21.2% high-moisture corn, and 17.6% protein supplement; dry matter (DM) basis] and differed only in DM concentration, which was reduced by the addition of water. Treatment diets averaged 56.3, 50.8, and 44.1% DM. The study was conducted between May and August when environmental temperature was 18.2+/-3.6 degrees C and ambient temperature in the barn was 24.4+/-3.3 degrees C. Dry matter intake (DMI) was monitored for each animal for the last 14 d of each treatment period. For the final 7 d of each period, milk production was monitored, feed temperature and ambient temperature and humidity were recorded (daily at 1000, 1300, and 1600 h), and fresh feed and orts were sampled for determination of sorting. For the final 4 d of each period, milk samples were taken for composition analysis. Samples taken for determining sorting were separated using a Penn State Particle Separator that had 3 screens (19, 8, and 1.18 mm) and a bottom pan, resulting in 4 fractions (long, medium, short, and fine). Sorting was calculated as the actual intake of each particle size fraction expressed as a percentage of the predicted intake of that fraction. Greater amounts of water added to the TMR resulted in greater increases in feed temperature in the hours after feed delivery, greater sorting against long particles, and decreased DMI, reducing the overall intake of starch and neutral detergent fiber. Milk production and composition were not affected by the addition of water to the TMR. Efficiency of production of milk was, however, increased with greater amounts of water added to the TMR. The increases in feed temperature in the hours after feed delivery were enhanced by higher ambient temperatures; this may be indicative of feed spoilage and thus may have contributed to the reduced DMI observed. Overall, these results suggest that the addition of water to high-moisture TMR (less than 60% DM) containing primarily haylage and silage forage sources will not always discourage cows from sorting, but rather may increase this behavior and limit the nutrient consumption of cows, particularly when ambient temperature is high. 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prepartum feeding level and body condition score affect immunological performance in grazing dairy cows during the transition period.

PubMed

Lange, Joshua; McCarthy, Allison; Kay, Jane; Meier, Susanne; Walker, Caroline; Crookenden, Mallory A; Mitchell, Murray D; Loor, Juan J; Roche, John R; Heiser, Axel

2016-03-01

Precalving feeding level affects dry matter intake, postcalving energy balance, the risk of hepatic lipidosis and metabolic disease, and gene expression in liver and adipose tissue. These coincide with a higher risk of disease postpartum and, very likely, a failure to reach optimum production as well as reproductive targets. Current interpretation of the available evidence suggest that metabolic stressors affect the immune system of transition dairy cows and lead to reduced immunocompetence. The objective of the current study was to investigate the effect of precalving body condition score (BCS) and level of feeding on immunocompetence during the peripartum period. Twenty-three weeks before calving, 78 cows were allocated randomly to 1 of 6 treatment groups (n=13) in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement: 2 precalving BCS categories (4.0 and 5.0, based on a 10-point scale) and 3 levels of energy intake during the 3 wk preceding calving (75, 100, and 125% of estimated requirements). Blood was sampled precalving and at 1, 2 and 4 wk after calving. Cells were analyzed by flow cytometry and quantitative real-time PCR. The numbers of T helper lymphocytes (CD4+), cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD8+), natural killer cells (CD335+), and γδ T lymphocytes (WC1+) as well as their activation status [IL-2 receptor (CD25)+ cells] were highly variable between animals, but there was no evident effect of BCS, feeding level, or time. All groups presented with an increase in expression of cytokines in unstimulated blood cells in the week after calving, although this was significant only for IFNG in the BCS 4.0 group. Analysis of in vitro-stimulated cells allowed 2 general observations: (1) cows with high energy intake precalving (125%) had increased cytokine expression precalving, and (2) all cows had increased cytokine expression in the week after calving. The present study provides evidence that prepartum feed management can affect immunocompetence during the transition period. Considering the current results, optimally conditioned animals might benefit from a restricted precalving diet, whereas underconditioned cows can be fed to requirements. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors associated with the financial performance of spring-calving, pasture-based dairy farms.

PubMed

Ramsbottom, G; Horan, B; Berry, D P; Roche, J R

2015-05-01

As land becomes a limiting resource for pasture-based dairy farming, the inclusion of purchased supplementary feeds to increase milk production per cow (through greater dry matter intake) and per hectare (through increased stocking rate) is often proposed as a strategy to increase profitability. Although a plausible proposition, virtually no analysis has been done on the effect of such intensification on the profitability of commercial pasture-based dairy farm businesses. The objective of this study was to characterize the average physical and financial performance of dairy systems differing in the proportion of the cow's diet coming from grazed pasture versus purchased supplementary feeds over 4 yr, while accounting for any interaction with geographic region. Physical, genetic, and financial performance data from 1,561 seasonal-calving, pasture-based dairy farms in Ireland were available between the years 2008 and 2011; data from some herds were available for more than 1 yr of the 4-yr study period, providing data from 2,759 dairy farm-years. The data set was divided into geographic regions, based on latitude, rainfall, and soil characteristics that relate to drainage; these factors influence the length of the pasture growth season and the timing of turnout to pasture in spring and rehousing in autumn. Farms were also categorized by the quantity of feed purchased; farms in which cows received <10, 11-20, 21-30, or >30% of their annual feed requirements from purchased feed were considered to be categories representative of increasing levels of system intensification. Geographic region was associated with differences in grazing days, pasture harvested per hectare, milk production per cow and per hectare, and farm profitability. Farms in regions with longer grazing seasons harvested a greater amount of pasture [an additional 19kg of dry matter (DM)/ha per grazing day per hectare], and greater pasture harvested was associated with increased milk component yield per hectare (58.4kg of fat and 51.4kg of protein more per tonne of DM pasture harvested/ha) and net profit per hectare (€268/ha more per tonne of DM harvested). Milk yield and yield of milk components per cow and per hectare increased linearly with increased use of purchased feed (additional 30.6kg of milk fat and 26.7kg of milk protein per tonne of DM purchased feed per hectare), but, on average, pasture harvested/hectare and net profit/hectare declined (-0.60 t of DM/ha and -€78.2/ha, respectively) with every tonne of DM supplementary feed purchased per hectare. The results indicate an effect of purchased feeds not usually accounted for in marginal economic analyses (e.g., milk to feed price ratio): the decline in pasture harvested/hectare, with the costs of producing the unutilized pasture in addition to the cost of feed resulting in a lower profit. In conclusion, greater milk component yields per cow were associated with increased profit per hectare, and a greater use of purchased feeds was associated with an increase in the yield of milk components. However, on average, increasing yield of milk components through the supply of purchased feeds to pasture-based cows was associated with a decline in pasture harvested per hectare and profitability. The decline in pasture harvested per hectare with increased use of purchased supplements per cow is probably the primary reason for the low milk production response and the failure to capitalize on the potential benefits of purchased supplements, with the associated costs of growing the unutilized pasture, in conjunction with increased nonfeed variable and fixed costs outweighing the increased milk production and revenue from supplementation. Farmers considering intensification through use of purchased supplements to increase the stock-carrying capacity of the farm (i.e., stocking rate) must ensure that they focus on management of pasture and total cost control to capture the potential benefits of supplementary feed use. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Concentrate Supplement Modifies the Feeding Behavior of Simmental Cows Grazing in Two High Mountain Pastures.

PubMed

Romanzin, Alberto; Corazzin, Mirco; Piasentier, Edi; Bovolenta, Stefano

2018-05-16

During grazing on Alpine pastures, the use of concentrates in dairy cows' diet leads to a reduction of the environmental sustainability of farms, and influences the selective pressure on some plant species. In order to minimize the use of concentrates, it is imperative to obtain data on the grazing behavior of cows. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of concentrate levels on the behavior of dairy cows during grazing. One hundred and ten lactating Italian Simmental cows, that sequentially grazed two pastures characterized by Poion alpinae (Poion) and Seslerion caeruleae (Seslerion) alliance, were considered. For each pasture, eight cows were selected and assigned to two groups: High and Low, supplemented with 4 kg/head/d, and 1 kg/head/d of concentrate respectively. Cows were equipped with a noseband pressure sensor and a pedometer (RumiWatch system, ITIN-HOCH GmbH) to assess grazing, ruminating, and walking behavior. In addition, the plant selection of the animals was assessed. On Poion, increased supplement intake caused a more intense selection of legumes, without affecting feeding and walking times. On Seslerion, grazing time was higher in Low than High. Grazing management in alpine region must take into account the great variability of pastures that largely differ from a floristic and nutritional point of view.

Dairy cow preference for different types of outdoor access.

PubMed

Smid, Anne-Marieke C; Weary, Daniel M; Costa, Joao H C; von Keyserlingk, Marina A G

2018-02-01

Dairy cows display a partial preference for being outside, but little is known about what aspects of the outdoor environment are important to cows. The primary aim of this study was to test the preference of lactating dairy cattle for pasture versus an outdoor sand pack during the night. A secondary aim was to determine whether feeding and perching behavior changed when cows were provided outdoor access. A third objective was to investigate how the lying behavior of cows changed when given access to different outdoor areas. Ninety-six lactating pregnant cows were assigned to 8 groups of 12 animals each. After a baseline phase of 2 d in which cows were kept inside the freestall barn, cows were habituated to the outdoor areas by providing them access to each of the 2 options for 24 h. Cows were then given access, in random order by group, to either the pasture (pasture phase) or the sand pack (sand phase). As we tested the 2 outdoor options using space allowances consistent with what would be practical on commercial dairy farms, the space provided on pasture was larger (21,000 m 2 ) than that provided on the sand pack (144 m 2 ). Cows were tested at night (for 2 nights in each condition), from 2000 h until morning milking at approximately 0800 h, as preference to be outdoors is strongest at this time. During the next 3 nights cows were given access to both outside options simultaneously (choice phase). Feeding and perching behaviors were recorded when cows were indoors during the day and night periods. Lying behavior was automatically recorded by HOBO data loggers (Onset, Bourne, MA). Cows spent more time outside in the pasture phase (90.0 ± 5.9%) compared with the sand phase (44.4 ± 6.3%). When provided simultaneous access to both options, cows spent more time on pasture than on the sand pack (90.5 ± 2.6% vs. 0.8 ± 0.5%, respectively). Time spent feeding indoors during the day did not change regardless of what type of outdoor access was provided, but there was a decline in perching during the day when cows were provided access to either outdoor option at night. Lying time in the pasture phase was lower than in the baseline or sand phase. During the nighttime, lying time outside was not different between the sand (55.4 ± 7.9%) and pasture (52.0 ± 7.4%) phases. In summary, cows spent a considerable amount of time outside during the night when given the opportunity and showed a preference for a large pasture versus a small sand pack as an outdoor area. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of Dietary Forage to Concentrate Ratio on Lactation Performance and Methane Emission from Dairy Cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Our objective was to determine the effect of feeding diets with different forage to concentrate ratios (F:C) on performance and methane (CH4) emission from lactating dairy cows. Eight multiparous Holstein cows (means ± standard deviation: 620 ± 38 kg of body weight (BW); 41 ± 34 days in milk (DIM)) ...

Diagnosis of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) by continuous reticular pH measurements in cows.

PubMed

Sato, Shigeru; Ikeda, Aya; Tsuchiya, Yoshiyuki; Ikuta, Kentaro; Murayama, Isao; Kanehira, Masahiro; Okada, Keiji; Mizuguchi, Hitoshi

2012-09-01

The objective of this study was to determine whether subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) could be diagnosed by continuous measurements of the reticular pH, as compared with the ruminal pH, using healthy cows fed a control diet and SARA cows fed a rumen acidosis-inducing diet. The reticular and ruminal pH were measured simultaneously by a radio transmission pH measurement system. The mean reticular pH at 1-h intervals decreased gradually from the morning feeding to the next feeding time in both healthy and SARA cows, though the decrease in the ruminal pH was observed to be more drastic as compared with that observed in the reticular pH. The threshold of the 1-h mean pH in the reticulum for a diagnosis of SARA was considered to be 6.3, and a significant positive correlation was observed between the reticular and ruminal pH. No differences in the concentrations of lactic acid, ammonia nitrogen, and volatile fatty acids were noted between the reticular and ruminal fluids in SARA cows. These results demonstrate that the reticular pH can be used to detect SARA in cows, as opposed to using the ruminal pH.

The effects of feeding rations that differ in neutral detergent fiber and starch concentration within a day on production, feeding behavior, total-tract digestibility, and plasma metabolites and hormones in dairy cows.

PubMed

Rottman, L W; Ying, Y; Zhou, K; Bartell, P A; Harvatine, K J

2015-07-01

Dairy cows exhibit a daily pattern of feed intake and milk synthesis, and feeding a single total mixed ration over the day may not synchronize ruminal fermentation, nutrient absorption, and milk synthesis. Our hypothesis was that feeding a high-fiber diet during the high-intake period of the day and a low-fiber diet during the low-intake overnight period would stabilize rumen fermentation, nutrient absorption, and the availability of nutrients for milk synthesis. Nine ruminally cannulated cows were used in a 3×3 Latin square design with 23-d periods. Diets were a control [CON; 33.3% neutral detergent fiber (NDF)], a low-fiber diet (LF; 29.6% NDF), and a high-fiber diet (HF; 34.8% NDF). The HF and LF diets were balanced to provide the same nutrient composition as the control diet when cows were fed a 7:3 ratio of HF:LF. Control cows were fed once daily at 0900h. Cows in the high/low treatment (H/L) were fed HF at 70% of daily offering at 0900h and LF at 30% of daily offering at 2200h; cows in the low/high (L/H) treatment were fed LF at 30% of daily offering at 0900h and HF at 70% of daily offering at 1300h. Dry matter intake was decreased 1.9kg/d by H/L compared with CON, but intake did not differ between H/L and L/H. The H/L and L/H treatments resulted in a large amount of feed consumed after each feeding, which shifted the daily patterns of starch and fiber intake. Treatments did not differ in total-tract digestibility. We detected no differences between CON and H/L for milk yield and composition. The H/L treatment unexpectedly tended to reduce milk and reduced milk fat yield compared with L/H, although L/H was expected to result in poorer rumen fermentation and decreased milk fat yield. Treatment did not affect milk fat concentrations of trans-10 C18:1, trans-11 C18:1, or de novo synthesized fatty acids, but H/L increased milk fat concentration of preformed fatty acids compared with CON (39.15 vs. 37.38% of FA, respectively). Treatment had no effect on plasma insulin or glucose at individual time points but did modify the phase and amplitude of the daily rhythms. Daily average plasma nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) were decreased by H/L compared with CON and L/H, and H/L treatments decreased the amplitude of the daily rhythm of NEFA by 3.4 and 6.7μEq/L compared with CON and L/H, respectively. The amplitude of the daily rhythm of plasma blood urea N was increased by more than 15% by H/L compared with CON and L/H. Feeding multiple rations over the day changed the daily pattern of starch and fiber intake and decreased daily intake without decreasing milk yield or body weight gain over the 23-d observation periods. Feeding a high-fiber diet during the high-intake period of the day and a low-fiber diet during the low-intake overnight period failed to show other benefits, likely because of the change in feeding behavior. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of feeding canola meal or wheat dried distillers grains with solubles as a major protein source in low- or high-crude protein diets on ruminal fermentation, omasal flow, and production in cows.

PubMed

Mutsvangwa, T; Kiran, D; Abeysekara, S

2016-02-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of feeding canola meal (CM) or wheat dried distillers grains with solubles (W-DDGS) as the major source of protein in diets varying in crude protein (CP) content on ruminal fermentation, microbial protein production, omasal nutrient flow, and production performance in lactating dairy cows. Eight lactating dairy cows were used in a replicated 4×4 Latin square design with 29-d periods (21 d of dietary adaptation and 8 d of measurements) and a 2×2 factorial arrangement of dietary treatments. Four cows in 1 Latin square were ruminally cannulated to allow ruminal and omasal sampling. The treatment factors were (1) source of supplemental protein (CM vs. W-DDGS) and (2) dietary CP content (15 vs. 17%; DM basis). Diets contained 50% forage and 50% concentrate, and were fed twice daily at 0900 and 1600 h as total mixed rations for ad libitum intake. Dry matter intake and milk yield were unaffected by dietary treatments; however, milk yield in cows that were fed CM was numerically greater (+1.1 kg/d) when compared with cows fed W-DDGS. Feeding CM increased milk lactose content compared with feeding W-DDGS. Milk urea nitrogen and ruminal NH3-N concentrations were greater in cows fed the high-CP compared with those fed the low-CP diet. The rumen-degradable protein supply was greater in cows fed the high-CP when compared with those fed the low-CP diet when diets contained CM, whereas rumen-degradable protein supply was lower in cows fed the high-CP when compared with those fed the low-CP diet when diets contained W-DDGS. Total N flow at the omasal canal was not affected by diet; however, omasal flow of NH3-N was greater in cows fed CM when compared with those fed W-DDGS. The rumen-undegradable protein supply was greater in cows fed the low-CP when compared with those fed the high-CP diet when diets contained CM, whereas rumen-undegradable protein supply was lower in cows fed the low-CP when compared with those fed the high-CP diet when diets contained W-DDGS. Omasal flow of fluid-associated bacteria was greater and that of particle-associated bacteria tended to be greater in cows fed CM when compared with those fed W-DDGS; however, omasal flow of total microbial nonammonia N was unaffected by dietary treatment. Omasal flows of threonine and tryptophan were greater, whereas that of histidine and lysine tended to be greater in cows fed CM when compared with those fed W-DDGS. Our results show that when dairy diets are formulated to contain 15 or 17% CP, CM or W-DDGS can be used as the major source of protein and achieve similar levels of milk production. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risk factors for displaced abomasum or ketosis in Swedish dairy herds.

PubMed

Stengärde, L; Hultgren, J; Tråvén, M; Holtenius, K; Emanuelson, U

2012-03-01

Risk factors associated with high or low long-term incidence of displaced abomasum (DA) or clinical ketosis were studied in 60 Swedish dairy herds, using multivariable logistic regression modelling. Forty high-incidence herds were included as cases and 20 low-incidence herds as controls. Incidence rates were calculated based on veterinary records of clinical diagnoses. During the 3-year period preceding the herd classification, herds with a high incidence had a disease incidence of DA or clinical ketosis above the 3rd quartile in a national database for disease recordings. Control herds had no cows with DA or clinical ketosis. All herds were visited during the housing period and herdsmen were interviewed about management routines, housing, feeding, milk yield, and herd health. Target groups were heifers in late gestation, dry cows, and cows in early lactation. Univariable logistic regression was used to screen for factors associated with being a high-incidence herd. A multivariable logistic regression model was built using stepwise regression. A higher maximum daily milk yield in multiparous cows and a large herd size (p=0.054 and p=0.066, respectively) tended to be associated with being a high-incidence herd. Not cleaning the heifer feeding platform daily increased the odds of having a high-incidence herd twelvefold (p<0.01). Keeping cows in only one group in the dry period increased the odds of having a high incidence herd eightfold (p=0.03). Herd size was confounded with housing system. Housing system was therefore added to the final logistic regression model. In conclusion, a large herd size, a high maximum daily milk yield, keeping dry cows in one group, and not cleaning the feeding platform daily appear to be important risk factors for a high incidence of DA or clinical ketosis in Swedish dairy herds. These results confirm the importance of housing, management and feeding in the prevention of metabolic disorders in dairy cows around parturition and in early lactation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dried distillers grains with solubles do not always cause late blowing in baby Swiss cheese.

PubMed

Sankarlal, V Manimanna; Testroet, E D; Beitz, D C; Clark, S

2015-12-01

Late blowing in Swiss cheese, a result of unwanted gas production, is unacceptable to consumers and causes economic loss to manufacturers. Cheese processors have raised concerns that feeding dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) to cows leads to this defect, in part because of clostridial spores. We hypothesized that spores in DDGS would affect the quality of milk and baby Swiss cheese by promoting late-blowing defects. Thirty healthy multiparous and mid-lactation Holstein cows were fed total mixed ration containing DDGS (0, 10, and 20%; 10 cows per treatment group) by dietary dry matter in a 3×3 Latin square design. One complete milking from all cows within a treatment was collected and pooled for baby Swiss cheese, twice within each month of the 3-mo study. Additionally, individual milk samples from the 3 milkings of one day were collected weekly for proximate analysis. Incubation in reinforced clostridial medium-lactate medium tubes inoculated with milk, cheese, total mixed ration, or manure showed gas formation. Conversely, the DDGS used in our study did not contain gas-producing, spore-forming bacteria. Feeding 20% DDGS decreased milk fat percent and increased the solids nonfat, protein, and lactose percent of milk. After 60 d of ripening, baby Swiss cheese had typical propionic acid Swiss cheese aroma. Regardless of dietary treatment, pinholes, slits, splits, cracks, or a combination of these, were seen throughout most cheeses. Feeding of DDGS increased the amount of long-chain unsaturated fatty acids and decreased short-chain and most medium-chain fatty acids in the baby Swiss cheese. Although feeding cows diets with DDGS modified milk composition, and subsequently cheese composition, DDGS was not a source for gas-producing, spore-forming bacteria or for quality defects in Swiss cheese. Rather, the gas-producing, spore-forming bacteria likely originated from the environment or the cows themselves. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nutrition-induced ketosis alters metabolic and signaling gene networks in liver of periparturient dairy cows.

PubMed

Loor, Juan J; Everts, Robin E; Bionaz, Massimo; Dann, Heather M; Morin, Dawn E; Oliveira, Rosane; Rodriguez-Zas, Sandra L; Drackley, James K; Lewin, Harris A

2007-12-19

Dairy cows are highly susceptible after parturition to developing liver lipidosis and ketosis, which are costly diseases to farmers. A bovine microarray platform consisting of 13,257-annotated oligonucleotides was used to study hepatic gene networks underlying nutrition-induced ketosis. On day 5 postpartum, 14 Holstein cows were randomly assigned to ketosis-induction (n = 7) or control (n = 7) groups. Cows in the ketosis-induction group were fed at 50% of day 4 intake until they developed signs of clinical ketosis, and cows in the control group were fed ad libitum throughout the treatment period. Liver was biopsied at 10-14 (ketosis) or 14 days postpartum (controls). Feed restriction increased blood concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids and beta-hydroxybutyrate, but decreased glucose. Liver triacylglycerol concentration also increased. A total of 2,415 genes were altered by ketosis (false discovery rate = 0.05). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed downregulation of genes associated with oxidative phosphorylation, protein ubiquitination, and ubiquinone biosynthesis with ketosis. Other molecular adaptations included upregulation of genes and nuclear receptors associated with cytokine signaling, fatty acid uptake/transport, and fatty acid oxidation. Genes downregulated during ketosis included several associated with cholesterol metabolism, growth hormone signaling, proton transport, and fatty acid desaturation. Feed restriction and ketosis resulted in previously unrecognized alterations in gene network expression underlying key cellular functions and discrete metabolic events. These responses might help explain well-documented physiological adaptations to reduced feed intake in early postpartum cows and, thus, provide molecular targets that might be useful in prevention and treatment of liver lipidosis and ketosis.

Improvement of Milk Fatty Acid Composition for Production of Functional Milk by Dietary Phytoncide Oil Extracted from Discarded Pine Nut Cones (Pinus koraiensis) in Holstein Dairy Cows

PubMed Central

Kim, Min Jeong; Jung, U Suk; Jeon, Seung Woo; Lee, Jae Sung; Kim, Won Seob; Lee, Sang Bum; Kim, Youn Chil; Kim, Bae Young; Wang, Tao; Lee, Hong Gu

2016-01-01

This study was conducted to examine the effects of adding phytoncide oil extracted from Korean pine nut cone byproduct to the diet of dairy cows on milk yield and compositions, fatty acid characteristics, complete blood count and stress response. A total of 74 Holstein cows were used for 30 days and divided into two groups. Each group was given a basal diet (C) or an experimental diet containing phytoncide additives at 0.016% (T) in feed. The results showed that phytoncide feeding had no effect on milk yield. In addition, there were no observed effects on milk composition, but the ratio of fatty acid in milk was significantly affected by the phytoncide diet, and it showed a positive effect. Not only were the major functional fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid increased, but also ω6:ω3 fatty acid ratio was reduced in milk of T group (p<0.05). In blood analysis, the complete blood count showed no significant difference between C and T group on all parameters. However, the cortisol concentration was significantly decreased in T group compared to control (p<0.05). Taken together, we suggest that phytoncide oil does not have a great influence on the physiological changes, but can be a potential feed additive that improves the milk fatty acid and stress resilience in dairy cows. In addition, it will contribute to the development of feed resource, a reduction in feed cost and a lessening of environmental pollution. PMID:27383800

Dairy cows fed on tropical legume forages: effects on milk yield, nutrients use efficiency and profitability.

PubMed

Castro-Montoya, J M; García, R A; Ramos, R A; Flores, J M; Alas, E A; Corea, E E

2018-04-01

Two trials with multiparous dairy cows were conducted. Experiment 1 tested the effects of increasing forage proportion in the diet (500, 600, and 700 g/kg DM) when a mixed sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and jackbean (Cannavalia ensiformis) silage was used as forage. Experiment 2 studied the substitution of sorghum silage and soybean meal by jackbean silage or fresh cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) forage in the diet. All diets were iso-energetic and iso-proteic. In each experiment, 30 cows were used and separated into three groups. In experiment 1, there were no differences in dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield (MY), or apparent total tract digestibility (aTTd) among the three diets, but milk fat content increased with increasing forage proportion, even though the similar neutral detergent fiber of all diets. Nitrogen use efficiency was highest in the diet containing 600 g forage/kg DM, and some evidence was observed for a better profitability with this forage proportion. In experiment 2, feeding legumes increased DMI despite no effects on aTTd. Milk yield increased in line with DMI, with a larger increase for the fresh cowpea. Nitrogen use efficiency and milk composition were not affected by the diets. The increased MY and lower feed costs increased the economic benefits when feeding legumes, particularly when feeding fresh cowpea. Feeding fresh cowpea or jackbean silage to dairy cows appears to be an alternative to soybean as protein source, ideally at a forage proportions of 600 g/kg DM, without altering milk yield and quality and increasing the farm profitability.

Replacing alfalfa or red clover silage with birdsfoot trefoil silage in total mixed rations increases production of lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Hymes-Fecht, U C; Broderick, G A; Muck, R E; Grabber, J H

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to compare milk production and nutrient utilization in dairy cattle fed silage made from alfalfa (AL) or red clover (RC) versus birdsfoot trefoil (BFT) selected for low, normal, and high levels of condensed tannins. Condensed tannin contents of the 3 BFT silages were 8, 12, and 16 g/kg of DM by butanol-HCl assay. Twenty-five multiparous Holstein cows (5 fitted with ruminal cannulas) were blocked by days in milk and randomly assigned within blocks to incomplete 5×5 Latin squares. Diets contained [dry matter (DM) basis] about 60% AL, 50% RC, or 60% of 1 of the 3 BFT; the balance of dietary DM was largely from high-moisture corn plus supplemental crude protein from soybean meal. Diets were balanced to approximately 17% crude protein and fed for four 3-wk periods; 2 wk were allowed for adaptation and production data were collected during the last week of each period. No differences existed in DM intake or milk composition due to silage source, except that milk protein content was lowest for RC. Yields of milk, energy-corrected milk, fat, protein, lactose, and solids-not-fat were greater for the 3 BFT diets than for diets containing AL or RC. Feeding BFT with the highest condensed tannin content increased yield of milk, protein, and solids-not-fat compared with BFT containing the lowest amount of condensed tannin. Moreover, milk-N/N-intake was higher, and milk urea nitrogen concentration and urinary urea-N excretion were lower for diets with normal levels of BFT than for AL or RC diets. Feeding RC resulted in the highest apparent digestibility of DM, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and hemicellulose and lowest ruminal concentrations of ammonia and free amino acids. Ruminal branched-chain volatile fatty acid levels were lowest for RC diets and diets with high levels of BFT and highest for the AL diet. Overall, diets containing BFT silage supported greater production than diets containing silage from AL or RC. The results indicated that feeding BFT or other legume silages containing condensed tannins can enhance performance and N utilization in lactating dairy cows. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Grain source and marginal changes in forage particle size modulate digestive processes and nutrient intake of dairy cows.

PubMed

Nasrollahi, S M; Khorvash, M; Ghorbani, G R; Teimouri-Yansari, A; Zali, A; Zebeli, Q

2012-08-01

This study investigated the effects of, and interactions between, dietary grain source and marginal changes in alfalfa hay (AH) particle size (PS) on digestive processes of dairy cows. A total of eight Holstein dairy cows (175 days in milk) were allocated in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with four 21-day periods. The experiment was a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two levels of theoretical PS of AH (fine = 15 mm or long = 30 mm) each combined with two different sources of cereal grains (barley grain alone or barley plus corn grain in a 50 : 50 ratio). Results showed that cows consuming diets supplemented with corn had greater dry matter and nutrient intakes (P < 0.01), independent of forage PS. In addition, the apparent digestibility of fiber fractions was greater for diets supplemented with corn (P = 0.01). The feeding of barley grain-based diets was associated with greater apparent digestibility of non-fiber carbohydrates, and this variable was even greater when long AH was fed (P = 0.04). Moreover, the feeding of long AH resulted in longer time spent eating (P = 0.03) and higher pH (P < 0.01), as well as a tendency for higher acetate-to-propionate ratio in the rumen fluid (P = 0.06) at 3 h post feeding. In conclusion, the results indicated that the marginal increase of PS of AH may prolong eating time and improve rumen fermentation, particularly in diets based on barley grain. Partial substitution of barley grain by corn can improve feed intake and fiber digestibility in mid-lactation dairy cows.

Systematic microRNAome profiling reveals the roles of microRNAs in milk protein metabolism and quality: insights on low-quality forage utilization

PubMed Central

Wang, Diming; Liang, Guanxiang; Wang, Bing; Sun, Huizeng; Liu, Jianxin; Guan, Le Luo

2016-01-01

In this study, we investigated the molecular regulatory mechanisms of milk protein production in dairy cows by studying the miRNAomes of five key metabolic tissues involved in protein synthesis and metabolism from dairy cows fed high- and low-quality diets. In total, 340, 338, 337, 330, and 328 miRNAs were expressed in the rumen, duodenum, jejunum, liver, and mammary gland tissues, respectively. Some miRNAs were highly correlated with feed and nitrogen efficiency, with target genes involved in transportation and phosphorylation of amino acid (AA). Additionally, low-quality forage diets (corn stover and rice straw) influenced the expression of feed and nitrogen efficiency-associated miRNAs such as miR-99b in rumen, miR-2336 in duodenum, miR-652 in jejunum, miR-1 in liver, and miR-181a in mammary gland. Ruminal miR-21-3p and liver miR-2285f were predicted to regulate AA transportation by targeting ATP1A2 and SLC7A8, respectively. Furthermore, bovine-specific miRNAs regulated the proliferation and morphology of rumen epithelium, as well as the metabolism of liver lipids and branched-chain AAs, revealing bovine-specific mechanisms. Our results suggest that miRNAs expressed in these five tissues play roles in regulating transportation of AA for downstream milk production, which is an important mechanism that may be associated with low milk protein under low-quality forage feed. PMID:26884323

A STUDY TO EVALUATE THE LEVELS OF DIOXIN-LIKE ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in cooperation with USDA and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has undertaken a program to study the presence of dioxin-like compounds in animal feeds. Two phases of this program have been completed, and this paper reports on the third phase. The first phase was a study on the mass balance of dioxins in lactating cows. The objective of that study was to quantify the role feeds play in total dairy cow exposures. The second phase of the program involved the collections and measurement of dioxins in minor feed components. Dioxins in specific targeted animal feed components of interest, including animal and plant byproducts were measured. The third phase involved sampling of total mixed dairy feeds and feed components from dairy facilities around the United States, and measuring for dioxin-like compounds. Lorber, M; Ferrario, J; Byrne, C; Greene, C; Cyrus, A. 2004. A Study to Evaluate the Levels of Dioxin-Like Compounds in Dairy Feeds in the United States. Organohalogen Compounds 66: 1958-1965. journal articles

Milk Production and Income over Feed Costs in Dairy Cows Fed Medium-roasted Soybean Meal and Corn Dried Distiller’s Grains with Solubles

PubMed Central

Thanh, Lam Phuoc; Suksombat, Wisitiporn

2015-01-01

The aims of this study were to determine the effects of feeding medium-roasted soybean meal (SBM) and corn dried distiller’s grains with solubles (CDDGS) in dairy cows on milk production and income over feed costs. A randomized complete block design experiment was conducted with 24 crossbred multiparous Holstein Friesian dairy cows in early- and mid-lactation. Four dietary treatments were as follows: basal diet without feed substitute (Control), 7.17% dry matter (DM) roasted SBM replaced for concentrate (R-SBM), 11.50% DM CDDGS replaced for concentrate (DDGS), and 3.58% DM roasted SBM plus 5.75% DM CDDGS replaced for concentrate (SB-DG). The roasted SBM was produced using a medium-heated treatment at 100°C for 180 min. Dry matter intake was not affected by feeding high rumen undegradable protein (RUP) sources, but the replacement of roasted SBM and CDDGS for concentrate significantly improved (p<0.001) RUP intake (0.90, 0.86, and 0.88 kg/d corresponding to R-SBM, DDGS, and SB-DG) compared to the control (0.61 kg/d). Feeding roasted SBM and CDDGS alone or in combination had no significant effect on milk composition of dairy cows (p>0.05), whereas milk yield was significantly increased by 3.08 kg/d in the SB-DG group relative to the control group (p<0.01). Net income was meaningfully increased (p<0.05) from 4th week post feeding, the SB-DG group reached the greatest net income ($3.48/head/d) while the control group had the lowest value ($2.60/head/d). In conclusion, the use of CDDGS alone or in combination with medium-roasted SBM as substitute for concentrate in lactating dairy cattle diet led to improved milk production and net income over feed costs without affecting total dry matter intake and milk composition, while feeding medium-roasted SBM seemed to show intermediate values in almost parameters. PMID:25656183

Effects of late gestation distillers grains supplementation on fall-calving beef cow performance and steer calf growth and carcass characteristics.

PubMed

Wilson, T B; Schroeder, A R; Ireland, F A; Faulkner, D B; Shike, D W

2015-10-01

Fall-calving, mature Angus and Simmental × Angus cows ( = 251 total) and their progeny were used to evaluate the effects of late gestation dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) supplementation on cow performance and progeny growth and carcass characteristics. Cows were blocked by breed and allotted to 12 tall fescue pastures (6.8 ha average). Pastures were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: cows were offered 2.1 kg DM DDGS·cow·d (SUP; CP = 23%, fat = 7%; = 6 pastures) or were not offered a supplement (CON; = 6 pastures) 69 ± 9 d before expected calving date. Cows remained on treatments until calving. Once weekly, cows that had calved were removed from treatment pastures and were moved to new tall fescue pastures (21.6 ha average) where cows from both treatments were comingled without further supplementation. Cows ( = 74) were removed from study for calving more than 30 d after expected calving date, calf loss and injury, or euthanasia. Cow BW and BCS were recorded at the beginning of the supplementation period, after calving, and at breeding. Calf BW was taken at birth and early weaning (82 ± 14 d of age). After weaning, 71 steer progeny (representative of dam breed and treatment pastures) were transitioned to a common feedlot diet with individual feed intake monitored using the GrowSafe feeding system. Steers were slaughtered at 47 ± 4 d after a minimum 12th rib fat thickness (back fat) estimation of 0.6 cm, with cattle being shipped in 3 groups. Forage availability was not different between treatments ( = 0.69). Cows offered SUP gained more BW and BCS ( ≤ 0.02) during the supplementation period. There were no differences ( ≥ 0.12) in calving date, calf birth or weaning BW, or preweaning ADG. Cow BW at breeding was not different ( = 0.19); however, BCS at breeding was greater ( < 0.01) for cows offered supplement. No differences ( ≥ 0.11) in milk production, AI conception, or overall pregnancy rate were detected. For steer progeny, initial feedlot BW, final BW, and days on feed were not different ( ≥ 0.35); no difference ( = 0.77) in feedlot ADG was detected. Feedlot DMI and G:F were not different ( ≥ 0.52) across treatments. No differences ( = 0.62) in morbidity were observed in the feedlot. No differences ( ≥ 0.19) were detected for HCW, LM area, marbling score, or yield grade. Prepartum DDGS supplementation improved cow BW and BCS but did not alter milk production, subsequent reproduction, or subsequent calf performance or carcass characteristics.

Effects of acetic acid or sodium acetate infused into the rumen or abomasum on feeding behavior and metabolic response of cows in the postpartum period.

PubMed

Gualdrón-Duarte, Laura B; Allen, Michael S

2018-03-01

Effects of continuous isomolar infusions of acetic acid (AcA) or sodium acetate (NAc) infused into the rumen (RU) or into the abomasum (AB) on feeding behavior, dry matter intake (DMI), and metabolic response of cows in the early postpartum period were evaluated. Six rumen-cannulated multiparous Holstein cows (11.8 ± 3.9 d in milk; mean ± SD) were utilized in a 6 × 6 Latin square design experiment balanced for carryover effects with a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Treatments were AcA and NAc, with sodium chloride (CON) as a control, infused at a rate of ˜0.75 mol/h (0.5 L/h) into the RU or AB for the first 8 h following feeding, with a rest day between infusion days. Treatment sequences were assigned randomly to cows. Feeding behavior was recorded by a computerized data acquisition system and blood was sampled at 0, 4, and 8 h relative to the start of infusion. We hypothesized that AcA is more hypophagic than NAc, and that infusion into the AB is more hypophagic than infusion into the RU. Dry matter intakes (DMI) for the CON treatments were similar at 6.2 kg/8 h for RU and 6.1 kg/8 h for AB, and the AcA and NAc treatments interacted with site of infusion to affect DMI. The NAc-RU treatment did not reduce DMI (7.0 kg/8 h), whereas AcA-RU (2.6 kg/8 h), AcA-AB (3.7 kg/8 h), and NAc-AB (4.0 kg/8 h) decreased DMI compared with CON. Following infusions of AcA compared with NAc, there was a residual effect on DMI for the remainder of the day, but treatments did not affect DMI during the rest day. Treatments increased plasma acetate and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations over time (interaction) and decreased plasma insulin concentration compared with CON. Plasma glucose concentration decreased over time after AcA-AB infusion compared with other treatments and CON. Plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentration increased over time for AcA compared with NAc and CON, suggesting an increase in lipolysis to compensate the decrease in DMI. In contrast to the other treatments, NAc-RU did not decrease DMI compared with control but we cannot determine the reason for this from the data available from the current study. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of maintenance energy requirement and energetic efficiency between lactating Holstein-Friesian and other groups of dairy cows.

PubMed

Dong, L F; Yan, T; Ferris, C P; McDowell, D A

2015-02-01

The objectives of the present study were to investigate the effects of cow group on energy expenditure and utilization efficiency. Data used were collated from 32 calorimetric chamber experiments undertaken from 1992 to 2010, with 823 observations from lactating Holstein-Friesian (HF) cows and 112 observations from other groups of lactating cows including Norwegian (n=50), Jersey × HF (n=46), and Norwegian × HF (n=16) cows. The metabolizable energy (ME) requirement for maintenance (MEm) for individual cows was calculated from heat production (HP) minus energy losses from inefficiencies of ME use for lactation, energy retention, and pregnancy. The efficiency of ME use for lactation (kl) was obtained from milk energy output adjusted to zero energy balance (El(0)) divided by ME available for production. The effects of cow groups were first evaluated using Norwegian cows against HF crossbred cows (F1 hybrid, Jersey × HF and Norwegian × HF). The results indicated no significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of energy digestibility, ratio of ME intake over gross energy intake, MEm (MJ per kg of metabolic body weight, MJ/kg(0.75)), or kl. Consequently, their data were combined (categorized as non-HF cows) and used to compare with those of HF cows. Again, we detected no significant difference in energy digestibility, ratio of ME intake over gross energy intake, MEm (MJ/kg(0.75)), or kl between non-HF and HF cows. The effects were further evaluated using linear regression to examine whether any significant differences existed between HF and non-HF cows in terms of relationships between ME intake and energetic parameters. With a common constant, no significant difference was observed between the 2 groups of cows in coefficients in each set of relationships between ME intake (MJ/kg(0.75)) and MEm (MJ/kg(0.75)), El(0) (MJ/kg(0.75)), HP (MJ/kg(0.75)), MEm:ME intake, El(0):ME intake, or HP:ME intake. However, MEm values (MJ/kg(0.75)) were positively related to ME intake (MJ/kg(0.75)), irrespective of cow group. We concluded, therefore, that cow groups evaluated in the present study had no significant effects on energy expenditure or energetic efficiency. However, the maintenance energy requirement (MJ/kg(0.75)) was not constant (as adopted in the majority of energy rationing systems across the world) but increased with increasing feed intake. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of a grain challenge on ruminal, urine, and fecal pH, apparent total-tract starch digestibility, and milk composition of Holstein and Jersey cows.

PubMed

Luan, S; Cowles, K; Murphy, M R; Cardoso, F C

2016-03-01

The effects of a grain challenge on ruminal, urine, and fecal pH, apparent total-tract starch digestibility, and milk composition were determined. Six Holstein cows, 6 rumen-cannulated Holstein cows, and 6 Jersey cows were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design balanced to measure carryover effects. Periods (10 d) were divided into 4 stages (S): S1, d 1 to 3, served as baseline with regular total mixed ration ad libitum; S2, d 4, served as restricted feeding, with cows offered 50% of the total mixed ration fed on S1 (dry matter basis); S3, d 5, a grain challenge was performed, in which cows were fed total mixed ration ad libitum and not fed (CON) or fed an addition of 10% (MG) or 20% (HG) pellet wheat-barley (1:1) top-dressed onto the total mixed ration, based on dry matter intake obtained in S1; S4, d 6 to 10, served as recovery stage with regular total mixed ration fed ad libitum. Overall, cows had a quadratic treatment effect for milk yield where CON (22.6 kg/d) and HG (23.5 kg/d) had lower milk yield than cows in MG (23.7 kg/d). Jersey cows had a quadratic treatment effect for dry matter intake where cows in CON (13.2 kg/d) and HG (12.4 kg/d) had lower dry matter intake than cows in MG (14 kg/d). Holstein cows had a linear treatment effect for dry matter intake (17.7, 18.4, and 18.6 kg/d for CON, MG, and HG, respectively). Rumen pH for the rumen-cannulated cows had a linear treatment effect (6.45, 6.35, and 6.24 for CON, MG, and HG, respectively). Cows in HG spent more time with rumen pH below 5.8 (4.33 h) than MG (2 h) or CON (2.17 h) as shown by the quadratic treatment effect. Holstein cows in HG (8.46) had lower urine pH than MG (8.51) or CON (8.54) as showed by the linear treatment effect for urine pH. Apparent total-tract starch digestibility had a tendency for a linear treatment effect on S3 (97.62 ± 1.5, 97.47 ± 1.5, and 91.84 ± 1.6%, for CON, MG, and HG, respectively). Fecal pH was associated with rumen pH depression as early as 15 h after feeding for Holstein cows. In conclusion, a grain challenge reduced urine pH in Holstein cows but not in Jersey cows. Holstein cows' health were not affected when rumen pH was depressed. A potentially useful link between rumen pH and systemic (urine) pH within 2 h after feeding was quantified in Holstein cows. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of forage to concentrate ratio in dairy cow diets on emission of methane, carbon dioxide and ammonia, lactation performance and manure excretion

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Holstein cows housed in a modified tie-stall barn were used to determine the effect of feeding diets with different forage to concentrate ratios (F:C) on performance and emission of methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2) and manure ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N). Eight multiparous cows (means ± standard devi...

40 CFR 122.23 - Concentrated animal feeding operations (applicable to State NPDES programs, see § 123.25).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the following categories: (i) 700 mature dairy cows, whether milked or dry; (ii) 1,000 veal calves; (iii) 1,000 cattle other than mature dairy cows or veal calves. Cattle includes but is not limited to heifers, steers, bulls and cow/calf pairs; (iv) 2,500 swine each weighing 55 pounds or more; (v) 10,000...

Endogenous and dietary lipids influencing feed intake and energy metabolism of periparturient dairy cows.

PubMed

Kuhla, B; Metges, C C; Hammon, H M

2016-07-01

The high metabolic priority of the mammary gland for milk production, accompanied by limited feed intake around parturition results in a high propensity to mobilize body fat reserves. Under these conditions, fuel selection of many peripheral organs is switched, for example, from carbohydrate to fat utilization to spare glucose for milk production and to ensure partitioning of tissue- and dietary-derived nutrients toward the mammary gland. For example, muscle tissue uses nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) but releases lactate and amino acids in a coordinated order, thereby providing precursors for milk synthesis or hepatic gluconeogenesis. Tissue metabolism and in concert, nutrient partitioning are controlled by the endocrine system involving a reduction in insulin secretion and systemic insulin sensitivity and orchestrated changes in plasma hormones such as insulin, adiponectin, insulin growth factor-I, growth hormone, glucagon, leptin, glucocorticoids, and catecholamines. However, the endocrine system is highly sensitive and responsive to an overload of fatty acids no matter if excessive NEFA supply originates from exogenous or endogenous sources. Feeding a diet containing rumen-protected fat from late lactation to calving and beyond exerts similar negative effects on energy intake, glucose and insulin concentrations as does a high extent of body fat mobilization around parturition in regard to the risk for ketosis and fatty liver development. High plasma NEFA concentrations are thought not to act directly at the brain level, but they increase the energy charge of the liver which is, signaled to the brain to diminish feed intake. Cows differing in fat mobilization during the transition phase differ in their hepatic energy charge, whole body fat oxidation, glucose metabolism, plasma ghrelin, and leptin concentrations and in feed intake several week before parturition. Hence, a high lipid load, no matter if stored, mobilized or fed, affects the endocrine system, metabolism, and feed intake, and increases the risk for metabolic disorders. Future research should focus on a timely parallel increase in feed intake and milk yield during early lactation to reduce the impact of body fat on feed intake, metabolic health, and negative energy balance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Invited review: Genetic considerations for various pasture-based dairy systems.

PubMed

Washburn, S P; Mullen, K A E

2014-10-01

Pasture-based dairy systems use grazing to supply significant percentages of the dry matter intake of cows and heifers. Such systems vary from those for which pasture is used only as a supplemental feed for cows primarily fed a total mixed ration to those for which pasture is the primary source of dry matter for the herd. Cows that are optimal in a pasture system share many general characteristics with cows that are appropriate for a nonpasture system, including feed efficiency, maintenance of body condition, reproductive fitness, udder health, longevity, and the ability to adapt to various management systems. However, in such divergent feeding systems, the relative importance of various traits can differ. In pasture systems where cow nutrient demand intentionally coincides with seasonal forage availability, the focus of selection has emphasized fertility and other fitness traits, as well as yields of milk or milk components. Breeds or strains with higher yields of protein and fat typically have advantages in grazing systems that supply milk to solids-based or cheese markets. Holstein cows with high percentages of North American ancestry can work well in grazing systems that include supplemental concentrates or partial mixed rations, particularly if calving intervals are less restrictive. Crossbred cows can be selected for use in specific grazing systems as well as for specific milk markets, with the added advantage of heterosis. Breeds and crosses with high fertility are important for seasonal breeding and calving. The ability of cattle to both milk and maintain sufficient body condition for reproduction is important for any dairy production system but is critical in a seasonal system. Dairy farms that depend on pasture for most of dry matter for cows typically have lower production per cow than nongrazing dairies but have the potential to be economically competitive because of lower operating and overhead costs. Although the principles of selection are similar across a variety of pasture-based and nonpasture systems, we document from studies and observations covered herein that optimal breeds, breed strains, and selection strategies can differ based on varying management constraints and objectives. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Supplementing an immunomodulatory feed ingredient to modulate thermoregulation, physiologic, and production responses in lactating dairy cows under heat stress conditions.

PubMed

Leiva, T; Cooke, R F; Brandão, A P; Schubach, K M; Batista, L F D; Miranda, M F; Colombo, E A; Rodrigues, R O; Junior, J R G; Cerri, R L A; Vasconcelos, J L M

2017-06-01

This study compared vaginal temperature, physiologic, and productive parameters in lactating dairy cows supplemented or not with Omnigen-AF (Phibro Animal Health, Teaneck, NJ) during the summer months in a tropical environment. Thirty-two lactating, primiparous (n = 16) and multiparous (n = 16) pregnant Holstein × Gir cows were ranked by parity, days in milk, body weight, and body condition score (BCS), and assigned to receive (SUPP; n = 16) or not (CON; n = 16) Omnigen-AF (Phibro Animal Health, Teaneck, NJ) at 56 g/cow daily (as-fed basis). During the experimental period (d -6 to 56), cows were maintained in a single drylot pen with ad libitum access to water and a total mixed ration, and milked twice daily. Cows received Omnigen-AF mixed with 200 g of corn (as-fed basis) after the daily morning milking through self-locking head gates, whereas CON cows concurrently received 56 g of kaolin mixed with 200 g of corn. For feed intake evaluation, cows from both treatments were randomly divided in 4 groups of 8 cows each, and allocated to 8 individual feeding stations for 3 d. Intake was evaluated 4 times per group from d 1 to 56. From d -6 to 0, d 15 to 28, and d 43 to 56, cow vaginal temperature was recorded hourly. Environmental temperature-humidity index (THI) was also recorded hourly from d 15 to 28 and d 43 to 56. Cows were evaluated for body weight and BCS on d -6 and 56, individual milk production was recorded daily from d -6 to 56, and milk samples were collected on d -6, 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, and 56 for analyses of somatic cell count and milk components. Blood samples were collected on d -6, -3, 0, 9, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 36, 45, 48, 51, 54, and 56. Results from samples or observations collected from d -6 to 0 were included as an independent covariate in each respective analysis. Environmental THI was 74.2 ± 0.5 and cows were exposed to THI >68 for 633 h within a total of 672 h of evaluation. Cows assigned to CON had greater vaginal temperature on d 28, 43, 45, and from d 48 to 55 (by 0.38 to 0.52%), as well as greater mean somatic cell count (by 97%) and serum haptoglobin concentrations (by 89%) compared with SUPP cows. Cows assigned to SUPP had greater mean dry matter intake (by 7%), BCS on d 56 (by 11%), and mean serum insulin concentrations (by 35%) compared with CON cows. Hence, SUPP ameliorated hyperthermia, improved nutritional status, and modulated systemic and mammary gland immune parameters in lactating dairy cows exposed to heat stress conditions. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 412.30 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS (CAFO) POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Dairy Cows and Cattle Other Than Veal... operations (CAFOs) under 40 CFR 122.23 and includes the following animals: mature dairy cows, either milking...

Protein and amino acid nutrition

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dairy cow protein and amino acid nutrition have a significant role in sustainable dairying. Protein, amino acids, and nitrogen are inextricably linked through effects in the rumen, metabolism of the cow, and environmental nutrient management. Feeding systems have been making progress toward emphasiz...

Fresh-cow handling practices and methods for identification of health disorders on 45 dairy farms in California.

PubMed

Espadamala, A; Pallarés, P; Lago, A; Silva-Del-Río, N

2016-11-01

The aim of the present study was to describe fresh-cow handling practices and techniques used during fresh cow evaluations to identify postpartum health disorders on 45 dairy farms in California ranging from 450 to 9,500 cows. Fresh cow practices were surveyed regarding (a) grouping and housing, (b) scheduling and work organization, (c) screening for health disorders, and (d) physical examination methods. Information was collected based on cow-side observations and responses from fresh cow evaluators. Cows were housed in the fresh cow pen for 3 to 14 (20%), 15 to 30 (49%), or >31 (31%) d in milk. Fresh cow evaluations were performed daily (78%), 6 times a week (11%), 2 to 5 times a week (9%), or were not routinely performed (2%). There was significant correlation between the duration of fresh cow evaluations and the number of cows housed in the fresh pen. Across all farms, the duration of evaluations ranged from 5 to 240 min, with an average of 16 s spent per cow. During fresh cow checks, evaluators always looked for abnormal vaginal discharge, retained fetal membranes, and down cows. Dairies evaluated appetite based on rumen fill (11%), reduction of feed in the feed bunk (20%), rumination sensors (2%), or a combination of these (29%). Milk yield was evaluated based on udder fill at fresh cow checks (40%), milk flow during milking (11%), milk yield records collected by milk meters (2%), or a combination of udder fill and milk meters (5%). Depressed attitude was evaluated on 64% of the dairies. Health-monitoring exams for early detection of metritis were implemented on 42% of the dairies based on rectal examination (13%), rectal temperature (22%), or both (7%). Dairies implementing health-monitoring exams took longer to perform fresh cow evaluations. Physical examination methods such as rectal examination, auscultation, rectal temperature evaluation, and cow-side ketosis tests were used on 76, 67, 38, and 9% of dairies, respectively. Across dairies, we found large variation in signs of health disorders screened and how those signs were evaluated. Fresh cows were primarily evaluated based on nonspecific and subjective observations during screening. Future research efforts should focus on developing and validating scoring systems to more objectively identify health disorders in postpartum cows. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Milk production of Jersey and Fleckvieh × Jersey cows in a pasture-based feeding system.

PubMed

Goni, Sindisile; Muller, Carel Johan Christiaan; Dube, Bekezela; Dzama, Kennedy

2015-01-01

Milk production parameters of purebred Jersey (J) cows and Fleckvieh × Jersey (F × J) cows in a pasture-based feeding system were compared using standard milk recording procedures. Milk, fat and protein production was adjusted to 305 days per lactation and corrected for age at calving. Effects of breed, parity, month and year were estimated for milk, fat and protein yield as well as fat and protein percentage, using the general linear model procedure. Fixed effects identified as affecting milk production parameters significantly were breed, parity and year. F × J cows produced significantly more milk than J cows (6141 ± 102 and 5398 ± 95 kg milk, respectively). Similarly, fat and protein yields were significantly higher in F × J (272 ± 4 and 201 ± 3 kg, respectively) than in Jersey cows (246 ± 3 and 194 ± 2 kg, respectively). Fat and protein percentages only differed slightly in absolute terms being 4.61 ± 0.04% fat in the Jersey compared to 4.47 ± 0.04% fat in the F × J. Protein levels for J and F × J cows were 3.62 ± 0.03 and 3.51 ± 0.03%, respectively. Despite a lower fat percentage, F × J crossbred cows may be more productive than purebred Jersey cows which may be due to heterotic effects.

Effect of Anionic Salt and Highly Fermentable Carbohydrate Supplementations on Urine pH and on Experimentally Induced Hypocalcaemia in Cows

PubMed Central

Mellau, LSB; Jørgensen, RJ; Bartlett, PC; Enemark, JMD; Hansen, AK

2004-01-01

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of dietary grain on calcium homeostasis. Six rumen-fistulated dairy cows with 3 or more previous lactations and no history of parturient paresis were randomly assigned to a sequence of diets in a crossover study with 4 periods of 10 days each. Dietary treatments were: A control ration consisting of wrap grass silage alone (1), the control ration supplemented with ammonium chloride and ammonium sulphate salt solution (2), control ration following a period with supplementation (3) and control ration supplemented with increasing amounts of barley from 4 to 10 kg/cow per day, expected to produce subclinical rumen acidosis (4). Daily intake of the diets was adjusted to 14 kg DM/cow per day. On day 11, the calcium-regulating mechanisms in cows were challenged until recumbency by a standardized intravenous EDTA infusion and cows were left to recover spontaneously. Anion supplementation and the feeding of highly fermentable carbohydrate lowered urine pH below 7.0 due to subclinical acidosis. During spontaneous recovery from EDTA induced hypocalcaemia, the cows more quickly regained a whole blood free calcium concentration of 1.00 mmol/L if they had most recently been supplemented with either anionic salts or with increasing amounts of barley, as compared to the basic ration. It is concluded that so-called slug-feeding or 'steaming up' with highly fermentable carbohydrates before parturition in milk fever susceptible cows enhanced calcium homeostasis similar to the effect seen in cows on anionic diets. PMID:15663074

Short communication: Early modification of the circadian organization of cow activity in relation to disease or estrus.

PubMed

Veissier, Isabelle; Mialon, Marie-Madeleine; Sloth, Karen Helle

2017-05-01

Biological rhythms are an essential regulator of life. There is evidence that circadian rhythm of activity is disrupted under chronic stress in animals and humans, and it may also be less marked during diseases. Here we investigated whether a detectable circadian rhythm of activity exists in dairy cows in commercial settings using a real-time positioning system. We used CowView (GEA Farm Technologies) to regularly record the individual positions of 350 cows in a Danish dairy farm over 5 mo and to infer the cows' activity (resting, feeding, in alley). We ran a factorial correspondence analysis on the cows' activities and used the first component of this analysis to express the variations in activity. On this axis, the activities obtained the following weights: resting = -0.15; in alleys = +0.12; feeding = +0.34. By applying these weights to the proportions of time each cow spent on each of the 3 activities, we were able to chart a circadian rhythm of activity. We found that average level of activity of a cow on a given day and its variations during that day varied with specific states (i.e., estrus, lameness, mastitis). More specifically, circadian variations in activity appeared to be particularly sensitive and to vary 1 to 2 d before the farmer detected a disorder. These findings offer promising avenues for further research to design models to predict physiological or pathological states of cows from real-time positioning data. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using water to cool cattle: behavioral and physiological changes associated with voluntary use of cow showers.

PubMed

Legrand, A; Schütz, K E; Tucker, C B

2011-07-01

Water is commonly used to cool cattle in summer either at milking or over the feed bunk, but little research has examined how dairy cows voluntarily use water separate from these locations. The objectives were to describe how and when dairy cattle voluntarily used an overhead water source separate from other resources, such as feed, and how use of this water affected behavioral and physiological indicators of heat stress. Half of the 24 nonlactating cattle tested had access to a "cow shower" composed of 2 shower heads activated by a pressure-sensitive floor. All animals were individually housed to prevent competition for access to the shower. Over 5 d in summer (air temperature=25.3±3.3°C, mean ± standard deviation), cattle spent 3.0±2.1 h/24h in the shower, but considerable variability existed between animals (individual daily values ranged from 0.0 to 8.2 h/24h). A portion of this variation can be explained by weather; shower use increased by 0.3h for every 1°C increase in ambient temperature. Cows preferentially used the shower during the daytime, with 89±12% of the time spent in the shower between 1000 and 1900 h. Respiration rate and skin temperature did not differ between treatments [53 vs. 61 breaths/min and 35.0 vs. 35.4°C in shower and control cows, respectively; standard error of the difference (SED)=5.6 breaths/min and 0.49°C]. In contrast, body temperature of cows provided with a shower was 0.2°C lower than control cows in the evening (i.e., 1800 to 2100h; SED=0.11°C). Cows with access to a shower spent half as much time near the water trough than control animals, and this pattern became more pronounced as the temperature-humidity index increased. In addition, cattle showed other behavioral changes to increasing heat load; they spent less time lying when heat load index increased, but the time spent lying, feeding, and standing without feeding did not differ between treatments. Cows had higher respiration rate, skin temperature, and body temperature as heat load index increased, regardless of treatment. These data suggest that cattle, when given the opportunity, will make considerable use of a shower to reduce heat load, but that individuals are highly variable in their use of this resource. The variability between cows indicates that the behavioral response to water is likely an important, but poorly understood, consideration in the design of sprinkler systems used for summer cooling. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Short communication: Iodine concentrations in serum, milk, and tears after feeding Ascophyllum nodosum to dairy cows-A pilot study.

PubMed

Sorge, U S; Henriksen, M; Bastan, A; Cremers, N; Olsen, K; Crooker, B A

2016-10-01

Kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum) is rich in iodine and often fed by organic dairy producers as a mineral supplement to support animal health. A commonly held belief is that kelp supplementation decreases susceptibility to infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis due to increased iodine concentrations in tears. Whereas serum and milk iodine concentrations are positively correlated and modulated by oral iodine supplementation, nothing is known about the iodine concentration of tears. Therefore, the 3 objectives of this pilot study were to determine (1) the iodine content of tears, milk, and serum of cows after being fed kelp for 30d; (2) the trace mineral and thyroid status of cows before (d 0) and after being fed kelp for 30d; and (3) the in vitro growth rate of bacteria in tears (Moraxella bovis) or milk (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus uberis) collected from cows fed no kelp (d 0) or kelp (d 30). Cows (n=3/treatment) were individually fed 56g of kelp per day (n=3/treatment) or not (n=3/no treatment) for 30 d. Daily feed intake of the TMR was recorded and weekly TMR, kelp, milk, blood and tear samples were collected and analyzed for iodine. The feed samples were pooled and further analyzed for other minerals. On d 0 and 30, liver biopsies and blood samples were collected and analyzed for mineral content and thyroid hormone concentrations, respectively. An inhibition test used milk and tear-soaked plates from kelp-fed cows (d 0 and 30) as well as 1 and 7.5% iodine as positive and distilled water as negative control. As expected, serum iodine concentrations were positively correlated with milk and tear iodine concentrations. Whereas the iodine concentrations in serum increased significantly in the kelp-fed cows during the 30-d study, milk and tear iodine concentrations increased only numerically in these cows compared with the control group. Liver mineral profiles were comparable between groups and generally did not change over the course of the study. Thyroid hormones remained overall within the reference range throughout the trial. Neither milk nor tears from kelp-fed cows inhibited in vitro growth of any of the plated bacteria. In summary, serum iodine concentration was correlated with the iodine concentration in milk and tears and feeding kelp increased only the serum iodine levels of cows in this trial. Bacterial growth was not inhibited in milk and tears of kelp-fed cattle in vitro, and prevention of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis would not be based solely on increased iodine concentrations in tears. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interactions between phosphorus feeding strategies for pigs and dairy cows and separation efficiency of slurry.

PubMed

Sommer, S G; Maahn, M; Poulsen, H D; Hjorth, M; Sehested, J

2008-01-01

Phosphorus (P) in manure is a nutrient source for plants, but surplus P amended to fields represents a risk to the environment. This study examines the interactions between low-P diets for pigs and dairy cows and the separation of animal slurry into a solid P fraction and a liquid fraction. Replacing inorganic phosphates with phytase in pig feed reduced the concentration of P in slurry by 35%, but supplementing concentrates to dairy cows did not affect the P concentration in cattle slurry. Particle-size fractions of the slurry were not affected by these dietary changes. The amount of dry matter (DM) in the < 0.025 mm fraction was greater in pig slurry than in cattle slurry, but the relative amounts of P and nitrogen (N) were larger in the > 0.025 mm fraction. Replacing feed phosphate, in the form of mono-calcium phosphate, with phytase in the pig diet reduced the separation index (efficiency) of P from 80% to 60%.

Effects of supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid on reproduction of dairy cows.

PubMed

Sinedino, Letícia D P; Honda, Paula M; Souza, Letícia R L; Lock, Adam L; Boland, Maurice P; Staples, Charles R; Thatcher, William W; Santos, José E P

2017-05-01

The objectives were to determine the effects of supplementing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich algae on reproduction of dairy cows. Holstein cows were assigned randomly to either a control ( n  = 373) or the same diet supplemented daily with 100 g/cow of an algae product containing 10% DHA (algae, n  = 366) from 27 to 147 days postpartum. Measurements included yields of milk and milk components, fatty acids (FA) profiles in milk fat and plasma phospholipids, resumption of ovulation by 57 days postpartum, pregnancy per artificial insemination (AI) and expression of interferon-stimulated genes in leukocytes. Feeding algae increased resumption of estrous cyclicity (77.6 vs 65.9%) and pregnancy at first AI (47.6 vs 32.8%) in primiparous cows. Algae increased pregnancy per AI in all AI in both primiparous and multiparous cows (41.6 vs 30.7%), which reduced days to pregnancy by 22 days (102 vs 124 days) compared with control cows. Pregnant cows fed algae had greater expression of RTP4 in blood leukocytes compared with those in pregnant control cows. Feeding algae increased the incorporation of DHA, eicosapentaenoic acid, conjugated linoleic acid isomers cis -9 trans -11, trans -10 cis -12 and total n-3 FA in phospholipids in plasma and milk fat. Yields of milk and true protein increased by 1.1 kg/day and 30 g/day respectively, whereas fat yield decreased 40 g/day in algae compared with that in control. Supplementing DHA-rich algae altered the FA composition of lipid fractions and improved reproduction in dairy cows. The benefits on reproduction might be mediated by enhanced embryo development based on changes in interferon-stimulated gene expression. © 2017 Society for Reproduction and Fertility.

An evaluation of an immunomodulatory feed ingredient in heat-stressed lactating Holstein cows: Effects on hormonal, physiological, and production responses.

PubMed

Hall, L W; Villar, F; Chapman, J D; McLean, D J; Long, N M; Xiao, Y; Collier, J L; Collier, R J

2018-06-06

Holstein cows (n = 30) were balanced by days in milk, milk production, and parity (91 ± 5.9 d in milk, 36.2 ± 2.5 kg/d, and 3.1 ± 1.4, respectively) and fed OmniGen-AF (OG; Phibro Animal Health, Teaneck, NJ), an immune stimulant, at 0 g/cow per d for control (CON) or 56 g/cow per d for OG for 52 d on a commercial dairy. At 52 d of the study cows were randomly selected (n = 12) from both groups (6 OG and 6 CON) and housed in environmentally controlled rooms at the Agricultural Research Complex for 21 d at the University of Arizona. Cows were subjected to 7 d of thermoneutral (TN) conditions, 10 d of heat stress (HS), and 4 d of recovery (REC) under TN conditions. Feed intake, milk production, and milk composition were measured daily. Rectal temperatures (RT) and respiration rates (RR) were recorded 3 times per day (600, 1400, and 1800 h). Blood samples were taken on d 7 (TN), 8 (HS), 10 (HS), 17 (HS), and 18 (TN) during the Agricultural Research Complex segment. Cows in HS had higher RR and RT and water intake and lower dry matter intake and milk yield than these measures in TN. There was a treatment × environment interaction with cows fed OG having lower RR and RT and higher dry matter intake during peak thermal loads than CON. However, milk yield did not differ between groups. Cows fed OG had lower milk fat percent than CON (3.7 vs 4.3%) during HS. The SCC content of milk did not differ between treatment groups but rose in both groups during the REC phase following HS. Plasma insulin and plasma glucose levels were not different between groups. However, plasma insulin in both groups was lower during acute HS, then rose across the HS period, and was highest during the REC phase. Plasma cortisol levels were highest in all cows on the first day of HS (d 8) but were lower in cows fed OG compared with CON. However, plasma ACTH concentrations were elevated in OG-fed animals at all times samples were collected. Plasma ACTH was also elevated in cows fed both OG and CON during HS. Feeding OG reduced plasma cortisol during acute but not chronic HS and increased basal plasma ACTH, suggesting that OG treatment may alter the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of energy balance profiles on metabolic and reproductive response in Holstein and Swedish Red cows.

PubMed

Ntallaris, T; Humblot, P; Båge, R; Sjunnesson, Y; Dupont, J; Berglund, B

2017-03-01

This study examined the effect of two feeding levels during the antepartum and postpartum period on reproductive performance and blood metabolites (glucose, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), insulin) in primiparous Holstein and Swedish Red (SRB) cows, in order to identify possible differences in the way these breeds respond to negative energy balance after calving. A total of 44 cows (22 Holstein, 22 SRB) kept in a loose housing system were included in the study. The control group (HE, n = 23) was fed a diet for high-producing cows (target 35 kg/d energycorrected milk, ECM). A lower feeding intensity (LE, n = 21) was achieved by giving -50% concentrate to target 25 kg/d ECM. Diets were implemented 30 days before expected calving and the cows were monitored for 120 days postpartum. Milk yield and composition, dry matter intake (DMI), live body weight and body condition score (BCS) were assessed to calculate the weekly energy balance (residual feed intake). Blood sampling started before diet implementation and was repeated every 2 weeks until Day 60 postpartum and then once monthly until Day 120. Plasma was kept at -20 °C until analysis for glucose, insulin and NEFA concentrations. Mixed linear models were used to analyse data (SAS 9.3; PROC MIXED). Holstein cows had lower mean energy balance than SRB cows (-4.7 ± 1.4 and -0.9 ± 1.4 MJ, respectively; p = 0.05). SRB cows had higher (p<0.001) BCS (3.3 ± 0.1) than Holstein cows (2.7 ± 0.1) and also higher plasma glucose concentrations from Day -30 to Day 120 relative to parturition (4.1 ± 0.1 and 4.2 ± 0.1 log ; mg/100 ml, respectively; p < 0.05). Overall, breed or diet had no effect on NEFA blood plasma concentrations. However, plasma NEFA concentration levels tended to be higher (p = 0.09) in SRB cows than in Holsteins at Day -14 before calving, indicating higher mobilisation of lipid from adipose tissue already before calving. In contrast, Holstein cows had higher NEFA at Day 14 postpartum than SRB cows (p < 0.05). There were no significant effects of diet or breed on reproductive performance (% pregnant at first AI, days open). However, commencement of luteal activity within 21d postpartum was affected (p < 0.05) by the interaction of breed and diet. These results suggest that Holstein cows prioritise milk production to a larger extent than SRB cows, resulting in a less balanced metabolic profile. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Short- and longer-term effects of feeding increased metabolizable protein with or without an altered amino acid profile to dairy cows immediately postpartum.

PubMed

Carder, E G; Weiss, W P

2017-06-01

The first few weeks after parturition is marked by low, but increasing feed intake and sharply increasing milk production by dairy cows. Because of low intake, the nutrient density of the diet may need to be higher during this period to support increasing milk yields. We hypothesized that feeding higher levels of metabolizable protein (MP) or a protein supplement with rumen-protected lysine and methionine during the immediate postpartum period would increase yields of milk and milk components. Fifty-six Holstein cows (21 primiparous and 35 multiparous) starting at 3 d in milk were used in a randomized block design. In phase 1 (3 through 23 d in milk), cows were fed 1 of 3 diets that differed in supply of MP and AA profile. At 23 d in milk, all cows were moved to a common freestall pen and fed the control diet used in phase 1 for an additional 63 d (phase 2). Diets were formulated using the National Research Council model and were control [16.5% crude protein (CP), 10.9% rumen-degradable protein (RDP), and 5.6% rumen-undegradable protein (RUP)], high MP (HMP; 18.5% CP, 11.6% RDP, 6.9% RUP), and AA (MPAA; 17.5% CP, 10.5% RDP, 7.0% RUP 29.7). The MPAA diet included a proprietary spray-dried blood meal product (Perdue Agribusiness, Salisbury, MD) and contained a model-estimated 7.2 and 2.6% of digestible lysine and methionine (% of MP). The HMP and control diets contained 6.3 and 6.7% digestible lysine and both had 1.8% digestible methionine. In phase 1, diet did not affect milk yield (33.6, 34.7, and 33.2 kg for control, HMP, and MPAA, respectively), dry matter intake (17.8, 18.0, and 18.5 kg/d for control, HMP, and MPAA), or milk protein yield (1.07 kg/d). Feeding additional protein (HMP or MPAA) increased both the concentration and yield of milk fat, and milk protein concentration was greater (3.30 vs. 3.17%) for MPAA compared with the HMP diet. Energy-corrected milk was greater (38.4 and 38.6 vs. 35.3 kg/d, respectively) for MPAA and HP than for the control. Cows fed MPAA had the greatest plasma concentrations of Met and the lowest concentrations of isoleucine, but lysine was not affected by treatment. Feeding additional MP (HMP or MPAA) reduced the concentrations of 3-methylhistidine in plasma, indicating reduced muscle breakdown. Diet effects on milk composition continued after cows were changed to a common diet in that cows fed MPAA the first 3 wk of lactation had greater concentration of milk protein for the entire experiment than cows fed HMP, and cows fed additional MP (HMP and MPAA) during phase 1 had greater concentrations of milk fat for the entire experiment. Increasing dietary protein and AA supply in early lactation had short-term effects on yield of energy-corrected milk and long-term effects on milk composition. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic parameters between feed-intake-related traits and conformation in 2 separate dairy populations--the Netherlands and United States.

PubMed

Manzanilla-Pech, C I V; Veerkamp, R F; Tempelman, R J; van Pelt, M L; Weigel, K A; VandeHaar, M; Lawlor, T J; Spurlock, D M; Armentano, L E; Staples, C R; Hanigan, M; De Haas, Y

2016-01-01

To include feed-intake-related traits in the breeding goal, accurate estimates of genetic parameters of feed intake, and its correlations with other related traits (i.e., production, conformation) are required to compare different options. However, the correlations between feed intake and conformation traits can vary depending on the population. Therefore, the objective was to estimate genetic correlations between 6 feed-intake-related traits and 7 conformation traits within dairy cattle from 2 countries, the Netherlands (NL) and the United States (US). The feed-intake-related traits were dry matter intake (DMI), residual feed intake (RFI), milk energy output (MilkE), milk yield (MY), body weight (BW), and metabolic body weight (MBW). The conformation traits were stature (ST), chest width (CW), body depth (BD), angularity (ANG), rump angle (RA), rump width (RW), and body condition score (BCS). Feed intake data were available for 1,665 cows in NL and for 1,920 cows in US, from 83 nutritional experiments (48 in NL and 35 in US) conducted between 1991 and 2011 in NL and between 2007 and 2013 in US. Additional conformation records from relatives of the animals with DMI records were added to the database, giving a total of 37,241 cows in NL and 28,809 in US with conformation trait information. Genetic parameters were estimated using bivariate animal model analyses. The model included the following fixed effects for feed-intake-related traits: location by experiment-ration, age of cow at calving modeled with a second order polynomial by parity class, location by year-season, and days in milk, and these fixed effects for the conformation traits: herd by classification date, age of cow at classification, and lactation stage at classification. Both models included additive genetic and residual random effects. The highest estimated genetic correlations involving DMI were with CW in both countries (NL=0.45 and US=0.61), followed by ST (NL=0.33 and US=0.57), BD (NL=0.26 and US=0.49), and BCS (NL=0.24 and US=0.46). The MilkE and MY were moderately correlated with ANG in both countries (0.33 and 0.47 in NL, and 0.36 and 0.48 in US). Finally, BW was highly correlated with CW (0.77 in NL and 0.84 in US) and with BCS (0.83 in NL and 0.85 in US). Feed-intake-related traits were moderately to highly genetically correlated with conformation traits (ST, CW, BD, and BCS) in both countries, making them potentially useful as predictors of DMI. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Infant feeding patterns in families with a diabetes history - observations from The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) birth cohort study.

PubMed

Hummel, Sandra; Vehik, Kendra; Uusitalo, Ulla; McLeod, Wendy; Aronsson, Carin Andrén; Frank, Nicole; Gesualdo, Patricia; Yang, Jimin; Norris, Jill M; Virtanen, Suvi M

2014-12-01

To assess the association between diabetes family history and infant feeding patterns. Data on breast-feeding duration and age at first introduction of cow's milk and gluten-containing cereals were collected in 3-month intervals during the first 24 months of life. Data from the multicentre TEDDY (The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young) study, including centres in the USA, Sweden, Finland and Germany. A total of 7026 children, including children with a mother with type 1 diabetes (T1D; n 292), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM; n 404) or without diabetes but with a father and/or sibling with T1D (n 464) and children without diabetes family history (n 5866). While exclusive breast-feeding ended earlier and cow's milk was introduced earlier in offspring of mothers with T1D and GDM, offspring of non-diabetic mothers but a father and/or sibling with T1D were exclusively breast-fed longer and introduced to cow's milk later compared with infants without diabetes family history. The association between maternal diabetes and shorter exclusive breast-feeding duration was attenuated after adjusting for clinical variables (delivery mode, gestational age, Apgar score and birth weight). Country-specific analyses revealed differences in these associations, with Sweden showing the strongest and Finland showing no association between maternal diabetes and breast-feeding duration. Family history of diabetes is associated with infant feeding patterns; however, the associations clearly differ by country, indicating that cultural differences are important determinants of infant feeding behaviour. These findings need to be considered when developing strategies to improve feeding patterns in infants with a diabetes family history.

Effect of limit feeding and genomic residual feed intake on bred dairy heifer performance

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to evaluate growth, intake, and feed efficiency of dairy heifers with different predicted genomic residual feed intakes as lactating cows (RFI) offered diets for ad-libitum intake or limit-fed. Post-bred Holstein heifers (128, ages 14-20 months), were blocked by initi...

Milk cow feed intake and milk production and distribution estimates for Phase 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beck, D.M.; Darwin, R.F.; Erickson, A.R.

1992-04-01

This report provides initial information on milk production and distribution in the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction (HEDR) Project Phase I study area. The Phase I study area consists of eight countries in central Washington and two countries in northern Oregon. The primary objective of the HEDR Project is to develop estimates of the radiation doses populations could have received from Hanford operations. The objective of Phase I of the project was to determine the feasibility of reconstructing data, models, and development of preliminary dose estimates received by people living in the ten countries surrounding Hanford from 1944 to 1947. Onemore » of the most important contributors to radiation doses from Hanford during the period of interest was radioactive iodine. Consumption of milk from cows that ate vegetation contaminated with iodine is likely the dominant pathway of human exposure. To estimate the doses people could have received from this pathway, it is necessary to estimate the amount of milk that the people living in the Phase I area consumed, the source of the milk, and the type of feed that the milk cows ate. The objective of the milk model subtask is to identify the sources of milk supplied to residents of each community in the study area as well as the sources of feeds that were fed to the milk cows. In this report, we focus on Grade A cow's milk (fresh milk used for human consumption).« less

Effects of feeding hulled and hull-less barley with low- and high-forage diets on lactation performance, nutrient digestibility, and milk fatty acid composition of lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Yang, Y; Ferreira, G; Teets, C L; Corl, B A; Thomason, W E; Griffey, C A

2018-04-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate lactation performance, nutrient digestibility, and milk fatty acid composition of high-producing dairy cows consuming diets containing hulled or hull-less barley as the grain source when feeding low-forage (LF) or high-forage (HF) diets. Eight primiparous (610 ± 40 kg of body weight and 72 ± 14 d in milk) and 16 multiparous (650 ± 58 kg of body weight and 58 ± 16 d in milk) Holstein cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 diets in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments and 21-d periods. Cows were assigned to squares based on parity (1, 2, and ≥3) and days in milk. Diets were formulated to contain on a dry matter basis (1) 45% forage and hulled barley as the sole grain source, (2) 65% forage and hulled barley as the sole grain source, (3) 45% forage and hull-less barley as the sole grain source, and (4) 65% forage and hull-less barley as the sole grain source. Dry matter intake tended to be lower for the diet with 65% forage and hulled barley than for the rest of the diets (24.4 vs. 26.6 kg/d). Neither the type of barley nor the forage-to-concentrate ratio affected milk yield (41.7 kg/d). Barley type did not affect milk fat or protein concentrations. Feeding LF diets decreased milk fat concentration from 3.91% to 3.50%. This decrease was less than anticipated and resulted in a 7% decrease in milk fat yield relative to cows consuming HF diets (1.60 and 1.49 kg/d for HF and LF diets, respectively). Feeding LF diets increased the concentration of C18:1 trans-10 in milk fat, suggesting that feeding LF diets may have marginally altered rumen function. In conclusion, LF diets containing barley grains can marginally decrease milk fat concentration. Overall, and based on the conditions of this study, there is limited evidence to anticipate a dramatic or acute milk fat depression when feeding hull-less barley as the grain source in diets for high-producing dairy cows. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feeding of wheat bran and sugar beet pulp as sole supplements in high-forage diets emphasizes the potential of dairy cattle for human food supply.

PubMed

Ertl, P; Zebeli, Q; Zollitsch, W; Knaus, W

2016-02-01

Besides the widely discussed negative environmental effects of dairy production, such as greenhouse gas emissions, the feeding of large amounts of potentially human-edible feedstuffs to dairy cows is another important sustainability concern. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the effects of a complete substitution of common cereal grains and pulses with a mixture of wheat bran and sugar beet pulp in a high-forage diet on cow performance, production efficiency, feed intake, and ruminating behavior, as well as on net food production potential. Thirteen multiparous and 7 primiparous mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments in a change-over design with 7-wk periods. Cows were fed a high-forage diet (grass silage and hay accounted for 75% of the dry matter intake), supplemented with either a cereal grain-based concentrate mixture (CON), or a mixture of wheat bran and dried sugar beet pulp (WBBP). Human-edible inputs were calculated for 2 different scenarios based on minimum and maximum potential recovery rates of human-edible energy and protein from the respective feedstuffs. Dietary starch and neutral detergent fiber contents were 3.0 and 44.1% for WBBP, compared with 10.8 and 38.2% in CON, respectively. Dietary treatment did not affect milk production, milk composition, feed intake, or total chewing activity. However, chewing index expressed in minutes per kilogram of neutral detergent fiber ingested was 12% lower in WBBP compared with CON. In comparison to CON, the human-edible feed conversion efficiencies for energy and protein, defined as human-edible output per human-edible input, were 6.8 and 5.3 times higher, respectively, in WBBP under the maximum scenario. For the maximum scenario, the daily net food production (human-edible output minus human-edible input) increased from 5.4 MJ and 250 g of crude protein per cow in CON to 61.5 MJ and 630 g of crude protein in the WBBP diet. In conclusion, our data suggest that in forage-based dairy production systems, wheat bran and sugar beet pulp could replace common cereal grains in mid-lactation dairy cows without impairing performance, while strongly increasing human-edible feed conversion efficiency and net food production index. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of diet energy level and genomic residual feed intake on pre-bred dairy heifer feed intake and growth

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to determine the growth, feed intake, and feed efficiency of pre-bred dairy heifers with different predicted genomic residual feed intakes as lactating cows (RFI), and offered diets with different energy levels. Pre-bred heifers (128, ages 4-9 months) were blocked by ...

Strategic supplementation of cassava top silage to enhance rumen fermentation and milk production in lactating dairy cows in the tropics.

PubMed

Wanapat, Metha; Phesatcha, Kampanat; Viennasay, Bounnaxay; Phesatcha, Burarat; Ampapon, Thiwakorn; Kang, Sungchhang

2018-04-19

High-quality protein roughage is an important feed for productive ruminants. This study examined the effects of strategic feeding of lactating cows with cassava (Manihot esculenta) top silage (CTS) on rumen fermentation, feed intake, milk yield, and quality. Four early lactating crossbred dairy cows (75% Holstein-Friesian and 25% Thai) with body weight (BW) 410 ± 30 kg and milk yield 12 ± 2 kg/day were randomly allotted in a 4 × 4 Latin square design to four different supplementation levels of CTS namely, 0, 0.75, 1.50, and 2.25 kg/day of dry matter (DM). Strategic supplementation of CTS significantly affected ruminal fermentation end-products, especially increased propionate production, decreased protozoal population and suppressed methane production (P < 0.05). Increasing the CTS supplementation level substantially enhanced milk yield and the 3.5% FCM from 12.7 to 14.0 kg/day and from 14.6 to 17.2 kg/day (P < 0.05) for non-supplemented group and for the 2.25 kg/day supplemented group, respectively. We conclude that high-quality protein roughage significantly enhances rumen fermentation end-products, milk yield, and quality in dairy cows.

Effects of different feeding time and frequency on metabolic conditions and milk production in heat-stressed dairy cows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calamari, L.; Petrera, F.; Stefanini, L.; Abeni, F.

2013-09-01

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effects of three different feeding management (FM) schedules on physiological markers of heat stress (HS), metabolic conditions, milk yield and quality during the hot season in dairy cows. The study involved 27 mid-lactating cows, subdivided in three homogeneous groups differing in feeding time and frequency: total mixed ration (TMR) delivered once daily in the morning (M); twice daily, half in the morning and half in the evening (ME); once daily in the evening (E). During the trial, blood samples were collected in the morning (a.m.) and in the evening (p.m.), breathing rate (BR), rectal temperature (RT), and milk yield were recorded and individual milk samples were collected. Microclimate data indicated that cows were subjected to mild-moderate HS. During the hotter days, cows receiving M treatment showed higher values of RT (38.97 °C vs 38.68 °C and 38.62 °C, in ME and E) and BR (71.44 vs 66.52 and 65.26 breaths min-1, in ME and E), a.m. plasma glucose was lower in M (3.69 vs 3.83 and 3.83 mmol L-1, in ME and E) and a.m. plasma urea was lower in E (4.82 vs 5.48 and 5.35 mmol L-1, in M and ME). Milk yield was unaffected by FM, as well as milk composition and cheese-making properties. Only milk protein content and yield were higher in M (3.42 vs 3.36 and 3.27 g 100 mL-1; and 1.11 vs 1.08 and 1.02 kg day-1, for ME and E). Our results on cow physiology indicate that M seems a less suitable FM to match cow welfare during the summer season.

Immediate and residual effects of heat stress and restricted intake on milk protein and casein composition and energy metabolism.

PubMed

Cowley, F C; Barber, D G; Houlihan, A V; Poppi, D P

2015-04-01

The effects of heat stress on dairy production can be separated into 2 distinct causes: those effects that are mediated by the reduced voluntary feed intake associated with heat stress, and the direct physiological and metabolic effects of heat stress. To distinguish between these, and identify their effect on milk protein and casein concentration, mid-lactation Holstein-Friesian cows (n = 24) were housed in temperature-controlled chambers and either subjected to heat stress [HS; temperature-humidity index (THI) ~78] or kept in a THI<70 environment and pair-fed with heat-stressed cows (TN-R) for 7 d. A control group of cows was kept in a THI<70 environment with ad libitum feeding (TN-AL). A subsequent recovery period (7 d), with THI<70 and ad libitum feeding followed. Intake accounted for only part of the effects of heat stress. Heat stress reduced the milk protein concentration, casein number, and casein concentration and increased the urea concentration in milk beyond the effects of restriction of intake. Under HS, the proportion in total casein of αS1-casein increased and the proportion of αS2-casein decreased. Because no effect of HS on milk fat or lactose concentration was found, these effects appeared to be the result of specific downregulation of mammary protein synthesis, and not a general reduction in mammary activity. No residual effects were found of HS or TN-R on milk production or composition after THI<70 and ad libitum intake were restored. Heat-stressed cows had elevated blood concentrations of urea and Ca, compared with TN-R and TN-AL. Cows in TN-R had higher serum nonesterified fatty acid concentrations than cows in HS. It was proposed that HS and TN-R cows may mobilize different tissues as endogenous sources of energy. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fusarium and Aspergillus mycotoxins effects on dairy cow health, performance and the efficacy of Anti-Mycotoxin Additive.

PubMed

Jovaišienė, J; Bakutis, B; Baliukonienė, V; Gerulis, G

2016-01-01

One hundred two samples of feeds made in Lithuania, which included maize silage, grass-legume silage, hay and ensiled crimped maize were investigated during 2008-2012 for contamination with some mycotoxins. The highest concentrations of mycotoxins determined were those of deoxynivalenol (DON)--471.0 μg/kg and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)--21.2 μg/kg in ryegrass silage from bales, and zearalenone (ZEA)--625.0 μg/kg in maize silage from trenches. The present study has been carried out based on these data because animal feeds contaminated with mycotoxins can cause reduced productivity of dairy cows and health disorders in the long term. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term exposure of toxic effects of a diet naturally contaminated with low concentrations of mycotoxins on milk composition and biochemical, hematological, immunological parameters of dairy cows and to determine the anti-mycotoxin effect of Mycofix Plus 3.E. Twenty eight clinically healthy, medium productive Lithuanian Red cows were selected. ZEA was a major contaminant found in the corn silage at concentration levels of up to 1000.0 μg/kg of dry matter. DON was the second major found in the hay at concentration levels of up to 600.0 μg/kg of dry matter. The highest concentration AFB1- 10.0 μg/kg was determined in ground barley. The Anti-Mycotoxin Additive (AMA) Mycofix Plus 3.E was given individually to 14 cows at a concentration of 40.0 g daily for 9 weeks. The present results indicate that feeds naturally contaminated with low concentration of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium spp. and Aspergillus spp. in a diet of dairy cows can have a negative influence on somatic cell count, blood parameters and immunity. The addition of an Anti-Mycotoxin Additive (Mycofix Plus 3.E) to diet of dairy cows can prevent many of these effects.

Mid-infrared spectrometry of milk as a predictor of energy intake and efficiency in lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

McParland, S; Lewis, E; Kennedy, E; Moore, S G; McCarthy, B; O'Donovan, M; Butler, S T; Pryce, J E; Berry, D P

2014-09-01

Interest is increasing in the feed intake complex of individual dairy cows, both for management and animal breeding. However, energy intake data on an individual-cow basis are not routinely available. The objective of the present study was to quantify the ability of routinely undertaken mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy analysis of individual cow milk samples to predict individual cow energy intake and efficiency. Feed efficiency in the present study was described by residual feed intake (RFI), which is the difference between actual energy intake and energy used (e.g., milk production, maintenance, and body tissue anabolism) or supplied from body tissue mobilization. A total of 1,535 records for energy intake, RFI, and milk MIR spectral data were available from an Irish research herd across 36 different test days from 535 lactations on 378 cows. Partial least squares regression analyses were used to relate the milk MIR spectral data to either energy intake or efficiency. The coefficient of correlation (REX) of models to predict RFI across lactation ranged from 0.48 to 0.60 in an external validation data set; the predictive ability was, however, strongest (REX=0.65) in early lactation (<60 d in milk). The inclusion of milk yield as a predictor variable improved the accuracy of predicting energy intake across lactation (REX=0.70). The correlation between measured RFI and measured energy balance across lactation was 0.85, whereas the correlation between RFI and energy balance, both predicted from the MIR spectrum, was 0.65. Milk MIR spectral data are routinely generated for individual cows throughout lactation and, therefore, the prediction equations developed in the present study can be immediately (and retrospectively where MIR spectral data have been stored) applied to predict energy intake and efficiency to aid in management and breeding decisions. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effects of feeding rations that differ in fiber and fermentable starch within a day on milk production and the daily rhythm of feed intake and plasma hormones and metabolites in dairy cows.

PubMed

Niu, M; Ying, Y; Bartell, P A; Harvatine, K J

2017-01-01

A daily pattern of feed intake, milk synthesis, and plasma metabolites and hormones occurs in dairy cows fed a total mixed ration once or twice a day. The objective of this study was to determine if feeding multiple rations within a day, complementing these rhythms, would improve milk production. Twelve Holstein cows were used in a replicated 3×3 Latin square design with 21-d periods. Cows were housed in tie stalls with feed tubs, and feed weight was recorded every 10 s for observation of feeding behavior. Rations were a low fiber and high fermentable starch ration [LFHS; 27.4% neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and 31.7% starch based on 55.7% corn silage and 14.1% steam-flaked corn], a high fiber and low fermentable starch ration (HFLS; 31.7% NDF and 22.3% starch based on 44% corn silage, 26.3% alfalfa haylage, and no steam-flaked corn), and a total mixed ration that was a 1:3 ratio of LFHS and HFLS (30.7% NDF, 24.5% starch). The control treatment (CON) cows were fed the total mixed ration at 0700h, the high/low treatment (HL) fed HFLS ration at 0700h and LFHS ration at 2200h, and the low/high (LH) treatment fed LFHS ration at 0700h and HFLS ration at 1100h (LFHS and HFLS rations fed at a 1:3 ratio). No effect was found of treatment on daily milk, but LH decreased milk fat concentration and yield compared with HL (0.2 percentage units and 0.24kg, respectively). Daily dry matter and NDF intake and total-tract digestibility did not differ between treatments. The HL treatment reduced intake at the morning-conditioned meal after feeding and reduced intake before the evening feeding. A treatment by time of day interaction was found for fecal NDF and indigestible NDF concentration, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), plasma insulin, and fatty acid concentration, and body temperature. The CON and LH treatments increased the daily amplitude of fecal NDF by 1.0 and 1.1 percentage units compared with HL. Plasma insulin was higher in HL than CON at 0100 and 0400h, but lower at 1300 and 1900h. Plasma fatty acids were higher for CON than HL at 0700h and HL was lower than LH at 0400 and 1900h. Plasma BUN was higher for HL than control at 0100h, but lower at 1000h. Body temperature in CON and HL treatments followed a similar diurnal pattern, whereas body temperature for LH was lower than that of HL treatment at 1300 and 2300h. No daily rhythm was found of fecal indigestible NDF concentration, plasma glucose, or fatty acids detected in the HL treatment, and the amplitude of plasma insulin and BUN was lower for HL compared with CON (70 and 60% decrease, respectively). In conclusion, feeding 2 rations that differ in fiber and fermentable starch modifies diurnal rhythms in dairy cows. Furthermore, feeding a high fiber and low fermentable starch ration during the high intake period of the day may stabilize nutrient absorption across the day. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feeding increasing amounts of ruminally protected choline decreased fatty liver in nonlactating, pregnant Holstein cows in negative energy status.

PubMed

Zenobi, M G; Scheffler, T L; Zuniga, J E; Poindexter, M B; Campagna, S R; Castro Gonzalez, H F; Farmer, A T; Barton, B A; Santos, J E P; Staples, C R

2018-04-18

The objectives were to determine the optimal feeding amount of choline in a ruminally protected form to reduce the triacylglycerol (TAG) concentration in liver and to increase TAG in blood plasma of dairy cows. Pregnant, nonlactating multiparous Holstein cows (n = 77) were blocked by body condition score (3.59 ± 0.33) and assigned to treatment at 64 ± 10 d before calculated calving date. Dietary treatments were top-dressing of 0, 30, 60, 90, or 120 g/d of ruminally protected choline (RPC; Balchem Corp., New Hampton, NY) ions to supply the equivalent of 0, 6.5, 12.9, 19.4, and 25.8 g/d of choline ions. Diets were formulated to exceed nutrient requirements for maintenance and pregnancy and fed in ad libitum amounts for the first 5 d. From d 6 to 15, cows were restricted to consume approximately 31% of their net energy requirements to simulate early lactating cows in negative energy balance. Methionine intake was maintained throughout each 15-d period. Liver was biopsied at 5 and 14 d and analyzed for TAG and glycogen. Blood was sampled on d 5 and 14 and plasma analyzed for glucose, insulin, cholesterol, β-hydroxybutyrate, long-chain fatty acids, and haptoglobin. On d 14, a mixture of saturated long-chain fatty acids, ground corn, and dried molasses (50:37:13) was offered (908 g, as-is basis) 10 h after the single daily feeding. Blood samples were collected for 19 h and plasma analyzed for TAG and cholesterol to assess apparent absorption of dietary fat. Mean dry matter intake and energy balance decreased from means of 9.5 to 3.3 kg/d and from 0.6 to -9.2 Mcal of net energy for lactation/d during the ad libitum and restricted feeding periods, respectively. Plasma concentrations of the lipid-soluble choline biomolecules, namely total phosphatidylcholines, total lysophosphatidylcholines, and sphingomyelin, increased with choline supplementation. Feed restriction increased plasma concentrations of β-hydroxybutyrate and free long-chain fatty acids, whereas those of glucose, insulin, and total cholesterol decreased. During feed restriction, concentration of hepatic TAG and plasma haptoglobin decreased linearly, whereas concentration of hepatic glycogen tended to increase quadratically with increasing intake of RPC. After fat supplementation, mean plasma concentration of TAG increased by an average of 21% with intake of RPC ions, peaking at intakes of ≥6.5 g/d of RPC ion. In summary, feeding RPC ions to cows in negative energy balance had increasing lipotropic effects on the liver when consumed up to 25.8 g/d, whereas feeding only 6.5 g/d increased concentrations of hepatic glycogen and TAG in the blood. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pathogen group specific risk factors for clinical mastitis, intramammary infection and blind quarters at the herd, cow and quarter level in smallholder dairy farms in Jimma, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Tolosa, T; Verbeke, J; Ayana, Z; Piepers, S; Supré, K; De Vliegher, S

2015-07-01

A cross-sectional study on clinical mastitis, intramammary infection (IMI) and blind quarters was conducted on 50 smallholder dairy farms in Jimma, Ethiopia. A questionnaire was performed, and quarters of 211 cows were sampled and bacteriologically cultured. Risk factors at the herd, cow, and quarter level for clinical mastitis and (pathogen-specific) intramammary infection were studied using multilevel modeling. As well, factors associated with quarters being blind were studied. Eleven percent of the cows and 4% of the quarters had clinical mastitis whereas 85% of the cows and 51% of the quarters were infected. Eighteen percent of the cows had one or more blind quarter(s), whereas 6% of the quarters was blind. Non-aureus staphylococci were the most frequently isolated pathogens in both clinical mastitis cases and IMI. The odds of clinical mastitis was lower in herds where heifers were purchased in the last year [odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval: 0.11 (0.01-0.90)], old cows (>4 years) [OR: 0.45 (0.18-1.14)], and quarters not showing teat injury [OR: 0.23 (0.07-0.77)]. The odds of IMI caused by any pathogen was higher in herds not practicing teat drying before milking (opposed to drying teats with 1 towel per cow) [OR: 1.68 (1.05-2.69)], cows in later lactation (>180 DIM opposed to ≤90 DIM) [OR: 1.81 (1.14-2.88)], cows with a high (>3) body condition score (BCS) [OR: 1.57 (1.06-2.31)], right quarters (opposed to a left quarter position) [OR: 1.47 (1.10-1.98)], and quarters showing teat injury [OR: 2.30 (0.97-5.43)]. Quarters of cows in herds practicing bucket-fed calf feeding (opposed to suckling) had higher odds of IMI caused by Staphylococcus aureus [OR: 6.05 (1.31-27.90)]. Except for BCS, IMI caused by non-aureus staphylococci was associated with the same risk factors as IMI caused by any pathogen. No access to feed and water immediately after milking [OR: 2.41 (1.26-4.60)], higher parity [OR: 3.60 (1.20-10.82)] and tick infestation [OR: 2.42 (1.02-5.71)] were risk factors for quarters being blind. In conclusion, replacement of old cows, prevention of teat injuries/lesions, drying teats with 1 towel per cow before milking, improving fertility in order to shorten the lactation period, allowing (restricted) suckling, access to feed and water immediately after milking, and improving tick control could improve udder health in Jimma. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of feeding 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 with a negative cation-anion difference diet on calcium and vitamin D status of periparturient cows and their calves.

PubMed

Weiss, W P; Azem, E; Steinberg, W; Reinhardt, T A

2015-08-01

Holstein cows (>1 gestation) were fed 1 of 3 diets during the last 13 d of gestation (ranged from 22 to 7 d). The control diet (16 cows) was formulated to provide 18,000 IU/d of vitamin D3 and had a dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) of 165mEq/kg (DCAD=Na + K - Cl - S). The second diet (DCAD + D) provided the same amount of vitamin D3 but had a DCAD of -139mEq/kg (17 cows). The third diet (DCAD + 25D) had no supplemental vitamin D3 but provided 6mg/d of 25-(OH) vitamin D3 [25-(OH)D3] with a DCAD of -138mEq/kg (20 cows). Diets were fed until parturition and then all cows were fed a common lactation diet that contained vitamin D3. Negative DCAD diets reduced urine pH, with the greatest decrease occurring with the DCAD + D treatment. Urinary Ca excretion was greatest for cows fed DCAD + 25D followed by cows fed DCAD + D. Urinary pH was negatively correlated with urinary excretion of Ca for cows fed DCAD + D. No such correlation was observed with the DCAD + 25D treatment because substantial excretion of urinary Ca occurred at moderate urinary pH values for that treatment. Cows fed DCAD + 25D had greater serum concentrations of 25-(OH)D3 than other treatments from 5 d after supplementation started through 7 d in milk. Concentrations of 1,25-(OH)2D3 in serum were greatest in DCAD + 25D cows starting at 2 d before calving and continued through 7 d in milk. Serum Ca concentrations 5 d before calving were greatest for cows fed DCAD + 25D, but at other time points before and after parturition treatment did not affect serum Ca. Incidence of clinical hypocalcemia was not statistically different between treatments, but cows fed DCAD + 25 had the highest incidence rate (12.5, 0, and 20% for control, DCAD + D, and DCAD + 25D). Calves born from cows fed DCAD + 25D had greater concentrations of 25-(OH)D3 in serum at birth than calves from other treatments (before colostrum consumption), but concentrations were similar by 3 d of age. Concentrations of 25-(OH)D3 in colostrum and transition milk were increased by feeding DCAD + 25D, but by 28 d in milk treatment effects no longer existed. Overall, feeding 25-OH vitamin D with a negative DCAD diet increased vitamin D status of the cow and her newborn calf but had minimal effects on calcium status and did not have positive effects on the incidence of hypocalcemia. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of feed supplements on dry season milk yield and profitability of crossbred cows in Honduras.

PubMed

Reiber, Christoph; Peters, Michael; Möhring, Jens; Schultze-Kraft, Rainer

2013-06-01

The contribution of dry season silage feeding on daily milk yield (MY) and dairying profitability in terms of income over feed cost (IOFC) was evaluated in dual-purpose cattle production systems in Honduras. MY records of 34 farms from two milk collection centres were collected over a 2-year period. Farms were surveyed to obtain information on the type, quantity and cost of supplemented feed, breed type and number of lactating cows in each month. Farms were classified in silage farms (SF, with a short silage supplementation period), non-silage farms (NSF) and prototype farms (PF, with an extended silage supplementation period). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and a linear mixed model approach. PF had significantly higher MY than SF and NSF but, due to higher expenses for both concentrate and silage, similar IOFC compared to NSF. SF had similar MY but lower IOFC compared to NSF, due to higher feed expenses. The effect of silage feeding, particularly maize silage, on MY was significant and superior to that of other forage supplements. Silage supplementation contributed to the highest MY and IOFC on farms with crossbred cows of >62.5 % Bos taurus and to the second highest profitability on farms with >87.5 % Bos indicus share. It is concluded that silage can play an important role in drought-constrained areas of the tropics and can contribute to profitable dairying, irrespective of breed.

Feed intake and production parameters of lactating crossbred cows fed maize-based diets of stover, silage or quality protein silage.

PubMed

Gebrehawariat, Efrem; Tamir, Berhan; Tegegne, Azage

2010-12-01

Thirty-six Boran × Friesian dairy cows (392 ± 12 kg; mean ± SD) in early parity were used in a randomised complete block design. Cows were blocked by parity into three blocks of 12 animals and offered normal maize (NM) stover (T1), NM silage (T2) or quality protein maize (QPM) silage (T3) basal diets supplemented with a similar concentrate mix. Feed intake, body weight and condition changes and milk yield and composition were assessed. The daily intake of DM, OM, NDF and ADF for cows fed the NM stover-based diet was higher (P<0.05) than for the cows fed the NM silage and QPM silage-based diets. However, the daily intake of DOM (9.3 kg) and ME (140.8 MJ) for cows on QPM silage-based diet was higher (P<0.05) than for cows on NM stover-based diet (8.4 kg and 124.2 MJ) and NM silage-based diet (7.9 kg and 119.1 MJ). Body weight of cows was affected (P<0.05) by the diet, but diet had no effect (P>0.05) on body condition score, milk yield and milk composition. The digestible organic matter in the NM stover-based diet (724 g/kg DM) was lower (P<0.05) than that in the NM (770 g/kg DM) and QPM silage-based diet (762 g/kg DM). It was concluded that the performances of the cows on the NM silage and QPM silage diets were similar and were not superior to that of the NM stover-based diet.

Feed intake and production parameters of lactating crossbred cows fed maize-based diets of stover, silage or quality protein silage

PubMed Central

Gebrehawariat, Efrem; Tegegne, Azage

2010-01-01

Thirty-six Boran × Friesian dairy cows (392 ± 12 kg; mean ± SD) in early parity were used in a randomised complete block design. Cows were blocked by parity into three blocks of 12 animals and offered normal maize (NM) stover (T1), NM silage (T2) or quality protein maize (QPM) silage (T3) basal diets supplemented with a similar concentrate mix. Feed intake, body weight and condition changes and milk yield and composition were assessed. The daily intake of DM, OM, NDF and ADF for cows fed the NM stover-based diet was higher (P < 0.05) than for the cows fed the NM silage and QPM silage-based diets. However, the daily intake of DOM (9.3 kg) and ME (140.8 MJ) for cows on QPM silage-based diet was higher (P < 0.05) than for cows on NM stover-based diet (8.4 kg and 124.2 MJ) and NM silage-based diet (7.9 kg and 119.1 MJ). Body weight of cows was affected (P < 0.05) by the diet, but diet had no effect (P > 0.05) on body condition score, milk yield and milk composition. The digestible organic matter in the NM stover-based diet (724 g/kg DM) was lower (P < 0.05) than that in the NM (770 g/kg DM) and QPM silage-based diet (762 g/kg DM). It was concluded that the performances of the cows on the NM silage and QPM silage diets were similar and were not superior to that of the NM stover-based diet. PMID:20577806

Concentration of Potassium in Plasma, Erythrocytes, and Muscle Tissue in Cows with Decreased Feed Intake and Gastrointestinal Ileus.

PubMed

Schneider, S; Müller, A; Wittek, T

2016-01-01

Healthy cows consume large amounts of potassium and a sudden loss in appetite can lead to hypokalemia. The routine method to evaluate potassium homeostasis is the measurement of the extracellular potassium in plasma or serum, but this does not provide information about the intracellular potassium pool. To evaluate potassium homeostasis by comparing the extracellular and intracellular potassium concentration in cows with reduced feed intake and gastrointestinal ileus. Twenty cows 1-3 days postpartum (group 1) and 20 cows with gastrointestinal ileus (group 2). Observational cross-sectional study. Plasma potassium was measured by using an ion-sensitive electrode. Intracellular potassium was measured in erythrocytes and muscle tissue (muscle biopsy) by using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. Cows of group 1 did not have hypokalemia. Overall cows with gastrointestinal ileus were hypokalemic (mean ± SD, 2.9 mmol/L ± 0.78), but potassium concentration in erythrocytes and muscle tissue was not lower than in postpartum cows. Intracellular potassium in erythrocytes varied very widely; group 1: 3497-10735 mg/kg (5559 ± 2002 mg/kg), group 2: 4139-21678 mg/kg (7473 ± 4034 mg/kg). Potassium in muscle tissue did not differ between group 1 (3356 ± 735 mg/kg wet weight) and group 2 (3407 ± 1069 mg/kg wet weight). No association between extracellular and intracellular potassium concentrations was detected. That measurement of plasma potassium concentration is not sufficient to evaluate potassium metabolism of cows. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Concentrate Supplement Modifies the Feeding Behavior of Simmental Cows Grazing in Two High Mountain Pastures

PubMed Central

Romanzin, Alberto; Piasentier, Edi

2018-01-01

Simple Summary Traditional Alpine husbandry systems require dairy cows to be grazing on mountain pasture during summer and kept indoors during the remaining part of the year. Nowadays, the pasture is not able to fully satisfy the nutritional requirements of cattle; therefore, the use of concentrates is frequently required. From their use, some issues arise: the cows tend to consume the concentrates at the expense of the grass; concentrates are competitive with human diets; concentrates decrease the environmental sustainability of farm. Therefore, in order to minimize their use, it is imperative to obtain data on the grazing behavior of cows. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of concentrate levels on the behavior of dairy cows during summer grazing in two pastures characterized by Poion alpinae and Seslerion caeruleae alliance. Cows were equipped with an electronic device to evaluate feeding behavior (grazing, rumination, and walking). In addition, the plant selection by animals was assessed. In Poion alpinae, a rich pasture, the increased supplement influenced the selectivity of the pasture species, while in Seslerion caeruleae, a poor pasture, supplementation resulted in a reduction in grazing times. The study highlights how the supplement level induced a different grazing behavior depending on pasture type. Abstract During grazing on Alpine pastures, the use of concentrates in dairy cows’ diet leads to a reduction of the environmental sustainability of farms, and influences the selective pressure on some plant species. In order to minimize the use of concentrates, it is imperative to obtain data on the grazing behavior of cows. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of concentrate levels on the behavior of dairy cows during grazing. One hundred and ten lactating Italian Simmental cows, that sequentially grazed two pastures characterized by Poion alpinae (Poion) and Seslerion caeruleae (Seslerion) alliance, were considered. For each pasture, eight cows were selected and assigned to two groups: High and Low, supplemented with 4 kg/head/d, and 1 kg/head/d of concentrate respectively. Cows were equipped with a noseband pressure sensor and a pedometer (RumiWatch system, ITIN-HOCH GmbH) to assess grazing, ruminating, and walking behavior. In addition, the plant selection of the animals was assessed. On Poion, increased supplement intake caused a more intense selection of legumes, without affecting feeding and walking times. On Seslerion, grazing time was higher in Low than High. Grazing management in alpine region must take into account the great variability of pastures that largely differ from a floristic and nutritional point of view. PMID:29772724

Is there a relationship between genetic merit and enteric methane emission rate of lactating Holstein-Friesian dairy cows?

PubMed

Dong, L F; Yan, T; Ferris, C P; McDowell, D A; Gordon, A

2015-11-01

The present study was undertaken to examine the effect of cow genetic merit on enteric methane (CH4) emission rate. The study used a data set from 32 respiration calorimeter studies undertaken at this Institute between 1992 and 2010, with all studies involving lactating Holstein-Friesian dairy cows. Cow genetic merit was defined as either profit index (PIN) or profitable lifetime index (PLI), with these two United Kingdom genetic indexes expressing the expected improvement in profit associated with an individual cow, compared with the population average. While PIN is based solely on milk production, PLI includes milk production and a number of other functional traits including health, fertility and longevity. The data set had a large range in PIN (n=736 records, -£30 to +£63) and PLI (n=548 records, -£131 to +£184), days in milk (18 to 354), energy corrected milk yield (16.0 to 45.6 kg/day) and CH(4) emission (138 to 598 g/day). The effect of cow genetic merit (PIN or PLI) was evaluated using ANOVA and linear mixed modelling techniques after removing the effects of a number of animal and diet factors. The ANOVA was undertaken by dividing each data set of PIN and PLI into three sub-groups (PIN:£15, PLI:£67) with these being categorised as low, medium and high genetic merit. Within the PIN and PLI data sets there was no significant differences among the three sub-groups in terms of CH(4) emission per kg feed intake or per kg energy corrected milk yield, or CH(4) energy (CH(4)-E) output as a proportion of energy intake. Linear regression using the whole PIN and PLI data sets also demonstrated that there was no significant relationship between either PIN or PLI, and CH(4) emission per kg of feed intake or CH(4)-E output as a proportion of energy intake. These results indicate that cow genetic merit (PIN or PLI) has little effect on enteric CH(4) emissions as a proportion of feed intake. Instead enteric CH(4) production may mainly relate to total feed intake and dietary nutrient composition.

Metabolic and productive response to ruminal protein degradability in early lactation cows fed untreated or xylose-treated soybean meal-based diets.

PubMed

Jahani-Moghadam, M; Amanlou, H; Nikkhah, A

2009-12-01

Effects of different dietary rumen undegradable (RUP) to degradable (RDP) protein ratios on ruminal nutrient degradation, feed intake, blood metabolites and milk production were determined in early lactation cows. Four multiparous (43 ± 5 days in milk) and four primiparous (40 ± 6 days in milk) tie-stall-housed Holstein cows were used in a duplicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with four 21-day periods. Each period had 14-day of adaptation and 7-day of sampling. Diets contained on a dry matter (DM) basis, 23.3% alfalfa hay, 20% corn silage and 56.7% concentrate. Cows were first offered alfalfa hay at 7:00, 15:00 and 23:00 hours, and 30 min after each alfalfa hay delivery were offered a mixture of corn silage and concentrate. Treatments were diets with RUP:RDP ratios of (i) 5.2:11.6 (control), (ii) 6.1:10.6, (iii) 7.1:9.5 and (iv) 8.1:8.5, on a dietary DM% basis. Different RUP:RDP ratios were obtained by partial and total replacement of untreated soybean meal (SBM) with xylose-treated SBM (XSBM). In situ study using three rumen-cannulated non-lactating cows showed that DM and crude protein (CP) of SBM had greater rapidly degradable fractions. The potentially degradable fractions were degraded more slowly in XSBM. Treatment cows produced greater milk, protein, lactose, solids-non-fat and total solids than control cows. Increasing RUP:RDP reduced blood urea linearly. Feed costs dropped at RUP:RDP ratios of 6.1:10.6 and 7.1:9.5, but not at 8.1:8.5, compared with the 5.2:11.6 ratio. Intake of DM and CP, rumen pH, blood glucose, albumin and total protein, faecal and urine pH, changes in body weight and body condition score, and milk lactose and solids-non-fat percentages did not differ among treatments. Results provide evidence that increasing dietary RUP:RDP ratio from 5.2:11.6 to 7.1:9.5 optimizes nitrogen metabolism and milk production and reduces feed costs in early lactation cows. Reduced blood urea suggests reprodutive benefits.

USSR Report, Agriculture.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-05-08

ized by good winter hardiness, large grain and a productive ear. A prepara- tion has been developed for treating mastitis in cows . Equipment for the...unprofitable and one of the chief reasons for this is the low productivity of the herds. The milk yields of the cows are practically at the same level as...unsystematic raising of heifers, high degree of barrenness in the cows ,.lov- value feeding for the animals and young stock losses. At more than 600

Effects of feeding lauric acid or coconut oil on ruminal protozoa numbers, fermentation pattern, digestion, omasal nutrient flow, and milk production in dairy cows.

PubMed

Faciola, A P; Broderick, G A

2014-01-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the feeding of coconut oil (CO), in which lauric acid (La) comprises about 50% of the fatty acid composition, as a practical rumen protozoa (RP) suppressing agent, to assess whether the source of La affects ruminal fermentation and animal performance and to test whether suppressing RP improves N utilization, nutrient digestion, nutrient flow at the omasal canal, and milk production. Fifteen multiparous Holstein cows (3 fitted with ruminal cannulas) and 15 primiparous Holstein cows (3 fitted with ruminal cannulas) were used in a replicated 3×3 Latin square experiment with 14d of adaptation and 14d of sample collection. Diets were fed as total mixed ration and contained (dry matter basis) 10% corn silage, 50% alfalfa silage, and 40% concentrate. The control diet contained 3% (dry matter basis) calcium soaps of palm oil fatty acids (Megalac, Church & Dwight Co. Inc., Princeton, NJ) as a ruminally inert fat source and had no added La or CO. Diets with La and CO were formulated to contain equal amounts of La (1.3%, dry matter basis). Dry matter intake was not affected by treatment. Both CO and La reduced RP numbers by about 40%. Lauric acid reduced yield of milk and milk components; however, CO did not affect yield of milk and yields of milk components. Both La and CO caused small reductions in total VFA concentration; CO increased molar proportion of ruminal propionate, reduced ruminal ammonia and branched-chain volatile fatty acids, suggesting reduced protein degradation, and reduced milk urea N and blood urea N concentrations, suggesting improved protein efficiency. Lauric acid reduced total-tract apparent digestibility of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber as well as ruminal apparent digestibility of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber as measured at the omasal canal; however, CO did not alter fiber digestion. Microbial protein flow at the omasal canal, as well as the flow of N fractions at the omasal canal, did not differ among treatments. Results from this experiment have confirmed that dietary La is not a practical agent for suppressing RP population in dairy cows, mainly because of its negative effects on fiber digestion and ruminal fermentation. Intake of CO appeared to reduce ruminal and improve protein efficiency, but did not improve milk production, milk composition, or increase microbial outflow from the rumen. Based on the results of this study, a 40% reduction of RP population is not sufficient to improve N utilization in dairy cows. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of dietary protein concentration and coconut oil supplementation on nitrogen utilization and production in dairy cows.

PubMed

Lee, C; Hristov, A N; Heyler, K S; Cassidy, T W; Long, M; Corl, B A; Karnati, S K R

2011-11-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of metabolizable protein (MP) deficiency and coconut oil supplementation on N utilization and production in lactating dairy cows. The hypothesis of the study was that a decrease in ruminal protozoal counts with coconut oil would increase microbial protein synthesis in the rumen, thus compensating for potential MP deficiency. The experiment was conducted for 10 wk with 36 cows (13 primiparous and 23 multiparous), including 6 ruminally cannulated cows. The experimental period, 6 wk, was preceded by 2-wk adaptation and 2-wk covariate periods. Cows were blocked by parity, days in milk, milk yield, and rumen cannulation and randomly assigned to one of the following diets: a diet with a positive MP balance (+44 g/d) and 16.7% dietary crude protein (CP) concentration (AMP); a diet deficient in MP (-156 g/d) and 14.8% CP concentration (DMP); or DMP supplemented with approximately 500 g of coconut oil/head per day (DMPCO). Ruminal ammonia tended to be greater and plasma urea N (20.1, 12.8, and 13.1 mg/dL, for AMP, DMP, and DMPCO diets, respectively) and milk urea N (12.5, 8.3, and 9.5mg/dL, respectively) were greater for AMP compared with DMP and DMPCO. The DMPCO diet decreased total protozoa counts (by 60%) compared with DMP, but had no effect on the methanogens profile in the rumen. Total tract apparent digestibility of dry matter and CP was decreased by DMP compared with AMP. Fiber digestibility was lower for both DMP and DMPCO compared with AMP. Urinary N excretion was decreased (by 37%) by both DMP and DMPCO compared with AMP. The DMP and DMPCO diets resulted in greater milk N efficiency compared with AMP (32.0 and 35.1 vs. 27.6%, respectively). Milk yield was decreased by both DMP and DMPCO compared with AMP (36.2, 34.4, and 39.3 kg/d, respectively) and coconut oil supplementation suppressed feed intake and caused milk fat depression. Coconut oil supplementation decreased short-chain fatty acid (C4:0, C6:0, and C8:0) concentration and increased medium-chain (C12:0 and C14:0) and total trans fatty acids in milk. Overall, the MP-deficient diets decreased N losses, but could not sustain milk production in this study. Coconut oil decreased feed intake and similar to DMP, suppressed fiber digestibility. Despite decreased protozoal counts, coconut oil had no effect on the methanogen population in the rumen. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of feeding an immunomodulatory supplement to heat-stressed or actively cooled cows during late gestation on postnatal immunity, health, and growth of calves.

PubMed

Skibiel, Amy L; Fabris, Thiago F; Corrá, Fabiana N; Torres, Yazielis M; McLean, Derek J; Chapman, James D; Kirk, David J; Dahl, Geoffrey E; Laporta, Jimena

2017-09-01

Heat stress during late gestation negatively affects the physiology, health, and productivity of dairy cows as well as the calves developing in utero. Providing cows with active cooling devices, such as fans and soakers, and supplementing cows with an immunomodulating feed additive, OmniGen-AF (OG; Phibro Animal Health Corporation), improves immune function and milk yield of cows. It is unknown if maternal supplementation of OG combined with active cooling during late gestation might benefit the developing calf as well. Herein we evaluated markers of innate immune function, including immune cell counts, acute phase proteins, and neutrophil function, of calves born to multiparous dams in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Dams were supplemented with OG or a bentonite control (NO) beginning at 60 d before dry off and exposed to heat stress with cooling (CL) or without active cooling (HT) during the dry period (∼46 d). At birth, calves were separated from their dams and fed 6.6 L of their dams' colostrum in 2 meals. Calf body weight and rectal temperature were recorded, and blood samples were collected at birth (before colostrum feeding) and at 10, 28, and 49 d of age. Calves born to either CL dams or OG dams were heavier at birth than calves born to HT or NO dams, respectively. Concentrations of serum amyloid A were higher in the blood of calves born to OG dams relative to NO and for HT calves relative to CL calves. In addition, calves born to cooled OG dams had greater concentrations of plasma haptoglobin than calves born to cooled control dams. Neutrophil function at 10 d of age was enhanced in calves born to cooled OG dams and lymphocyte counts were higher in calves born to OG dams. Together these results suggest that adding OG to maternal feed in combination with active cooling of cows during late gestation is effective in mitigating the negative effects of in utero heat stress on postnatal calf growth and immune competence. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Variation in nutrients formulated and nutrients supplied on 5 California dairies.

PubMed

Rossow, H A; Aly, S S

2013-01-01

Computer models used in ration formulation assume that nutrients supplied by a ration formulation are the same as the nutrients presented in front of the cow in the final ration. Deviations in nutrients due to feed management effects such as dry matter changes (i.e., rain), loading, mixing, and delivery errors are assumed to not affect delivery of nutrients to the cow and her resulting milk production. To estimate how feed management affects nutrients supplied to the cow and milk production, and determine if nutrients can serve as indexes of feed management practices, weekly total mixed ration samples were collected and analyzed for 4 pens (close-up cows, fresh cows, high-milk-producing, and low-milk-producing cows, if available) for 7 to 12 wk on 5 commercial California dairies. Differences among nutrient analyses from these samples and nutrients from the formulated rations were analyzed by PROC MIXED of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Milk fat and milk protein percentages did not vary as much [coefficient of variation (CV) = 18 to 33%] as milk yield (kg; CV = 16 to 47 %) across all dairies and pens. Variability in nutrients delivered were highest for macronutrient fat (CV = 22%), lignin (CV = 15%), and ash (CV = 11%) percentages and micronutrients Fe (mg/kg; CV = 48%), Na (%; CV = 42%), and Zn (mg/kg; CV = 38%) for the milking pens across all dairies. Partitioning of the variability in random effects of nutrients delivered and intraclass correlation coefficients showed that variability in lignin percentage of TMR had the highest correlation with variability in milk yield and milk fat percentage, followed by fat and crude protein percentages. But, variability in ash, fat, and lignin percentages of total mixed ration had the highest correlation with variability in milk protein percentage. Therefore, lignin, fat, and ash may be the best indices of feed management to include effects of variability in nutrients on variability in milk yield, milk fat, and milk protein percentages in ration formulation models. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Production and nitrogen utilization in lactating dairy cows fed ground field peas with or without ruminally protected lysine and methionine.

PubMed

Pereira, A B D; Whitehouse, N L; Aragona, K M; Schwab, C S; Reis, S F; Brito, A F

2017-08-01

Previous research has shown that cows fed ≥24% of the diet dry matter (DM) as field peas decreased milk yield as well as concentration and yield of milk protein, possibly due to reduced DM intake and limited supply of Lys and Met. Twelve multiparous and 4 primiparous lactating Holstein cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 diets in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. The diets contained (DM basis) 34.8% corn silage, 15.2% grass-legume silage, 5.9% roasted soybean, 2.4% mineral-vitamin premix, 2.0% alfalfa pellets, and either (1) 36% ground corn, 2.4% soybean meal, and 1.3% urea (UR), (2) 29.7% ground corn, 9.8% soybean meal, 0.13% ruminally protected (RP) Lys, and 0.07% RP-Met (CSBAA), (3) 25% ground field peas, 12.3% ground corn, and 2.4% soybean meal (FP), or (4) FP supplemented with 0.15% RP-Lys and 0.05% RP-Met (FPAA). Our objective was to test the effects of FP versus UR, FPAA versus CSBAA, and FPAA versus FP on milk yield and composition, N utilization, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation profile, and plasma concentration of AA. Milk yield did not differ across diets. Compared with cows fed UR, those fed FP had greater DM intake, concentration and yield of milk true protein, apparent total-tract digestibility of fiber, urinary excretion of purine derivatives, and concentrations of total volatile fatty acids in the rumen and Lys in plasma, and less milk urea N and ruminal NH 3 -N. The concentration of milk urea N, as well as the concentration and yield of milk fat increased in cows fed FPAA versus CSBAA. Moreover, cows fed FPAA had greater ruminal concentration of total volatile fatty acids, increased proportions of acetate and isobutyrate, and decreased proportions of propionate and valerate than those fed CSBAA. The plasma concentrations of His, Leu, and Phe decreased, whereas plasma Met increased and plasma Lys tended to increase in cows fed FPAA versus CSBAA. Concentration of milk true protein, but not yield, was increased in cows fed FPAA versus FP. However, cows fed FPAA showed decreased concentrations of His and Leu in plasma compared with those fed FP. Overall, compared with the CSBAA diet, feeding FPAA did not negatively affect milk yield and milk protein synthesis. Furthermore, RP-Lys and RP-Met supplementation of the FP diet did not improve milk yield or milk protein synthesis, but decreased urinary urea N excretion. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Maintenance of a high level of reproductive performance in the beef cow herd.

PubMed

Wiltbank, J N

1983-03-01

To insure a high consistent reproductive program in a cow herd, 90 to 95 per cent of the cows must calve early each year and wean a heavy calf. To accomplish this, the producer should follow these steps: 1. Feed heifers to reach a target weight consistent with their breed. 2. Breed heifers 45 days to a bull known to sire small calves (Longhorn or Jersey or a proven bull within a breed). Also consider cows with Brahman blood to decrease birth weight. 3. Use a 60-day breeding season in the cow herd. 4. Have cows in good to moderate body condition at calving time. 5. Have cows gaining weight three weeks before breeding and during the breeding season. 6. Remove calves for 48 hours at the start of the breeding season. 7. Breed to fertile bulls.

Effect of farm and simulated laboratory cold environmental conditions on the performance and physiological responses of lactating dairy cows supplemented with bovine somatotropin (BST)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, B. A.; Johnson, H. D.; Li, R.; Collier, R. J.

1990-09-01

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of bovine somatotropin (BST) supplementation in twelve lactating dairy cows maintained in cold environmental conditions. Six cows were injected daily with 25 mg of BST; the other six were injected with a control vehicle. Cows were maintained under standard dairy management during mid-winter for 30 days. Milk production was recorded twice daily, and blood samples were taken weekly. Animals were then transferred to environmentally controlled chambers and exposed to cycling thermoneutral (15° to 20° C) and cycling cold (-5° to +5° C) temperatures for 10 days in a split-reversal design. Milk production, feed and water intake, body weights and rectal temperatures were monitored. Blood samples were taken on days 1, 3, 5, 8 and 10 of each period and analyzed for plasma triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), cortisol, insulin and prolactin. Under farm conditions, BST-treated cows produced 11% more milk than control-treated cows and in environmentally controlled chambers produced 17.4% more milk. No differences due to BST in feed or water intake, body weights or rectal temperatures were found under laboratory conditions. Plasma T3 and insulin increased due to BST treatment while no effect was found on cortisol, prolactin or T4. The results showed that the benefits of BST supplementation in lactating dairy cows were achieved under cold environmental conditions.

Severe anemia in 3 toddlers with gastric lactobezoar.

PubMed

Klein-Franke, A; Kropshofer, G; Gassner, I; Meister, B; Salvador, C; Scholl-Bürgi, S; Mueller, T; Heinz-Erian, P

2013-05-01

Anemia in toddlers may result from many disorders including excessive feeding with cow's milk. Another sequel of age-inadequate cow's milk nutrition may be gastric lactobezoar (GLB), a dense lump of coagulated milk and mucus in the stomach. 3 toddlers presented with a history of excessive intake of full cream cow's milk, abdominal distension, vomiting, dehydration, fatigue, marked pallor and tachycardia. Diagnostic imaging revea-led large GLBs as the likely origin of the abdominal symptoms. Laboratory evaluation showed severe anemia with depleted iron stores and signs of protein catabolism. Non-cow's milk-induced causes of anemia including defects of erythropoiesis, hemoglobin structure, RBC-enzymes and blood coagulation, hemolysis, immune disorders, infection, inflammation, extraintestinal hemorrhage, nephropathy were - according to the available data - unlikely to cause the anemia in our patients. Thus their anemia is thought to be due to age-inadequate cow's milk nutrition leading to 1) low intake, decreased absorption/bioavailability and increased intestinal loss of iron, and 2) GLB which induced blood loss following mechanical irritation of the gastric mucosa and vomiting causing high gastric pH and decrease in duodenal iron absorption. The anemia in our patients is due to both exaggerated feeding with cow's milk and adverse effects of GLBs. This hypothesis is supported by the finding that, after erythrocyte transfusion, iron substitution, age-adapted nutrition and GLB-dissolution, the anemia did not recur. We propose to include GLB in the differential diagnosis of anemia in cow's milk fed small children. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Effects of alternate-day feeding of dried distiller's grain plus solubles to forage-fed beef cows in mid- to late gestation.

PubMed

Klein, S I; Steichen, P L; Islas, A; Goulart, R S; Gilbery, T C; Bauer, M L; Swanson, K C; Dahlen, C R

2014-06-01

Forty-six nonlactating beef cows were used to examine effects of dried distiller's grains plus solubles (DG) supplementation strategies to cows fed grass hay during mid- to late gestation on BW, ultrasound body composition characteristics, concentrations of serum NEFA and urea, feeding behavior, and calf birth weight. Cows were assigned to dietary treatments in a completely randomized design: 1) control, where hay was fed each day of the week (CON), 2) both hay and DG fed daily during the week (DG7), 3) hay fed daily but DG fed 3 d of the week (DG3), and 4) hay fed 4 d of the week alternating with DG fed on the remaining 3 d (DGA). Hay was offered ad libitum on days it was fed. The DG were fed at 0.40% of BW when offered daily and 0.93% of BW when offered 3 d per week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). Feed intake was monitored continuously over the 84-d feeding period. Hay intake and total DMI were reduced (P < 0.05) in DGA compared with DG7 and DG3. Gain and G:F were decreased (P < 0.05) for CON compared with other treatments. No differences (P > 0.05) were observed among treatments for change in BCS, intramuscular fat, rib fat, or rump fat from d 1 to 84. On a day when DG7, DG3, and DGA all received DG (Friday), DGA had reduced (P < 0.05) concentrations of urea compared with DG3 and DG7. On a day when only DG7 received DG (Saturday), urea was greater (P < 0.01) for DG3 and DGA compared with DG7, and concentrations of NEFA were greater (P < 0.01) in CON and DGA compared with DG7. On the second consecutive day when only DG7 received DG (Sunday), concentrations of NEFA were less (P < 0.001) for DG7 compared with other treatments. On days when all cows received hay, DGA spent more time eating (P < 0.05) compared with DG7 and DG3. Cows fed DGA had greater (P < 0.05) hay intake per meal and time per meal compared with other treatments. On days when DG7, DG3, and DGA all received DG, cows in the DG3 and DGA treatments had greater (P < 0.05) number of DG meals, time spent eating, intake per meal, and time per meal but a slower (P < 0.05) rate of DG intake compared with DG7. No differences (P > 0.05) were observed in calf birth weights among treatments. The alternate-day feeding strategy reduced hay and total intake, altered concentrations of serum urea and NEFA, and altered feeding behavior compared with other supplementation methods.

Effects of feeding wheat or corn-wheat dried distillers grains with solubles in low- or high-crude protein diets on ruminal function, omasal nutrient flows, urea-N recycling, and performance in cows.

PubMed

Chibisa, G E; Mutsvangwa, T

2013-10-01

A study was conducted to determine the effects of including either wheat-based (W-DDGS) or corn-wheat blend (B-DDGS) dried distillers grains with solubles as the major protein source in low- or high-crude protein (CP) diets fed to dairy cows on ruminal function, microbial protein synthesis, omasal nutrient flows, urea-N recycling, and milk production. Eight lactating Holstein cows (768.5 ± 57.7 kg of body weight; 109.5 ± 40.0 d in milk) were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with 28-d periods (18d of dietary adaptation and 10d of measurements) and a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of dietary treatments. Four cows in one Latin square were ruminally cannulated for the measurement of ruminal fermentation characteristics, microbial protein synthesis, urea-N recycling kinetics, and omasal nutrient flow. The treatment factors were type of distillers co-product (W-DDGS vs. B-DDGS) and dietary CP content [15.2 vs. 17.3%; dry matter (DM) basis]. The B-DDGS was produced from a mixture of 15% wheat and 85% corn grain. All diets were formulated to contain 10% W-DDGS or B-DDGS on a DM basis. No diet effect was observed on DM intake. Yields of milk, fat, protein, and lactose, and plasma urea-N and milk urea-N concentrations were lower in cows fed the low-CP compared with those fed the high-CP diet. Although feeding B-DDGS tended to reduce ruminal ammonia-N (NH3-N) concentration compared with feeding W-DDGS (9.3 vs. 10.5mg/dL), no differences were observed in plasma urea-N and milk urea-N concentrations. Additionally, dietary inclusion of B-DDGS compared with W-DDGS did not affect rumen-degradable protein supply, omasal flows of total N, microbial nonammonia N (NAN), rumen-undegradable protein, and total NAN, or urea-N recycling kinetics and milk production. However, cows fed the low-CP diet had lower N intake, rumen-degradable protein supply, ruminal NH3-N concentration, and omasal flows of N, microbial NAN, and total NAN compared with those fed the high-CP diet. Feeding the low-CP compared with the high-CP diet also resulted in lower endogenous urea-N production, urea-N recycled to the gastrointestinal tract, and urea-N excretion in urine. In summary, our results indicate that both W-DDGS and B-DDGS can be included as the major protein sources in dairy cow diets without compromising nutrient supply and production performance. However, feeding the low-CP diet lowered omasal flows of microbial protein and metabolizable protein, which, in turn, resulted in lower milk production compared with feeding the high-CP diet. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Energy efficiency and its relationship with milk, body, and intake traits and energy status among primiparous Nordic Red dairy cattle.

PubMed

Mäntysaari, P; Liinamo, A-E; Mäntysaari, E A

2012-06-01

Existing variation in energy efficiency and its relationship with milk yield and milk composition, body weight and body condition, feed intake, and energy status was studied in primiparous Nordic Red dairy cattle with data including 3,752 weekly records from 145 cows. Energy efficiency was defined as energy conversion efficiency (ECE) and as residual energy intake (REI) estimated based on Finnish feeding standards (REI₁) or from the current data (REI₂). The results indicated true phenotypic variation in energy efficiency of the cows. The proportion of total variance due to the animal was 0.35 for REI₁, 0.30 for REI₂, and 0.50 for ECE. The high efficiency based on ECE was associated with increased mobilization of body reserves (r = -0.50) and decreased dry matter intake (r = -0.51). With REI as an energy efficiency measure, the increased efficiency was associated with a large decrease in feed intake (REI₁: r = 0.60; REI2: r = 0.74) without any effect on body weight change (REI₁: r = 0.13; REI2: r = 0.00). Increased efficiency based on ECE and REI₁ was associated with increased milk yield (ECE: r = 0.58; REI₁: r = -0.41). A clear effect of stage of lactation on REI was found, which could be caused by true differences in utilization of metabolizable energy during lactation. However, it might also be related, in part, to the lack of knowledge of the composition of body weight change in the beginning of lactation. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Allocating forage to fall-calving cow-calf pairs strip-grazing stockpiled tall fescue.

PubMed

Curtis, L E; Kallenbach, R L; Roberts, C A

2008-03-01

In a 2-yr study, we evaluated the effect of different forage allocations on the performance of lactating beef cows and their calves grazing stockpiled tall fescue. Allocations of stockpiled tall fescue at 2.25, 3.00, 3.75, and 4.50% of cow-calf pair BW/d were set as experimental treatments. Conventional hay-feeding was also evaluated as a comparison to grazing stockpiled tall fescue. The experiment had a randomized complete block design with 3 replications and was divided into 3 phases each year. From early December to late February (phase 1) of each year, cows and calves grazed stockpiled tall fescue or were fed hay in the treatments described above. Immediately after phase 1, cows and calves were commingled and managed as a single group until weaning in April (phase 2) so that residual effects could be documented. Residual effects on cows were measured after the calves were weaned in April until mid-July (phase 3). During phase 1 of both years, apparent DMI of cow-calf pairs allocated stockpiled tall fescue at 4.50% of BW/d was 31% greater (P < 0.01) than those allocated 2.25% of BW/d. As allocation of stockpiled tall fescue increased from 2.25 to 4.50% of cow-calf BW/d, pasture utilization fell (P < 0.01) from 84 +/- 7% to 59 +/- 7%. During phase 1 of both years, cow BW losses increased linearly (P < 0.02) as forage allocations decreased, although the losses in yr 1 were almost double (P < 0.01) those in yr 2. During phases 2 and 3, few differences were noted across treatment groups, such that by the end of phase 3, cow BW in all treatments did not differ either year (P > 0.40). Calf ADG in phase 1 increased linearly (P < 0.01) with forage allocation (y = 0.063x + 0.513; R(2) = 0.91). However, calf gain per hectare decreased linearly (P < 0.01) as stockpiled tall fescue allocations increased (y = -26.5x + 212; R(2) = 0.97) such that gain per hectare for cow-calf pairs allocated stockpiled tall fescue at 4.50% BW/d was nearly 40% less (P < 0.01) than for those allocated 2.25% of BW/d. Allocating cow-calf pairs stockpiled tall fescue at 2.25% of BW/d likely optimizes its use; because cow body condition is easily regained in the subsequent spring and summer months, less forage is used during winter, and calf gain per hectare is maximized.

Histidine deficiency has a negative effect on lactational performance of dairy cows.

PubMed

Giallongo, F; Harper, M T; Oh, J; Parys, C; Shinzato, I; Hristov, A N

2017-04-01

A 10-wk randomized complete block design experiment with 24 Holstein cows was conducted to investigate the long-term effects of feeding a His-deficient diet on lactational performance of dairy cows. Cows were blocked by days in milk, milk yield, and parity, and randomly assigned to 1 of the following 2 treatments: (1) His-adequate diet [HAD; providing +166 g/d over metabolizable protein (MP) requirements, according to the National Research Council (2001) and digestible His (dHis) supply of 68 g/d, or 2.5% of MP requirements] and (2) His-deficient diet (HDD; +37 g/d over MP requirements and dHis supply of 49 g/d, or 1.9% of MP requirements). Both HAD and HDD were supplemented with rumen-protected (RP) Met and Lys supplying digestible Met and digestible Lys at 2.4 and 2.4% and 7.2 and 7.1% of MP requirements, respectively. At the end of the 10-wk experiment, HDD was supplemented with RPHis (HDD+RPHis; total dHis supply of 61 g/d, or 2.4% of MP requirements) for an additional 9 d. Dry matter intake (DMI; 25.4 and 27.1 kg/d, standard error of the mean = 0.41), yields of milk (37.6 and 40.5 kg/d, standard error of the mean = 0.62), protein and lactose, energy-corrected milk, and milk and plasma urea-N were decreased by HDD compared with HAD. Feed and energy-corrected milk feed efficiencies, milk fat, protein and lactose concentrations, body weight, and body condition score of the cows were not affected by treatment. Apparent total-tract digestibility of dry and organic matter, crude protein, and neutral detergent fiber, and excretion of urinary N and urea-N were decreased by HDD compared with HAD. Concentration of plasma leptin tended to be decreased for HDD compared with HAD. Plasma concentrations of EAA (His, Leu, Lys, Val) and carnosine decreased and total EAA tended to be decreased in cows fed HDD compared with HAD. Muscle concentrations of free His, Leu, and Val decreased and Gly and β-alanine tended to be increased by HDD compared with HAD. Cows fed HDD had a lower blood hemoglobin concentration than cows fed HAD. At the end of the 10-wk study, the 9-d supplementation of HDD with RPHis (i.e., HDD+RPHis) increased DMI and plasma His, and tended to increase energy-corrected milk yield and plasma carnosine, compared with HDD. In conclusion, feeding a diet deficient in dHis supplying adequate MP, digestible Met, and digestible Lys affected negatively lactational performance of dairy cows. These results confirm our previous findings that low dietary His supply can impair DMI, yields of milk and milk protein, and blood hemoglobin in dairy cows. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of space allowance on the behavior and physiology of cattle temporarily managed on rubber mats.

PubMed

Schütz, Karin E; Huddart, Frances J; Sutherland, Mhairi A; Stewart, Mairi; Cox, Neil R

2015-09-01

Dairy cattle managed in some pasture-based systems, such as in New Zealand, are predominantly kept outdoors all year around but are taken off pasture for periods, especially in wet weather to avoid soil damage. The use of rubber matting for such stand-off practices is becoming more common to improve animal welfare, and our objective was to investigate the effects of different space allowances on cow behavior and physiology when managed temporarily on rubber mats during a weather-induced stand-off period. Thirty pregnant, nonlactating Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were divided into 6 groups of 5 and exposed to 6 treatments following a Williams designed 6×6 Latin square. The treatments consisted of 6 space allowances on a 24-mm rubber surface during a simulated weather-induced stand-off period: 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, 7.5, 9.0, and 10.5 m(2)/cow. The stand-off period consisted of 18 h in the treatment pens followed by 6 h at pasture to allow for their daily feed intake (no feed was available during stand-off, following normal farm practice), for 3 consecutive days, with 6 d of recovery on pasture between treatments. When cows had more space available during the stand-off period, they spent more time lying on the rubber mats and less time lying on pasture during their daily 6-h feed break. Mean lying times (24 h, pasture and rubber mats combined) for the different space allowances were for 3.0 m(2)=7.5 h, 4.5 m(2)=10.2 h, 6.0 m(2)=11.9 h, 7.5 m(2)=12.4 h, and 10.5 m(2)=13.8 h. At 6.0 m(2) of space allowance per cow, the animals spent similar times lying per 24 h as when the cows were on recovery on pasture in between treatments (11.9 and 11.2 h, respectively). Aggressive interactions and nonaggressive lying disturbances were more frequent at lower space allowances (aggressive interactions decreased by 35% from 3.0 to 4.5 m(2)/cow, with a slower decline thereafter). Cows were dirtier after the stand-off period, particularly at lower space allowances. All cows had higher gait scores after the stand-off period; however, this change was unaffected by space allowance and very minor. Stride length, plasma cortisol, and body weight were all unaffected by the stand-off period and space allowance. The results suggest that to reduce aggressive behavior and maintain adequate lying times, dairy cattle managed temporarily on rubber matting for up to 18 h per day, without feed, should have a space allowance of at least 4.5 to 6.0 m(2) per cow. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ammonia Emissions From Dairy Barns: What Have We Learned?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Research, extension, the feed industry and veterinarians have long advocated dairy cow diets that maximize milk production while assuring good animal health and reproduction. Under practical conditions, only 20 to 30% of the crude protein (CP) fed to a dairy cow is converted into milk protein. The r...

Stage of lactation and corresponding diets affect in situ protein degradation by dairy cows.

PubMed

Schadt, I; Mertens, D R; Van Soest, P J; Azzaro, G; Licitra, G

2014-12-01

The influence of stage of lactation and corresponding diets on rates of protein degradation (kd) is largely unstudied. Study objectives were to measure and compare in situ ruminal kd of crude protein (CP) and estimate rumen CP escape (rumen-undegradable protein; RUP) of selected feeds by cows at 3 stages of lactation fed corresponding diets, and to determine the incubation times needed in an enzymatic in vitro procedure, using 0.2 units of Streptomyces griseus protease per percent of true CP, that predicted in situ RUP. Residue CP was measured after in situ fermentation for 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 h of 5 protein sources and 3 total mixed rations, which were fed to the in situ cows. Two nonlactating (dry) cows and 2 cows each at 190 (mid) and 90 (peak) days of lactation were used. Each pair of cows was offered free-choice diets that differed in composition to meet their corresponding nutrient requirements. Diets had decreasing proportions of forages and contained (dry matter basis) 11.9, 15.1 and 16.4% CP and 54.3, 40.3 and 35.3% neutral detergent fiber, for dry, mid, and peak TMR (TMR1, TMR2, and TMR3), respectively. Intakes were 10.3, 21.4, and 23.8kg of dry matter/d, respectively. Kinetic CP fractions (extractable, potentially degradable, undegradable, or slowly degradable) were unaffected by treatment. Lag time and kd varied among feeds. The kd was faster for all feeds (0.136/h) when incubated in dry-TMR1 cows compared with mid-TMR2 (0.097/h) or peak-TMR3 (0.098/h) cows, and no differences in lag time were detected. Calculated RUP, using estimated passage rates for each cow based on intake, differed between dry-TMR1 (0.382) and mid-TMR2 (0.559) or peak-TMR3 (0.626) cows, with a tendency for mid-TMR2 to be different from peak-TMR3. Using the average kd and lag time obtained from dry-TMR1 to calculate RUP for mid-TMR2 and peak-TMR3 cows using their passage rates reduced RUP values by 6.3 and 9.5 percentage units, respectively. Except for that of herring meal, in vitro residue CP at 6, 12, and 48h of enzymatic hydrolysis was correlated (r=0.90) with in situ RUP of peak-TMR3, mid-TMR2, and dry-TMR1, respectively. Although confounded within treatments, stage of lactation, diet, and intake appeared to affect CP degradation parameters and RUP. Using kd from nonlactating cows, or the RUP calculated from them, may bias diet evaluation or ration formulation for lactating cows. In addition, enzymatic in vitro predictions of RUP should be measured using incubation times that are appropriate for lactating cows. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Animal models to study the impact of nutrition on the immune system of the transition cow.

PubMed

Dänicke, Sven; Meyer, Ulrich; Kersten, Susanne; Frahm, Jana

2018-02-01

The immune system is particularly challenged in transition cows as marked physiological changes occur in this period which are driven by late gestation, partus and onset of lactation. As a consequence, the metabolic and nutritional state of the cow also changes significantly with possible implications for the plasticity and flexibility of the immune system. In order to understand how the balance between metabolism, nutritional status and the immune system is maintained under challenging conditions, such as an infection, various animal models can be used which specifically manipulate the nutritional status through various feeding and management strategies. Such models aim at exploring the immunological response to a challenge under largely varying nutritional and metabolic states. As energy balance (EB) is strongly associated both with the metabolic state and with the immunoreactivity of the cows the manipulation of the EB by either influencing energy intake or energy excretion with milk, or by both, offers model opportunities for studying EB effects on the immune system. For example, assigning cows with a higher body condition score (BCS) at least 6 weeks prior to calving to an energy-dense diet exceeding the energy requirement in combination with a decelerated increase in the concentrate feed proportion post partum was shown to be effective in inducing a ketotic metabolic state under ad libitum feeding conditions. Compared to an adequately managed control group this model allows studying immune responses in the transit period and in dependence on dietary interventions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The relationship between odd- and branched-chain fatty acids and microbial nucleic acid bases in rumen

PubMed Central

Liu, Keyuan; Hao, Xiaoyan; Li, Yang; Luo, Guobin; Zhang, Yonggen; Xin, Hangshu

2017-01-01

Objective This study aims to identify the relationship between odd- and branched-chain fatty acids (OBCFAs) and microbial nucleic acid bases in the rumen, and to establish a model to accurately predict microbial protein flow by using OBCFA. Methods To develop the regression equations, data on the rumen contents of individual cows were obtained from 2 feeding experiments. In the first experiment, 3 rumen-fistulated dry dairy cows arranged in a 3×3 Latin square were fed diets of differing forage to concentration ratios (F:C). The second experiment consisted of 9 lactating Holstein dairy cows of similar body weights at the same stage of pregnancy. For each lactation stage, 3 cows with similar milk production were selected. The rumen contents were sampled at 4 time points of every two hours after morning feeding 6 h, and then to analyse the concentrations of OBCFA and microbial nucleic acid bases in the rumen samples. Results The ruminal bacteria nucleic acid bases were significantly influenced by feeding diets of differing forge to concentration ratios and lactation stages of dairy cows (p<0.05). The concentrations of OBCFAs, especially odd-chain fatty acids and C15:0 isomers, strongly correlated with the microbial nucleic acid bases in the rumen (p<0.05). The equations of ruminal microbial nucleic acid bases established by ruminal OBCFAs contents showed a good predictive capacity, as indicated by reasonably low standard errors and high R-squared values. Conclusion This finding suggests that the rumen OBCFA composition could be used as an internal marker of rumen microbial matter. PMID:28728386

The relationship between odd- and branched-chain fatty acids and microbial nucleic acid bases in rumen.

PubMed

Liu, Keyuan; Hao, Xiaoyan; Li, Yang; Luo, Guobin; Zhang, Yonggen; Xin, Hangshu

2017-11-01

This study aims to identify the relationship between odd- and branched-chain fatty acids (OBCFAs) and microbial nucleic acid bases in the rumen, and to establish a model to accurately predict microbial protein flow by using OBCFA. To develop the regression equations, data on the rumen contents of individual cows were obtained from 2 feeding experiments. In the first experiment, 3 rumen-fistulated dry dairy cows arranged in a 3×3 Latin square were fed diets of differing forage to concentration ratios (F:C). The second experiment consisted of 9 lactating Holstein dairy cows of similar body weights at the same stage of pregnancy. For each lactation stage, 3 cows with similar milk production were selected. The rumen contents were sampled at 4 time points of every two hours after morning feeding 6 h, and then to analyse the concentrations of OBCFA and microbial nucleic acid bases in the rumen samples. The ruminal bacteria nucleic acid bases were significantly influenced by feeding diets of differing forge to concentration ratios and lactation stages of dairy cows (p<0.05). The concentrations of OBCFAs, especially odd-chain fatty acids and C15:0 isomers, strongly correlated with the microbial nucleic acid bases in the rumen (p<0.05). The equations of ruminal microbial nucleic acid bases established by ruminal OBCFAs contents showed a good predictive capacity, as indicated by reasonably low standard errors and high R-squared values. This finding suggests that the rumen OBCFA composition could be used as an internal marker of rumen microbial matter.

[Influence of zeolite A supplementation during the dry period of dairy cows on feed intake, on the macro and trace element metabolism around calving and milk yield in the following lactation].

PubMed

Grabherr, Hilde; Spolders, Markus; Flachowsky, Gerhard; Fürll, Manfred

2008-01-01

The object of the present study was to determine the influence of zeolite A, a calcium binder from the group of the aluminosilicate, on feed intake, macro and trace element metabolism as well as the milk yield in the following lactation in dairy cows. 46 cows were allotted to 2 groups (A--control group and B--experimental group). They were fed a total mixed ration (TMR) ad libitum 2 weeks before calving. Additionally the cows in group B received 90 g zeolite A/kg dry matter (DM). The individually feed intake was registered daily. The serum was analysed for Ca, Mg, and Pi (inorganic phosphate), Fe, FFA (free fatty acid) and beta-HB (hydroxybutyrate) and the plasma for the trace elements Cu, Zn, and Mn. After calving the milk yield (FCM) and the milk composition (fat, protein, lactose and urea) were analysed. Feed intake of group B, amounting to 6.2 +/- 1.3 kg DM/d was around 48% lower as compared to 12.0 +/- 1.4 kg DM/d for group A. The zeolite addition into the TMR showed a stabilizing effect on the average Ca concentration in the serum around calving. This effect led to a significantly lower Mg concentration on the day of calving and 1 day post partum. The Pi concentration was significantly lower already after the 1st week of zeolite supplementation and on the day of calving as compared to group A. There was no essential effect of zeolite A on the trace element concentration. The depression of feed intake for group B led to a significant increase of FFA one week after beginning zeolite supplementation and of beta-HB around calving. The feed intake post partum as well as the milk yield were not affected by zeolite supplementation. Because decreased feed intake of group B after zeolite supplementation and the occurred hypophosphatemia, it is not acceptable to use zeolite A in the proved dose for preventing milk fever.

Effects of feeding betaine-containing liquid supplement to transition dairy cows.

PubMed

Monteiro, A P A; Bernard, J K; Guo, J-R; Weng, X-S; Emanuele, S; Davis, R; Dahl, G E; Tao, S

2017-02-01

Betaine is a natural compound found in sugar beets that serves as a methyl donor and organic osmolyte when fed to animals. The objective was to evaluate the effect of feeding betaine-containing molasses on performance of transition dairy cows during late summer in 2 trials. In early September, cows were randomly assigned to betaine (BET) or control (CON) groups either shortly after dry off (trial 1; n = 10 per treatment) or 24 d before calving (trial 2; n = 8 per treatment) based on parity and previous mature equivalent milk yield. Cows were fed common diets supplemented either with a liquid supplement made of molasses from sugar cane and condensed beet solubles containing betaine [BET, 89.1 g/kg of dry matter (DM)] or a sugar cane molasses-based liquid supplement without betaine (CON) until 8 wk postpartum. The liquid supplements had similar nutrient contents and were fed at a rate of 1.1 and 1.4 kg DM/d for pre- and postpartum cows, respectively. Starting at their entry in the studies, cows were housed in the same freestall barn without a cooling system. After calving, all cows were housed in the same barn cooled by misters and fans and milked thrice daily. Intake was recorded daily and body weight and body condition score were assessed every 2 wk. Milk yield was recorded at each milking and composition was analyzed weekly. Blood samples were collected weekly from a subset of cows to assess concentrations of metabolites and AA. No treatment effects were apparent for DM intake and body weight in the prepartum and postpartum periods. For cows enrolled at dry off, BET supported higher milk yield (45.1 vs. 41.9 kg/d) and fat content (4.78 vs. 4.34%) and elevated plasma concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate in early lactation compared to CON. However, no differences were observed for milk yield, most milk component contents and yields, and blood metabolites between treatments for cows enrolled during the close-up period. Compared to cows in the CON group, BET cows enrolled during the far-off period tended to have lower plasma concentrations of Met, Thr, and Trp during the pre- and postpartum periods. They also had lower plasma concentrations of Lys and Phe before calving but higher plasma Gly concentration after parturition. In conclusion, feeding a betaine-containing liquid supplement from far-off through early lactation improves lactation performance but increases adipose tissue mobilization and production of ketone bodies in early lactation. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On-farm deaths of dairy cows are associated with features of freestall barns.

PubMed

Sarjokari, K; Hovinen, M; Seppä-Lassila, L; Norring, M; Hurme, T; Peltoniemi, O A T; Soveri, T; Rajala-Schultz, P J

2018-04-04

On-farm death (OFD) of a dairy cow is always a financial loss for a farmer, and potentially a welfare issue that has to be addressed within the dairy industry. The aim of this study was to explore the associations between OFD of dairy cows, housing, and herd management in freestall barns. To achieve the goal, we followed 10,837 cows calving in 2011 in 82 herds. Data were gathered with observations and a structured interview during farm visits and from a national dairy herd improvement database. The hazard of OFD was modeled with a shared frailty survival model, with SAS 9.3 PHREG procedure (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). The study population was 58% Ayrshire and 42% Holstein cows. The median herd size and mean milk yield in the study herds were 116 cows and 9,151 kg of milk per cow per year. The overall probability of OFD was 6.0%; 1.8% of the cows died unassisted and 4.2% were euthanized. Variation in OFD percentage between individual herds was large, from 0 to 16%, accounting for 0 to 58% of all removals in the herds. Keeping close-up dry cows in an own group was associated with higher hazard of OFD [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.37] compared with keeping them in the same pen with far-off dry cows. Higher hazard on OFD was observed when barns had only one kind of calving pens; single (HR = 2.09) or group pens (HR = 1.72), compared with having both of those types. The hazard of OFD was lower if the whole herd was housed in barns or pens that had only 1 type of feed barrier at the feed bunk, namely post-and-rail (HR = 0.51) or a type with barriers between the cow's heads (HR = 0.49), compared with having 2 types. Lower OFD hazard was observed with wider than 340 cm of walking alley next to the feeding table (HR = 0.75), and with housing a whole herd in pens with only 1 type of walking alley surface, specifically slatted (HR = 0.53) or solid (HR = 0.48), compared with having both types. The hazard of OFD was higher with stalls wider than 120 cm (HR = 1.38) compared with narrower stalls. The hazard of OFD was also associated with breed, parity, and calving season. This study identified many factors that contribute to the incidence of OFD of dairy cows. The solutions for reducing on-farm mortality include housing, management, and breeding choices that are most probably herd specific. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of feeding dry glycerol to primiparous Holstein dairy cows on follicular development, reproductive performance and metabolic parameters related to fertility during the early post-partum period.

PubMed

Karami-Shabankareh, H; Kafilzadeh, F; Piri, V; Mohammadi, H

2013-12-01

This study examined the effects of dry glycerol supplementation on follicular growth, post-partum interval to first ovulation, concentration of serum metabolites and hormones related to fertility, body condition score (BCS) and body weight (BW) in primiparous Holstein dairy cows. Sixty primiparous Holstein dairy cows were randomly assigned to two groups (control: n = 30 and glycerol supplemented: n = 30). Dry glycerol (250 g/day/cow) was fed as a top dressing to the common lactating total mixed ration (TMR) from parturition to 21 days post-partum. Ovaries were examined four times using ultrasonography on days 13, 19, 25 and 36 post-partum to determine ovarian follicular growth. Concentration of serum metabolites and hormones was determined weekly. Body condition score was evaluated weekly from weeks 1 to 5 after parturition, and BWs were recorded three times on days 1, 11 and 21 during the experimental period. The cows fed dry glycerol had more large follicles (p < 0.0001) and corpora lutea (CL) (p = 0.02) compared with the control cows. Days to the first ovulation (p = 0.06), days to first oestrus (p = 0.05), services per conception (p = 0.06) and days open (p = 0.004) were positively affected by dry glycerol supplementation. Serum concentration of glucose and insulin was higher in dry glycerol-supplemented cows (p = 0.1; p = 0.06, respectively). Feeding glycerol had no effect on mean serum concentrations of β-hydroxybutyrate, non-esterified fatty acids and IGF-1 during the experimental period. However, significant differences were observed at concentration of BHBA and IGF-1 (p = 0.02 and p = 0.04, respectively) between two groups on day 21 after calving. The cows in the glycerol-fed group had higher serum progesterone concentrations on days 33 (p = 0.007) and 36 (p = 0.004) after calving. Supplemented cows had lower body condition loss during weeks 1-5 after calving compared with the control cows (0.34 vs 0.41 BCS). In week 13 post-partum, the proportion of cycling cows was 83.3 and 69.9% for those which received supplemented or non-supplemented diet, respectively. These results demonstrated that feeding dry glycerol as a glucogenic supply may be useful to improve negative energy balance and reproductive efficiency in young cows which calve with high requirement of energy. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Influence of late gestation drylot rations differing in protein degradability and fat content on beef cow and subsequent calf performance.

PubMed

Wilson, T B; Faulkner, D B; Shike, D W

2015-12-01

Spring-calving, mature cows ( = 191 total) and their progeny were used to evaluate the effects of late gestation drylot rations differing in RUP and fat content on cow performance as well as performance and carcass characteristics of subsequent progeny. Cows were blocked by BW and anticipated calving date and assigned to 16 pens. Pens were randomly allotted to 1 of 2 treatments: limit-fed corn coproducts and ground cornstalks (COP; TDN = 64.4%, CP = 11.1%, RDP = 60.2% of CP, and fat = 5.1%) or limit-fed ground mixed, cool-season grass hay (HY; TDN = 55.7%, CP = 9.5%, RDP = 86.0% of CP, and fat = 2.3%). Treatments were limit fed as isocaloric, isonitrogenous rations from 88 ± 11 d prepartum to calving. All cows were fed a common diet postpartum. Cow BW and BCS were collected at the beginning of the feeding period, within 48 h after calving, and at breeding. Calf BW was collected at birth and at 64 ± 11 and 124 ± 11 d of age. Milk production was determined using the weigh-suckle-weigh technique at 64 ± 11 and 124 ± 11 d postpartum. At 124 ± 11 d of age, steers ( = 68) and nonreplacement heifer calves ( = 25) were weaned and placed on a common feedlot diet with individual feed intake monitored using GrowSafe. Feedlot calves were slaughtered at a commercial facility 35 ± 10 d after a minimum ultrasound 12-rib fat thickness estimation of 0.9 cm. After calving, cow BW was greater ( < 0.01) and BCS was greater ( < 0.01) for cows fed COP than for cows fed HY. Calf birth BW was greater ( = 0.04) for those born to cows fed COP with no difference ( = 0.43) in percentage of unassisted births across treatment. Cows fed HY were lighter ( < 0.01) at breeding with lower BCS ( = 0.03); nevertheless, overall pregnancy rate was not different ( = 0.80). No differences ( ≥ 0.22) in milk production were detected. For feedlot progeny, initial feedlot BW, final BW, and days on feed were not different ( ≥ 0.23), and as a result, no difference ( = 0.21) in feedlot ADG was detected. Feedlot DMI and G:F were not different ( ≥ 0.19) across treatments. Feedlot calf health was monitored with no differences ( ≥ 0.68) in morbidity and mortality observed. No differences ( ≥ 0.27) were detected for HCW, LM area, backfat, marbling score, yield grade, or KPH. Increased dietary RUP and fat content during late gestation increased cow BW and BCS but did not alter milk production, subsequent reproduction, or subsequent calf performance or carcass characteristics.

Influence of body condition score on live and carcass value of cull beef cows.

PubMed

Apple, J K

1999-10-01

Mature beef cows (n = 88) were slaughtered to determine the influence of body condition score (BCS) on carcass and live animal value. Cows were weighed and assigned a BCS (9-point scale), 24 h before slaughter. Hide and by-products weights were recorded during harvest. After a 48-h chill period, the right side of each carcass was fabricated into boneless subprimal cuts, minor cuts, lean trim, fat, and bone. Weights were recorded at all stages of fabrication. Carcass values (U.S.$/100 kg of hot carcass weight) were calculated for U.S. Utility and U.S. Cutter grades, as well as for the Utility/Cutter mix for each BCS. Gross value included the carcass value and the value of the hide and byproducts, whereas net value was calculated after harvest and fabrication costs and by-product value were considered. Live value (U.S.$/100 kg of live weight) was computed by dividing the net value by the animal's live weight 24 h before harvest. The value of the hide and by-products for BCS-2 cows was greater (P<.05) than for cows assigned a BCS of 3 through 8. Even though U.S. Utility carcasses from BCS-8 cows produced the least (P<.05) valuable subprimal cuts from the chuck, loin, and round, the gross and net values of BCS-8 cows were greater (P<.05) than those of BCS-3, 4, 5, and 6. Within the grade of U.S. Cutter, carcasses from BCS-6 cows had the highest (P<.05), and BCS-2 cows had the lowest (P<.05), gross and net values. Across the U.S. Utility/Cutter mix, cows designated with a BCS of 7 and 8 had greater (P<.05) gross and net values than cows assigned a BCS of 6, or lower. Live value increased linearly (P = .0002) from a low of $76.10/100 kg for BCS-2 cows to a high of $90.84/100 kg for BCS-7 cows. Carcasses from BCS-6 cows were relatively lean (8.4 mm of fat opposite of the longissimus muscle), and approximately 73% of the carcasses achieved a quality grade of U.S. Utility. Moreover, carcasses from BCS-6 cows had the highest total carcass values and live values comparable (P>.05) to BCS-7 cows. Information from this study can be used by the non-fed beef industry to establish a value-based marketing system. Data from this study would indicate that marketing cull beef cows at a BCS of 6 could optimize economic returns to both cow-calf producers and non-fed beef packers.

Fate of higher brominated PBDEs in lactating cows.

PubMed

Kierkegaard, Amelie; Asplund, Lillemor; de Wit, Cynthia A; McLachlan, Michael S; Thomas, Gareth O; Sweetman, Andrew J; Jones, Kevin C

2007-01-15

Dietary intake studies of lower brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs) have shown that fish and animal products are important vectors of human exposure, but almost no data exist for higher brominated BDEs. Therefore, the fate of hepta- to decaBDEs was studied in lactating cows exposed to a naturally contaminated diet by analyzing feed, feces, and milk samples from a previous mass balance study of PCB. Tissue distribution was studied in one cow slaughtered after the experiment. BDE-209 was the dominant congener in feed, organs, adipose tissues, and feces, but not in milk. In contrast to PCBs and lower brominated BDEs, concentrations of hepta- to decaBDEs in adipose tissue were 9-80 times higher than in milk fat and the difference increased with degree of bromination/log K(OW). The congener profiles in adipose tissue and feed differed; BDE-207, BDE-196, BDE-197, and BDE-182 accumulated to a surprisingly greater extent in the fat compared to their isomers, suggesting metabolic debromination of BDE-209 to these BDEs. The results indicate that meat rather than dairy product consumption may be an important human exposure route to higher brominated BDEs.

Effects of management practices on yield and quality of milk from smallholder dairy units in urban and peri-urban Morogoro, Tanzania.

PubMed

Gillah, Kejeri A; Kifaro, George C; Madsen, Jorgen

2014-10-01

A longitudinal study design was used to assess the management, chemical composition of cows' milk and quantify the microbial load of raw milk produced at farm level. Data were collected between December 2010 and September 2011 in Morogoro municipality. Milk samples were collected once every month and analysed for butter fat (BF), crude protein (CP), total solids (TS) and solids non-fat (SNF). Total bacterial count (TBC) and coliform counts (CC) were normalized by log transformation. The average milk yield was 7.0 l/day and was not influenced by feeding systems and breeds. Dairy cows owned by people who had no regular income produced more milk than government employees and retired officers. Means of BF, TS, SNF and CP were similar in different feeding systems. Wet season had significantly higher TBC (5.9 log10 cfu/ml) and CC (2.4 log10 cfu/ml) but feeding systems had no effect. Stocking density influenced TBC but not CC. It can be concluded that dairy cows produced low milk yield and its quality was poor.

Nebraska family practitioners' infant feeding recommendations.

PubMed

Auerbach, K G; Walburn, J

1987-01-01

The authors conducted an anonymous survey of 220 Nebraska family and general practitioners' attitudes and practice recommendations for infant feeding. Most practitioners' attitudes reflect published American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines regarding using commercial formula for bottle-feeding babies rather than evaporated milk-based formulations. Ninety-two per cent agreed with recommendations relating to the need for fluoride supplementation when fluoride was unavailable in the water supply and 93% agreed that whole cow's milk was inappropriate in the infant's first year. Another 68% felt similarly about evaporated milk formulas. However, 32% of board certified and 53% of nonboard certified physicians continue to believe that early solid foods will reduce night waking. In 80% of the cases, practice recommendations disagreed with AAP guidelines by prescribing vitamin supplements for bottle-feeding babies receiving proprietary infant formulas. Additionally, two-thirds of the practitioners recommended unnecessary water complements and 62% suggested formula supplementation for breastfeeding babies. Solid foods and whole cow's milk for both breastfeeding and bottle-feeding babies often were recommended earlier than the second half of the first year.

Specific microbiome-dependent mechanisms underlie the energy harvest efficiency of ruminants

PubMed Central

Shabat, Sheerli Kruger Ben; Sasson, Goor; Doron-Faigenboim, Adi; Durman, Thomer; Yaacoby, Shamay; Berg Miller, Margret E; White, Bryan A; Shterzer, Naama; Mizrahi, Itzhak

2016-01-01

Ruminants have the remarkable ability to convert human-indigestible plant biomass into human-digestible food products, due to a complex microbiome residing in the rumen compartment of their upper digestive tract. Here we report the discovery that rumen microbiome components are tightly linked to cows' ability to extract energy from their feed, termed feed efficiency. Feed efficiency was measured in 146 milking cows and analyses of the taxonomic composition, gene content, microbial activity and metabolomic composition was performed on the rumen microbiomes from the 78 most extreme animals. Lower richness of microbiome gene content and taxa was tightly linked to higher feed efficiency. Microbiome genes and species accurately predicted the animals' feed efficiency phenotype. Specific enrichment of microbes and metabolic pathways in each of these microbiome groups resulted in better energy and carbon channeling to the animal, while lowering methane emissions to the atmosphere. This ecological and mechanistic understanding of the rumen microbiome could lead to an increase in available food resources and environmentally friendly livestock agriculture. PMID:27152936

Specific microbiome-dependent mechanisms underlie the energy harvest efficiency of ruminants.

PubMed

Shabat, Sheerli Kruger Ben; Sasson, Goor; Doron-Faigenboim, Adi; Durman, Thomer; Yaacoby, Shamay; Berg Miller, Margret E; White, Bryan A; Shterzer, Naama; Mizrahi, Itzhak

2016-12-01

Ruminants have the remarkable ability to convert human-indigestible plant biomass into human-digestible food products, due to a complex microbiome residing in the rumen compartment of their upper digestive tract. Here we report the discovery that rumen microbiome components are tightly linked to cows' ability to extract energy from their feed, termed feed efficiency. Feed efficiency was measured in 146 milking cows and analyses of the taxonomic composition, gene content, microbial activity and metabolomic composition was performed on the rumen microbiomes from the 78 most extreme animals. Lower richness of microbiome gene content and taxa was tightly linked to higher feed efficiency. Microbiome genes and species accurately predicted the animals' feed efficiency phenotype. Specific enrichment of microbes and metabolic pathways in each of these microbiome groups resulted in better energy and carbon channeling to the animal, while lowering methane emissions to the atmosphere. This ecological and mechanistic understanding of the rumen microbiome could lead to an increase in available food resources and environmentally friendly livestock agriculture.

Type C botulism in dairy cattle from feed contaminated with a dead cat

USGS Publications Warehouse

Galey, F.D.; Terra, R.; Walker, R.; Adaska, J.; Etchebarne, M.A.; Puschener, B.; Whitlock, R.H.; Rocke, T.E.; Willoughby, D.; Tor, E.

2000-01-01

Four hundred twenty-seven of 441 adult Holstein dairy cattle from a 1,200-cow dairy died over a 1-week period during early spring 1998. Affected animals were from 4 late lactation pens, one of which included the bull string. Signs included weakness, recumbency, watery diarrhea, and death. Eighty animals from the 4 pens were dead approximately 8 hours after the first ill cows were noted. Affected cows would collapse on stimulation and extend all 4 limbs with moderate rigidity. Several lacked lingual tonus and had abdominal breathing patterns. The animals had been fed a load of total mixed ration that included a rotten bale of oat hay containing a dead cat. No common toxicants were identified, and pathologic examination revealed no consistent lesions. Testing of tissue from the cat carcass found in the feed sample using mouse protection bioassay identified the presence of type C botulinum toxin. Samples of feed, tissue from affected animals, cat tissue from feed, milk, and serum were also tested using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) specific for type C botulinum. Two samples of rumen contents were tested and found to be positive for botulism by ELISA, and 1 of 3 liver samples had a weak positive finding. No botulinum toxin was found in milk or sera using the ELISA.

Factors associated with profitability in pasture-based systems of milk production.

PubMed

Hanrahan, L; McHugh, N; Hennessy, T; Moran, B; Kearney, R; Wallace, M; Shalloo, L

2018-06-01

The global dairy industry needs to reappraise the systems of milk production that are operated at farm level with specific focus on enhancing technical efficiency and competitiveness of the sector. The objective of this study was to quantify the factors associated with costs of production, profitability, and pasture use, and the effects of pasture use on financial performance of dairy farms using an internationally recognized representative database over an 8-yr period (2008 to 2015) on pasture-based systems. To examine the associated effects of several farm system and management variables on specific performance measures, a series of multiple regression models were developed. Factors evaluated included pasture use [kg of dry matter/ha and stocking rate (livestock units/ha)], grazing season length, breeding season length, milk recording, herd size, dairy farm size (ha), farmer age, discussion group membership, proportion of purchased feed, protein %, fat %, kg of milk fat and protein per cow, kg of milk fat and protein per hectare, and capital investment in machinery, livestock, and buildings. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated costs of production per hectare differed by year, geographical location, soil type, level of pasture use, proportion of purchased feed, protein %, kg of fat and protein per cow, dairy farm size, breeding season length, and capital investment in machinery, livestock, and buildings per cow. The results of the analysis revealed that farm net profit per hectare was associated with pasture use per hectare, year, location, soil type, grazing season length, proportion of purchased feed, protein %, kg of fat and protein per cow, dairy farm size, and capital investment in machinery and buildings per cow. Pasture use per hectare was associated with year, location, soil type, stocking rate, dairy farm size, fat %, protein %, kg of fat and protein per cow, farmer age, capital investment in machinery and buildings per cow, breeding season length, and discussion group membership. On average, over the 8-yr period, each additional tonne of pasture dry matter used increased gross profit by €278 and net profit by €173 on dairy farms. Conversely, a 10% increase in the proportion of purchased feed in the diet resulted in a reduction in net profit per hectare by €97 and net profit by €207 per tonne of fat and protein. Results from this study, albeit in a quota limited environment, have demonstrated that the profitability of pasture-based dairy systems is significantly associated with the proportion of pasture used at the farm level, being cognizant of the levels of purchased feed. The Authors. Published by FASS Inc. and Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).

Replacement value of undecorticated sunflower meal as a supplement for milk production by crossbred cows and buffaloes in the northern plains of India.

PubMed

Sharma, K; Dutta, N; Pattanaik, A K; Hasan, Q Z

2003-04-01

The replacement value of undecorticated sunflower meal (SFM) in the diets of dairy animals was assessed on-station and on-farm. Eighteen primiparous crossbred (Bos taurus x Bos indicus) cows (350.4 +/- 8.84 kg), randomly allocated to three groups, were used in the on-station study. The animals were fed on either a conventional concentrate supplement (control) or on an experimental concentrate, in which SFM replaced 25% (SFM-25) or 50% (SFM-50) of the CP in the control supplement. Green oats (Avena sativa) were supplied ad libitum. A metabolism trial conducted following 60 days of experimental feeding revealed that the intakes of DM, DCP and TDN were similar among the groups. The digestibilities of OM, CP, EE, NDF and ADF were also without significant differences. All the groups were in positive nitrogen balance. Inclusion of SFM at either level had no effect on the intake, excretion or retention of nitrogen. The daily milk yield and its composition did not differ among the dietary treatments. Moreover, the efficiency of utilization of DOM and TDN for FCM production tended to reflect, although non-significantly, increasing levels of SFM inclusion. In the on-farm study, seven multiparous milking buffaloes belonging to six farmers were used to assess the effect of replacing 20% of the CP of the conventional supplement with SFM, in a predominantly crop residue-based diet. The study continued for 4 months and revealed that the average daily feed intake and milk production was similar in the control and SFM-fed groups. It was concluded that SFM can be effectively utilized as a cheaper replacement for costly oil cakes and wheat bran for economic milk production by smallholder farmers.

The value of creep feeding during the last 84, 56, or 28 days prior to weaning on growth performance of nursing calves grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue.

PubMed

Tarr, S L; Faulkner, D B; Buskirk, D D; Ireland, F A; Parrett, D F; Berger, L L

1994-05-01

To evaluate limiting the number of days that calves are creep fed, 84 crossbred cows (frame score 4) nursing steer calves were randomly assigned to three replicates over 2 yr to receive one of four lengths of creep feeding (0, 28, 56, or 84 d) for cows and calves grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue. There were no differences in cow performance due to treatments. Calf daily gain increased (P < .001) as the length of time exposed to creep increased. In yr 1, creep intake increased (P < .05) as the length to time exposed to creep increased. In yr 2, there was no difference in intake by period among 28-, 56-, and 84-d treatments. Supplemental feed efficiency was best for 56 and 84 d, and the 28-d treatment was extremely poor. During the feedlot phase, there were differences in performance between the 2 yr and there were no differences in carcass composition due to length of time receiving creep feed. Overall, creep feeding calves for 56 or 84 d improved performance, and the 56-d calves had the most efficient gain. Creep feeding calves for 28 d showed no advantage during the creep feeding period or in the feedlot. Four ruminally fistulated nursing steer calves were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design to receive treatments of forage alone or .68 kg, 1.13 kg, or 2.27 kg/d of creep plus high-quality, freshly harvested forage available on an ad libitum basis. Forage OM intake and NDF digestibility tended (P = .11) to decrease as intake of creep feed increased. The pH decreased (P < .001), molar proportion of propionate tended to increase (P = .06), and acetate tended to decrease (P = .07) as the level of creep feed intake increased. Higher levels of creep feed tended to cause a decrease in ruminal fiber digestibility and forage intake. Creep feeding calves for 56 or 84 d improved gain; 56 d had the most efficient supplemental gain. Creep feeding calves for 28 d showed no advantage during the creep feeding period or in the feedlot.

Economic comparison of natural service and timed artificial insemination breeding programs in dairy cattle.

PubMed

Lima, F S; De Vries, A; Risco, C A; Santos, J E P; Thatcher, W W

2010-09-01

The objective was to compare the costs of natural service (NS) and timed artificial insemination (TAI) as breeding programs for dairy cows. Both programs were directly compared in a field study from November 2006 to March 2008. Reproductive results in that study were similar and served as inputs for this study. A herd budget accounting for all costs and revenues was created. Net cost during the field study for the NS program was $100.49/cow per year and for the TAI program was $67.80/cow per year, unadjusted for differences in voluntary waiting period for first insemination (VWP) and pregnancy rates (PR). After inclusion of the differences in VWP and PR, the economic advantage of the TAI program was $9.73/cow per year. Costs per day a cow was eligible for insemination were estimated at $1.45 for the NS program and $1.06 for the TAI program. Sensitivity analysis revealed that if the marginal feed cost increased to $5/hundredweight (cwt; 1 cwt=45.36kg), the advantage of TAI increased to $48.32/cow per year. In addition, higher milk prices and greater genetic progress increased the advantage of TAI. When semen price increased from $6 to $22, the NS program had an economic advantage of $33.29/cow per year. If each NS bull was replaced by an additional cow, the advantage of the TAI program was $60.81/cow per year. Setting the PR for both programs at 18% and the VWP at 80 d resulted in an advantage of $37.87/cow per year for the TAI program. In conclusion, any advantage of TAI depended greatly on cost to feed bulls, semen price, and genetic merit of semen. Copyright (c) 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Replacing corn silage with different forage millet silage cultivars: effects on milk yield, nutrient digestion, and ruminal fermentation of lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Brunette, T; Baurhoo, B; Mustafa, A F

2014-10-01

This study investigated the effects of dietary replacement of corn silage (CS) with 2 cultivars of forage millet silages [i.e., regular millet (RM) and sweet millet (SM)] on milk production, apparent total-tract digestibility, and ruminal fermentation characteristics of dairy cows. Fifteen lactating Holstein cows were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square experiment and fed (ad libitum) a high-forage total mixed ration (68:32 forage:concentrate ratio). Dietary treatments included CS (control), RM, and SM diets. Experimental silages constituted 37% of each diet DM. Three ruminally fistulated cows were used to determine the effect of dietary treatments on ruminal fermentation and total-tract nutrient utilization. Relative to CS, RM and SM silages contained 36% more crude protein, 66% more neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and 88% more acid detergent fiber. Cows fed CS consumed more dry matter (DM; 24.4 vs. 22.7 kg/d) and starch (5.7 vs. 3.7 kg/d), but less NDF (7.9 vs. 8.7 kg/d) than cows fed RM or SM. However, DM, starch and NDF intakes were not different between forage millet silage types. Feeding RM relative to CS reduced milk yield (32.7 vs. 35.2 kg/d), energy-corrected milk (35.8 vs. 38.0 kg/d) and SCM (32.7 vs. 35.3 kg/d). However, cows fed SM had similar milk, energy-corrected milk, and solids-corrected milk yields than cows fed CS or RM. Milk efficiency was not affected by dietary treatments. Milk protein concentration was greatest for cows fed CS, intermediate for cows fed SM, and lowest for cows fed RM. Milk concentration of solids-not-fat was lesser, whereas milk urea nitrogen was greater for cows fed RM than for those fed CS. However, millet silage type had no effect on milk solids-not-fat and milk urea nitrogen levels. Concentrations of milk fat, lactose and total solids were not affected by silage type. Ruminal pH and ruminal NH3-N were greater for cows fed RM and SM than for cows fed CS. Total-tract digestibility of DM (average=67.9%), NDF (average=53.9%), crude protein (average=63.3%), and gross energy (average=67.9%) were not influenced by dietary treatments. It was concluded that cows fed CS performed better than those fed RM or SM likely due to the higher starch and lower NDF intakes. However, no major differences were noted between the 2 forage millet silage cultivars. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relative Bioavailability of Niacin Supplements for Dairy Cows: Effects of Rumen Protection and of Feed Processing.

PubMed

Tienken, Reka; Kersten, Susanne; Hüther, Liane; Frahm, Jana; Meyer, Ulrich; Dänicke, Sven

2015-12-16

The present study aimed to examine the effective systemic bioavailability of niacin- with particular focus on its galenic form-and feed processing. Experiment 1 was conducted with 35 dairy cows to investigate the effects of various doses of oral supplemented nicotinic acid (NA) either in differing galenic forms (non-rumen protected (nRP) vs. rumen protected form (RP)) on serum niacin concentrations. Experiment 2 was designed as a pharmacokinetic study examining the serum niacin kinetics over 24 h after giving a single oral bolus of 24 g nRP or RP NA admixed in either pelleted or ground concentrate. In both experiments, only the niacin vitamer nicotinamide (NAM) was detected. Results of experiment 1 showed that both galenic forms at a dose of 24 g/cow daily elevated NAM concentrations at the beginning of the experiment. Despite a daily supplementation, NAM concentrations decreased continuously towards the end of the experiment which was more steeply in nRP NA ( p = 0.03). On experimental day 21, NAM concentrations were higher when feeding RP NA ( p = 0.03) and the highest dose (24 g/day and cow) ( p < 0.01). Results of experiment 2 indicated that nRP and RP were characterized by similar pharmacokinetic profiles resulting in similar areas under the curves as a net result of the kinetic counterbalancing alterations. Pelleting seemed not to influence the relative bioavailability.

Postweaning feed restriction effects on steer feedlot performance and carcass characteristics

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective was to evaluate impacts of 2 levels of supplemental feed provided to cows during late gestation and 2 levels of feed provided to their sons during postweaning development on subsequent feedlot performance and carcass characteristics. Bull calves (n = 56 in 2010; n = 51 in 2011) were bo...

Effect of dietary Quebracho tannin extract on feed intake, digestibility, excretion of urinary purine derivatives and milk production in dairy cows.

PubMed

Henke, Anika; Dickhoefer, Uta; Westreicher-Kristen, Edwin; Knappstein, Karin; Molkentin, Joachim; Hasler, Mario; Susenbeth, Andreas

2017-02-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary Quebracho tannin extract (QTE) on feed intake, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), excretion of urinary purine derivatives (PD) and milk composition and yield in dairy cows. Fifty Holstein cows were divided into two groups. To reach a similar performance of both groups, cows were divided according to their milk yield, body weight, days in milk and number of lactations at the start of the experiment averaging 33.2 ± 8.2 kg/d, 637 ± 58 kg, 114 ± 73 d and 2.3 ± 1.6 lactations, respectively. The cows were fed a basal diet as total mixed ration containing on dry matter (DM) basis 34% grass silage, 32% maize silage and 34% concentrate feeds. Three dietary treatments were tested, the control (CON, basal diet without QTE), QTE 15 (basal diet with QTE at 15 g/kg DM) and QTE 30 (basal diet with QTE at 30 g/kg DM). Two treatments were arranged along six periods each 21 d (13 d adaptation phase and 8 d sampling phase). The ATTD of DM and organic matter were reduced only in Diet QTE 30 , whereas both QTE treatments reduced ATTD of fibre and nitrogen (N), indicating that QTE impaired rumen fermentation. Nevertheless, feed intake was unaffected by QTE. In Diet CON, urinary N excretion accounted for 29.8% of N intake and decreased in treatments QTE 15 and QTE 30 to 27.5% and 17.9%, respectively. Daily faecal N excretion increased in treatments CON, QTE 15 and QTE 30 from 211 to 237 and 273 g/d, respectively, which amounted to 39.0%, 42.4% and 51.7% of the N intake, respectively. Hence, QTE shifted N excretion from urine to faeces, whereas the proportion of ingested N appearing in milk was not affected by QTE (average 30.7% of N intake). Daily PD excretion as indicator for microbial crude protein (CP) flow at the duodenum decreased in treatment QTE 30 compared with Diet CON from 413 to 280 mmol/d. The ratios of total PD to creatinine suggest that urinary PD excretion was already lower when feeding Diet QTE 15 . While there was no effect of Diet QTE 15 , treatment QTE 30 reduced milk yield, milk fat and protein. Both QTE treatments reduced milk urea concentration, which suggest that ruminal degradation of dietary CP was reduced. In summary, adding QTE at dosages of 15 and 30 g/kg DM to diets of lactating dairy cows to improve feed and protein use efficiency is not recommended.

Studies on hepatic lipidosis and coinciding health and fertility problems of high-producing dairy cows using the "Utrecht fatty liver model of dairy cows". A review.

PubMed

Geelen, M J H; Wensing, T

2006-09-01

Fatty liver or hepatic lipidosis is a major metabolic disorder of high-producing dairy cows that occurs rather frequently in early lactation and is associated with decreased health, production and fertility. A background section of the review explores reasons why high-producing dairy cows are prone to develop fatty liver post partum. Hepatic lipidosis and coinciding health and fertility problems seriously endanger profitability and longevity of the dairy cow. Results from a great number of earlier epidemiological and clinical studies made it clear that a different approach was needed for elucidation of pathogenesis and etiology of this complex of health problems. There was a need for an adequate animal model in which hepatic lipidosis and production, health and fertility problems could be provoked under controlled conditions. It was hypothesized that overconditioning ante partum and feed restriction post partum might induce lipolysis in adipose tissue and triacylglycerol accumulation in the liver following calving. This consideration formed the basis for the experiments, which resulted in the "Utrecht fatty liver model of dairy cows". In this model, post partum triacylglycerol-lipidosis as well as the whole complex of health and fertility problems are induced under well-controlled conditions. The experimental protocol based on this hypothesis produced in all cases (10 feeding trials with over 150 dairy cattle) the intended result, i.e. all experimental cows developed post partum higher hepatic triacylglycerol concentrations than did control cows. The model was evaluated in biochemical, clinical pathology, immunological, clinical and fertility terms. It turned out that in this model, post partum triacylglycerol-lipidosis as well as the whole complex of health and fertility problems were induced under well-controlled conditions.

Effect of supranutritional organic selenium supplementation on postpartum blood micronutrients, antioxidants, metabolites, and inflammation biomarkers in selenium-replete dairy cows.

PubMed

Hall, Jean A; Bobe, Gerd; Vorachek, William R; Kasper, Katherine; Traber, Maret G; Mosher, Wayne D; Pirelli, Gene J; Gamroth, Mike

2014-12-01

Dairy cows have increased nutritional requirements for antioxidants postpartum. Supranutritional organic Se supplementation may be beneficial because selenoproteins are involved in regulating oxidative stress and inflammation. Our objective was to determine whether feeding Se-yeast above requirements to Se-replete dairy cows during late gestation affects blood micronutrients, antioxidants, metabolites, and inflammation biomarkers postpartum. During the last 8-weeks before calving, dairy cows at a commercial farm were fed either 0 (control) or 105 mg Se-yeast once weekly (supranutritional Se-yeast), in addition to Na selenite at 0.3 mg Se/kg dry matter in their rations. Concentrations of whole-blood (WB) Se and serum Se, erythrocyte glutathione (GSH), and serum albumin, cholesterol, α-tocopherol, haptoglobin, serum amyloid A (SAA), calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, non-esterified fatty acids, and β-hydroxybutyrate were measured directly after calving, at 48 h, and 14 days of lactation in 10 cows of each group. Supranutritional Se-yeast supplementation affected indicators of antioxidant status and inflammation. Cows fed a supranutritional Se-yeast supplement during the last 8-weeks of gestation had higher Se concentrations in WB (overall 52 % higher) and serum (overall 36 % higher) at all-time points, had higher SAA concentrations at 48 h (98 % higher), had higher erythrocyte GSH (38 % higher) and serum albumin concentrations (6.6 % higher) at 14 days, and had lower serum cholesterol concentrations and higher α-tocopherol/cholesterol ratios at calving and at 48 h compared with control cows. In conclusion, feeding Se-replete cows during late gestation a supranutritional Se-yeast supplement improves antioxidant status and immune responses after calving without negatively impacting other micronutrients and energy status.

Effects of prepartum dietary cation-anion difference and source of vitamin D in dairy cows: Lactation performance and energy metabolism.

PubMed

Martinez, N; Rodney, R M; Block, E; Hernandez, L L; Nelson, C D; Lean, I J; Santos, J E P

2018-03-01

The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate the effects of feeding diets with 2 dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) levels and supplemented with either cholecalciferol (CH) or calcidiol (CA) during late gestation on lactation performance and energetic metabolism in dairy cows. The hypothesis was that combining a prepartum acidogenic diet with calcidiol supplementation would benefit peripartum Ca metabolism and, thus, improve energy metabolism and lactation performance compared with cows fed an alkalogenic diet or cholecalciferol. Holstein cows at 252 d of gestation were blocked by parity (28 nulliparous and 51 parous cows) and milk yield within parous cows, and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial, with 2 levels of DCAD (positive, +130, and negative, -130 mEq/kg) and 2 sources of vitamin D, CH or CA, fed at 3 mg per 11 kg of diet dry matter (DM). The resulting treatment combinations were positive DCAD with CH (PCH), positive DCAD with CA (PCA), negative DCAD with CH (NCH), or negative DCAD with CA (NCA), which were fed for the last 21 d of gestation. After calving, cows were fed the same lactation diet. Body weight and body condition were evaluated prepartum and for the first 49 d postpartum. Blood was sampled thrice weekly prepartum, and on d 0, 1, 2, 3, and every 3 d thereafter until 30 d postpartum for quantification of hormones and metabolites. Lactation performance was evaluated for the first 49 d postpartum. Feeding a diet with negative DCAD reduced DM intake in parous cows by 2.1 kg/d, but no effect was observed in nulliparous cows. The negative DCAD reduced concentrations of glucose (positive = 4.05 vs. negative = 3.95 mM), insulin (positive = 0.57 vs. negative = 0.45 ng/mL), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (positive = 110 vs. negative = 95 ng/mL) prepartum. Treatments did not affect DM intake postpartum, but CA-supplemented cows tended to produce more colostrum (PCH = 5.86, PCA = 7.68 NCH = 6.21, NCA = 7.96 ± 1.06 kg) and produced more fat-corrected milk (PCH = 37.0, PCA = 40.1 NCH = 37.5, NCA = 41.9 ± 1.8 kg) and milk components compared with CH-supplemented cows. Feeding the negative DCAD numerically increased yield of fat-corrected milk by 1.0 kg/d in both nulliparous and 1.4 kg/d in parous cows. Minor differences were observed in postpartum concentrations of hormones and metabolites linked to energy metabolism among treatments. Results from this experiment indicate that replacing CH with CA supplemented at 3 mg/d during the prepartum period improved postpartum lactation performance in dairy cows. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Flooding event impacts soil pH, Ca, and P concentration distribution in a cattle backgrounding site on karst topography.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Beef cattle backgrounding in US, function as an intermediate between cow-calf enterprises and feedlot finishing. Beef cattle backgrounding receives weaned calves of different growth stages from cow-calf operations and prepare them ready for feed lot finishing. Many beef cattle backgrounding operati...

Changes in ruminal bacterial community composition following feeding of alfalfa silage inoculated with a commercial silage inoculant

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Some silage inoculants promote an increase in milk production, possibly through altering the rumen microflora. In this study, dairy cows fed alfalfa silage treated with the inoculant, Lactobacillus plantarum MTD/1 (LPS), were compared to cows fed untreated silage (Ctrl) with the objectives: 1) to de...

Effect of forage supplements on the incidence of bloat in dairy cows grazing high clover pastures.

PubMed

Phillips, C J; James, N L; Murray-Evans, J P

1996-08-17

The effect of offering forage supplements of different compositions was examined in two experiments with cows grazing high clover swards. In the first experiment strawmix supplements of high or low energy content (11 and 9 MJ metabolisable energy/kg dry matter [DM]) and high or low crude protein content (17 and 4 g/kg DM) were offered for periods of three weeks. The energy and protein contents were varied by the content of molasses and soyabean meal, respectively. The high energy, high protein supplement increased the incidence of bloat, and the low energy, high protein supplement reduced it, compared with grazing alone. Bloat was most evident in the first two weeks of each feeding period, suggesting that the cows partially adapted to the diets within three weeks. In the second experiment silage supplements reduced the incidence of bloat among cows grazing both tall and short swards. The most suitable forages to feed when there is a risk of bloat are those that are slowly fermented in the rumen but are eaten in sufficient quantity to reduce periods of rapid herbage intake.

Glucose transporters and enzymes related to glucose synthesis in small intestinal mucosa of mid-lactation dairy cows fed 2 levels of starch.

PubMed

Lohrenz, A-K; Duske, K; Schönhusen, U; Losand, B; Seyfert, H M; Metges, C C; Hammon, H M

2011-09-01

Diets containing corn starch may improve glucose supply by providing significant amounts of intestinal starch and increasing intestinal glucose absorption in dairy cows. Glucose absorption in the small intestine requires specific glucose transporters; that is, sodium-dependent glucose co-transporter-1 (SGLT1) and facilitated glucose transporter (GLUT2), which are usually downregulated in the small intestine of functional ruminants but are upregulated when luminal glucose is available. We tested the hypothesis that mRNA and protein expression of intestinal glucose transporters and mRNA expression of enzymes related to gluconeogenesis are affected by variable starch supply. Dairy cows (n=9/group) were fed for 4 wk total mixed rations (TMR) containing either high (HS) or low (LS) starch levels in the diet. Feed intake and milk yield were measured daily. After slaughter, tissue samples of the small intestinal mucosa (mid-duodenum and mid-jejunum) were taken for determination of mRNA concentrations of SGLT1 and GLUT2 as well as pyruvate carboxylase, cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and glucose-6-phosphatase by real-time reverse transcription PCR relative to a housekeeping gene. Protein expression of GLUT2 in crude mucosal membranes and of SGLT1 and GLUT2 in brush-border membrane vesicles was quantified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE and immunoblot. A mixed model was used to examine feeding and time-related changes on feed intake and milk yield and to test feeding and gut site effects on gene or protein expression of glucose transporters and enzymes in the intestinal mucosa. Dry matter intake, but not energy intake, was higher in cows fed HS compared with LS. Abundance of SGLT1 mRNA tended to be higher in duodenal than in jejunal mucosa, and mRNA abundances of pyruvate carboxylase tended to be higher in jejunal than in duodenal mucosa. In brush-border membrane vesicles, SGLT1 and GLUT2 protein expression could be demonstrated. No diet-dependent differences were found concerning mRNA and protein contents of glucose transporter or mRNA level of gluconeogenic enzymes. In conclusion, our investigations on glucose transporters and gluconeogenic enzymes in the small intestinal mucosa of dairy cows did not show significant diet regulation when TMR with different amounts of intestinal starch were fed. Therefore, predicted intestinal glucose absorption after enhanced starch feeding is probably not supported by changes of intestinal glucose transporters in dairy cows. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nutritional evaluation of transgenic cottonseed in the ration of lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Mohanta, Ranjan K; Singhal, Kamal K; Tyagi, Amrish K; Rajput, Y S; Prasad, Shiv

2010-03-01

The effects of feeding transgenic (Bt) whole cottonseed (WCS) were studied in lactating cows. Twenty multiparous crossbred cows (Karan Swiss x Karan Fries) in early lactation were given a concentrate mixture containing 40% crushed delinted non-transgenic (non-Bt) WCS, 2 kg wheat straw and green fodder ad lib for a 15-day adaptation period. Thereafter, the cows were divided in two similar groups of 10 each on the basis of milk yield, body weight (BW) and date of calving. The non-Bt control group continued on same ration, while for the Bt group the non-Bt WCS was replaced by transgenic WCS, in a feeding trial of four weeks. The diets provided a minimum of 2 kg cottonseed/cow/d. Mean DMI/100 kg BW and milk yield of non-Bt and Bt groups was 3.48 and 3.45 kg and 11.4 and 12.0 kg/d, respectively. Intake of nutrients, digestibility, milk production and body condition score (BCS) did not differ between the groups (P > 0.05), but BW gain was higher (P < 0.05) in the Bt group than the non-Bt group, probably as a result of hoof problem in two cows of non-Bt group, which when compared excluding two animals from each group did not differ significantly (P > 0.05). Transgenic protein (Cry1C) was not detected in the weekly milk samples or in blood plasma at the end of the experiment, showing that delinted WCS containing Cry1C protein can safely be fed to lactating cows.

Weight, body condition, milk production, and metabolism of Nellore cows when their calves are submitted to different supplementation levels.

PubMed

Gomes da Silva, Aline; Paulino, Mário Fonseca; da Silva Amorim, Lincoln; Detmann, Edenio; Rennó, Luciana Navajas; de Souza Duarte, Márcio; Henrique de Moura, Felipe; Prímola de Melo, Luciano; Henrique Silva E Paiva, Paulo; Manso, Marcos Rocha; Valério de Carvalho, Victor

2017-02-01

Creep feeding has been used to reduce calves' nutritional dependence on the cow, but research results under tropical conditions have not been conclusive about the effects on the cow. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of high and low supplementation levels for Nellore heifer calves on performance, milk production, and metabolic profile of their mothers. Fifty multiparous Nellore cows and their respective calves were used. The following treatments were evaluated: 0-control, no supplement was fed to calves; 3-calves received supplement in the amount of 3 g/kg of body weight (BW); 6-calves received supplement in the amount of 6 g/kg of BW. There was no significant effect of level of supplementation offered to offspring on cow BW, body condition score (BCS) and subcutaneous fat thickness (P > 0.05). Level of supplementation of heifer calves did not significantly affect milk production corrected to 4% of fat (P > 0.05). Fat, protein, lactose, and total solids of the milk also did not differ among supplementation strategies (P > 0.05). Level of supplement fed to calves had no effect on cows' glucose, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, total protein, and albumin levels (P > 0.05), but cows nursing calves that did not receive supplement had lower level of serum urea N (SUN; P < 0.05). We conclude that creep feeding in the amounts of 3 or 6 g/kg of BW daily has no major impact on dams' performance and metabolism.

Effects of excessive energy intake and supplementation with chromium propionate on insulin resistance parameters in nonlactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Leiva, T; Cooke, R F; Aboin, A C; Drago, F L; Gennari, R; Vasconcelos, J L M

2014-02-01

The objective was to compare insulin resistance parameters in cows with adequate or excessive energy intake as well as in cows with excessive energy intake receiving Cr supplementation as chromium propionate. Thirteen multiparous, nonlactating Gir × Holstein cows were ranked by BW and BCS and assigned to 1 of 3 dietary treatments on d 0: 1) diet to meet their ME requirements without Cr supplementation (MAN; n = 4), 2) diet to exceed their ME requirements without Cr supplementation (HIGH; n = 4), and 3) HIGH with 2.5 g/d of chromium propionate (HIGHCR; n = 5, with 10 mg of Cr/cow daily). Diets were formulated to provide 100% of daily ME requirements of MAN and 177% of daily ME requirements of HIGH and HIGHCR cows and offered twice daily via individual self-locking head gates from d 0 to 88. Cow BW and BCS were recorded on d 0 and 88 of the experiment. Blood samples were collected before and 2 h after the morning feeding twice weekly. Preprandial revised quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (RQUICKI) was determined using serum glucose, insulin, and NEFA concentrations obtained before feeding. Glucose tolerance tests (GTT) were performed on d 32 and 88 by infusing cows with 0.5 g of glucose/kg of BW whereas blood samples were collected at -15, 0, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, and 90 min relative to infusion. Change in BCS tended to be greater in HIGH and HIGHCR (P = 0.09) compared with MAN cows. Within samples collected twice weekly, serum concentrations of glucose, insulin (beginning on d 14 of the experiment), and NEFA (preprandial samples only) were greater (P ≤ 0.05) in HIGH compared with HIGHCR cows and tended to be greater in HIGH compared with MAN cows (P ≤ 0.10) but did not differ (P ≥ 0.52) between HIGHCR and MAN cows. Moreover, HIGH cows had reduced RQUICKI compared with MAN (P = 0.02) and HIGHCR cows (P = 0.05) whereas RQUICKI was similar between MAN and HIGHCR cows (P = 0.53). Within samples collected during the GTT, mean serum insulin concentrations and insulin:glucose ratio were greater (P < 0.01) in HIGH compared with HIGHCR cows, tended (P ≤ 0.09) to be greater in HIGH compared with MAN cows, and were similar (P ≥ 0.16) between HIGHCR and MAN cows. Serum glucose concentrations were greater (P < 0.01) for HIGH compared with MAN and HIGHCR cows 20 min relative to infusion. In conclusion, chromium propionate supplementation prevented the increase in insulin resistance caused by excessive energy intake in nonlactating dairy cows.

The effect of pelleting on in situ rumen degradability of compound feed containing brown rice for dairy cows.

PubMed

Tagawa, Shin-Ichi; Yoshida, Norio; Iino, Yukihiro; Horiguchi, Ken-Ichi; Takahashi, Toshiyoshi; Watanabe, Maria; Takemura, Kei; Ito, Syuhei; Mikami, Toyoji

2017-01-01

This study was conducted to determine the effect of pelleting on in situ dry matter degradability of pelleted compound feed containing brown rice for dairy cows. Mash feed of the same composition was used as a control and the in situ study was conducted using three non-lactating Holstein steers fitted with a rumen cannula. The feeds contained 32.3% brown rice, 19.4% rapeseed meal, 11.4% wheat bran and 10.6% soybean meal (fresh weight basis). Except for moisture content, the chemical composition of the feed was not affected by pelleting. In situ dry matter disappearance of the feed increased from 0 to 2 h and after 72 h of incubation with pellet processing. Integration of the dry matter disappearance values over time revealed that degradability parameter a (soluble fraction) increased with pellet processing, whereas parameter b (potentially degradable fraction) decreased. Parameter c (fractional rate of degradation) and effective degradability (5% passage rate) were not affected by pellet processing. We concluded that pellet processing promotes rumen degradability at early incubation hours when the pelleted feed contains brown rice. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Strategies used by dairy family farmers in the south of Brazil to comply with organic regulations.

PubMed

Honorato, L A; Machado Filho, L C P; Barbosa Silveira, I D; Hötzel, M J

2014-03-01

The aims of this study were to investigate the environmental, feeding, and health management of organic (ORG) family dairy farms in the south of Brazil in comparison with conventional (CONV) farms, and to assess their degree of compliance with Brazilian organic legislation and the strategies they adopt to accomplish this (n=17 per group). During 2 visits to each farm in March and September, 2010, observations were made on the environment, feed, and health management, followed by bulk milk testing, clinical evaluation, and breed assessment of each individual cow, and an evaluation of diseases and treatments reported within the period. Additional data were collected directly from the farmers through direct interviews. The number of lactating cows was, on average, 11 (range 5 to 19) in the ORG and 16 (range 7 to 42) in the CONV herds. The ORG herds presented a lower percentage of the Holstein breed; whereas CONV herds were predominantly Holstein, in the ORG herds, only 2 herds were 100% Holstein and the remaining herds were crosses of Holstein, Jersey, and Gir (Bos indicus) cattle. Milk production per cow was lower (10.2 vs. 15.1 ± 1.22 L/cow, respectively) in ORG than in the CONV farms. The ORG farms offered less concentrate feed than CONV farms and had better pasture management. Organic farmers reported using phytotherapic and homeopathic products, and pasture management as a strategy to keep infection levels of endo- and ectoparasites low, whereas CONV farmers regularly used anthelmintics and acaricides. Milk production was lower in ORG than in CONV farms, but cow health and condition scores were broadly similar, indicating that the with these strategies ORG farms were able to secure levels of animal welfare comparable with CONV farms while complying with organic regulation, although at the cost of lower cow productivity. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The multi-year cumulative effects of alternative stocking rate and grazing management practices on pasture productivity and utilization efficiency.

PubMed

McCarthy, B; Delaby, L; Pierce, K M; McCarthy, J; Fleming, C; Brennan, A; Horan, B

2016-05-01

The production and utilization of increased quantities of high quality pasture is of paramount importance in pasture-based milk production systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cumulative effects of alternative integrated grazing strategies, incorporating alternative stocking rate (SR) and grazing severities, on pasture productivity and grazing efficiency over multiple years within farm systems using perennial ryegrass dominant pastures. Three whole-farm SR treatments were compared over 4 complete grazing seasons (2009 to 2012 inclusive): low (2.51 cows/ha; LSR), medium (2.92 cows/ha; MSR), and high (3.28 cows/ha; HSR). Each system had its own farmlet containing 18 paddocks and remained on the same treatment for the duration of the study. Stocking rate had a significant effect on all grazing variables with the exception of soil fertility status and sward density. Increased SR resulted in increased total annual net pasture accumulation, improved sward nutritive value, and increased grazed pasture utilization. Total annual net pasture accumulation was greatest in HSR [15,410kg of dry matter (DM)/ha], intermediate for MSR (14,992kg of DM/ha), and least for LSR (14,479kg of DM/ha) during the 4-yr study period. A linear effect of SR on net pasture accumulation was detected with an increase in net pasture accumulation of 1,164.4 (SE=432.7) kg of DM/ha for each 1 cow/ha increase in SR. Pregrazing pasture mass and height and postgrazing residual pasture mass and height were greatest for LSR, intermediate for the MSR, and lowest for the HSR. In comparison with the LSR, the imposition of a consistently increased grazing severity coupled with increased whole farm SR in MSR and HSR treatments arrested the decline in sward nutritive value, typically observed during mid-season. Incorporating the individual beneficial effects of SR on pasture accumulation, nutritive value, and utilization efficiency, total proportional energy (unité fourragère lait) utilization per hectare increased significantly with increasing SR (+0.026 and +0.081 for MSR and HSR, respectively). These results quantify the significant effect of grazing management practices on the feed production capability of modern perennial ryegrass pastures for intensive grazing dairy production systems. Furthermore, these results highlight the importance of consistently imposing grazing treatments over multiple years, and within integrated whole farm systems, to accurately assess the longer term effects of alternate grazing management practices on pasture productivity. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of grass silage quality and level of feed intake on enteric methane production in lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Warner, D; Bannink, A; Hatew, B; van Laar, H; Dijkstra, J

2017-08-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of level of feed intake and quality of ryegrass silage as well as their interaction on enteric methane (CH) emission from dairy cows. In a randomized block design, 56 lactating dairy cows received a diet of grass silage, corn silage, and a compound feed meal (70:10:20 on DM basis). Treatments consisted of 4 grass silage qualities prepared from grass harvested from leafy through late heading stage, and offered to dairy cows at 96 ± 2.4 (mean ± SEM) days in milk (namely, high intake) and 217 ± 2.4 d in milk (namely, low intake). Grass silage CP content varied between 124 and 286 g/kg of DM, and NDF content between 365 and 546 g/kg of DM. After 12 d of adaptation, enteric CH production of cows was measured in open-circuit climate-controlled respiration chambers for 5 d. No interaction between DMI and grass quality on CH emission, or on milk production, diet digestibility, and energy, and N retention was found ( ≥ 0.17). Cows had a greater DMI (16.6 vs. 15.5 kg/d; SEM 0.46) and greater fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) yield (29.9 vs. 25.4 kg/d; SEM 1.24) at high than low intake (both ≤ 0.001). Apparent total-tract nutrient digestibility was not affected ( ≥ 0.08) by DMI level. Total enteric CH production (346 ± 10.9 g/d) was not affected ( = 0.15) by DMI level. A small, significant ( = 0.025) decrease at high compared with low intake occurred for CH yield (21.8 ± 0.59 g/kg of DMI; -4%). Methane emission intensity (12.8 ± 0.56 g/kg of FPCM; -12%) was considerably smaller ( ≤ 0.001) at high intake as a result of greater milk yields realized in early lactation. As grass quality decreased from leafy through late heading stage, FPCM yield and apparent total-tract OM digestibility declined (-12%; ≤ 0.015), whereas total CH production (+13%), CH yield (+21%), and CH emission intensity (+28%) increased ( ≤ 0.001). Our results suggest that improving grass silage quality by cutting grass at an earlier stage considerably reduces enteric CH emissions from dairy cows, independent of DMI. In contrast, losses of N in manure increased for the earlier cut grass silage treatments. The small increase in DMI at high intake was associated with a small to moderate reduction in CH emission per unit of DMI and GE intake. This study confirmed that enteric CH emissions from dairy cows at distinct levels of feed intake depend on the nutritive value and chemical composition of the grass silage.

Performance and methane emissions in dairy cows fed oregano and green tea extracts as feed additives.

PubMed

Kolling, G J; Stivanin, S C B; Gabbi, A M; Machado, F S; Ferreira, A L; Campos, M M; Tomich, T R; Cunha, C S; Dill, S W; Pereira, L G R; Fischer, V

2018-05-01

Plant extracts have been proposed as substitutes for chemical feed additives due to their potential as rumen fermentation modifiers and because of their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, possibly reducing methane emissions. This study aimed to evaluate the use of oregano (OR), green tea extracts (GT), and their association as feed additives on the performance and methane emissions from dairy between 28 and 87 d of lactation. Thirty-two lactating dairy cows, blocked into 2 genetic groups: 16 Holstein cows and 16 crossbred Holstein-Gir, with 522.6 ± 58.3 kg of body weight, 57.2 ± 20.9 d in lactation, producing 27.5 ± 5.0 kg/cow of milk and with 3.1 ± 1.8 lactations were evaluated (means ± standard error of the means). Cows were allocated into 4 treatments: control (CON), without plant extracts in the diet; oregano extract (OR), with the addition of 0.056% of oregano extract in the dry matter (DM) of the diet; green tea (GT), with the addition of 0.028% of green tea extract in the DM of the diet; and mixture, with the addition of 0.056% oregano extract and 0.028% green tea extract in the DM of the diet. The forage-to-concentrate ratio was 60:40. Forage was composed of corn silage (94%) and Tifton hay (6%); concentrate was based on ground corn and soybean meal. Plant extracts were supplied as powder, which was previously added and homogenized into 1 kg of concentrate in natural matter, top-dressed onto the total mixed diet. No treatment by day interaction was observed for any of the evaluated variables, but some block by treatment interactions were significant. In Holstein cows, the mixture treatment decreased gross energy and tended to decrease the total-tract apparent digestibility coefficient for crude protein and total digestible nutrients when compared with OR. During the gas measurement period, GT and OR increased the digestible fraction of the ingested DM and decreased CH 4 expressed in grams per kilogram of digestible DMI compared with CON. The use of extracts did not change rumen pH, total volatile fatty acid concentration, milk yield, or most milk traits. Compared with CON, oregano addition decreased fat concentration in milk. The use of plant extracts altered some milk fatty acids but did not change milk fatty acids grouped according to chain length (short or long), saturation (unsaturated or saturated), total conjugated linoleic acids, and n-3 and n-6 contents. Green tea and oregano fed separately reduced gas emission in cows during the first third of lactation and have potential to be used as feed additives for dairy cows. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adipose tissue remodeling in late-lactation dairy cows during feed-restriction-induced negative energy balance.

PubMed

Contreras, G Andres; Thelen, Kyan; Schmidt, Sarah E; Strieder-Barboza, Clarissa; Preseault, Courtney L; Raphael, William; Kiupel, Matti; Caron, John; Lock, Adam L

2016-12-01

Excessive rates of demand lipolysis in the adipose tissue (AT) during periods of negative energy balance (NEB) are associated with increased susceptibility to disease and limited lactation performance. Lipolysis induces a remodeling process within AT that is characterized by an inflammatory response, cellular proliferation, and changes in the extracellular matrix (ECMT). The adipose tissue macrophage (ATM) is a key component of the inflammatory response. Infiltration of ATM-forming cellular aggregates was demonstrated in transition cows, suggesting that ATM trafficking and phenotype changes may be associated with disease. However, it is currently unknown if ATM infiltration occurs in dairy cows only during NEB states related to the transition period or also during NEB-induced lipolysis at other stages of lactation. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in ATM trafficking and inflammatory phenotypes, and the expression of genetic markers of AT remodeling in healthy late-lactation cows during feed restriction-induced NEB. After a 14-d (d -14 to d -1) preliminary period, Holstein cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 feeding protocols, ad libitum (AL) or feed restriction (FR), for 4 d (d 1-4). Caloric intake was reduced in FR to achieve a targeted energy balance of -15 Mcal/d of net energy for lactation. Omental and subcutaneous AT samples were collected laparoscopically to harvest stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells on d -3 and 4. The FR induced a NEB of -14.1±0.62 Mcal/d of net energy for lactation, whereas AL cows remained in positive energy balance (3.2±0.66 Mcal/d of NE L ). The FR triggered a lipolytic response reflected in increased plasma nonesterified fatty acids (0.65±0.05 mEq/L on d 4), enhanced phosphorylation of hormone sensitive lipase, and reduced adipocyte diameter. Flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry analysis revealed that on d 4, FR cows had increased numbers of CD172a + , an ATM (M1 and M2) surface marker, cells in SVF that were localized in aggregates. However, FR did not alter the number of SVF cells expressing M1 markers (CD14 and CD11c) or M2 markers (CD11b and CD163). This finding contrasts with the predominately M1 phenotype observed previously in ATM from clinically diseased cows. No changes were observed in the expression of ECMT-related or cell proliferation markers. In summary, an acute 4-d lipolytic stimulus in late-lactation dairy cows led to ATM infiltration with minimal changes in inflammatory phenotype and no changes in ECMT. These results underscore that physiological changes related to parturition, the onset of lactation, extended periods of lipolysis, or a combination of these can induce intense AT remodeling with enhanced ATM inflammatory phenotype expression that may impair the metabolic function of AT in transition dairy cattle. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Influence of feeding rumen-protected choline to transition dairy cows. Part 1: metabolism and milk yield].

PubMed

Furken, C; Hoedemaker, M

2014-01-01

The effects of rumen-protected choline (RPC) on energy metabolism and milk production in dairy cows were analyzed. Two hundred and ninety-eight primiparous and multiparous cows of a high producing dairy herd (mean daily milk yield: 32 l) were randomly assigned to control or treatment groups and were fed with 0 or 15 g RPC, respectively, (corresponding to 0 and 60 g/d ReaShure®, respectively) from 21 days before expected calving to 21 days postpartum (p. p.). Blood metabolites were determined for either all cows (glucose, β-hydroxybutyrate [BHB]) or randomly (insulin, insulin-like growth factor-1 [IGF-1], non-esterified fatty acids [NEFA]) during the periparturient period. An index for insulin sensitivity (RQUICKI) was calculated and milk production data (dairy herd improvement tests, 100-days-, 305-days-, milk peak yield, colostrum quality) was analyzed. In the statistical analysis, a distinction was made between the feeding groups and between the parity, and their interactions were analyzed. With the exception of a lower 305-day-milk yield in the treatment group (p < 0.05), the evaluated variables did not show statistically significant differences between the feeding groups and no interactions could be found. In comparison to heifers, multiparous cows had less cases of subclinical ketosis a. p. and p. p. (OR a. p.: 0.178; OR p. p.: 0.310), more of them were above the threshold for somatic cell counts (OR 2.584-3.298), and their milk yields were higher (p < 0.05). Supplementing RPC did not affect the energy metabolism or the milk production in this herd. Further research in other dairy herds should focus on this topic.

Use of Donkey Milk in Children with Cow's Milk Protein Allergy.

PubMed

Polidori, Paolo; Vincenzetti, Silvia

2013-05-06

Human breast milk is the best nutritional support that insures the right development and influences the immune status of the newborn infant. However, when it is not possible to breast feed, it may be necessary to use commercial infant formulas that mimic, where possible, the levels and types of nutrients present in human milk. Despite this, some formula-fed infant develops allergy and/or atopic disease compared to breast-fed infants. Cow's milk allergy can be divided into immunoglobulin IgE mediated food allergy and non-IgE-mediated food allergy. Most infants with cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) develop symptoms before 1 month of age, often within 1 week after introduction of cow's milk-based formula. Donkey milk may be considered a good substitute for cow's milk in feeding children with CMPA since its composition is very similar to human milk. Donkey milk total protein content is low (1.5-1.8 g/100 g), very close to human milk. A thorough analysis of the donkey milk protein profile has been performed in this study; the interest was focused on the milk proteins considered safe for the prevention and treatment of various disorders in humans. The content of lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase and lysozyme, peptides with antimicrobial activity, able to stimulate the development of the neonatal intestine, was determined. Donkey milk is characterized by a low casein content, with values very close to human milk; the total whey protein content in donkey milk ranges between 0.49 and 0.80 g/100 g, very close to human milk (0.68-0.83 g/100 g). Among whey proteins, α-lactalbumin average concentration in donkey milk is 1.8 mg/mL. The results of this study confirmed the possibility of using donkey milk in feeding children with CMPA.

Divergence for residual feed intake of Holstein-Friesian cattle during growth did not affect production and reproduction during lactation.

PubMed

Macdonald, K A; Thomson, B P; Waghorn, G C

2016-11-01

Residual feed intake (RFI) is the difference between actual and predicted dry matter intake (DMI) of individual animals. Recent studies with Holstein-Friesian calves have identified an ~20% difference in RFI during growth (calf RFI) and these groups remained divergent in RFI during lactation. The objective of the experiment described here was to determine if cows selected for divergent RFI as calves differed in milk production, reproduction or in the profiles of BW and body condition score (BCS) change during lactation, when grazing pasture. The cows used in the experiment (n=126) had an RFI of -0.88 and +0.75 kg DM intake/day for growth as calves (efficient and inefficient calf RFI groups, respectively) and were intensively grazed at four stocking rates (SR) of 2.2, 2.6, 3.1 and 3.6 cows/ha on self-contained farmlets, over 3 years. Each SR treatment had equal number of cows identified as low and high calf RFI, with 24, 28, 34 and 40/11 ha farmlet. The cows divergent for calf RFI were randomly allocated to each SR. Although SR affected production, calf RFI group (low or high) did not affect milk production, reproduction, BW, BCS or changes in these parameters throughout lactation. The most efficient animals (low calf RFI) lost similar BW and BCS as the least efficient (high calf RFI) immediately post-calving, and regained similar BW and BCS before their next calving. These results indicate that selection for RFI as calves to increase efficiency of feed utilisation did not negatively affect farm productivity variables (milk production, BCS, BW and reproduction) as adults when managed under an intensive pastoral grazing system.

Changes in in vitro gas and methane production from rumen fluid from dairy cows during adaptation to feed additives in vivo.

PubMed

Klop, G; van Laar-van Schuppen, S; Pellikaan, W F; Hendriks, W H; Bannink, A; Dijkstra, J

2017-04-01

The adaptation of dairy cows to methane (CH4)-mitigating feed additives was evaluated using the in vitro gas production (GP) technique. Nine rumen-fistulated lactating Holstein cows were grouped into three blocks and within blocks randomly assigned to one of three experimental diets: Control (CON; no feed additive), Agolin Ruminant® (AR; 0.05 g/kg dry matter (DM)) or lauric acid (LA; 30 g/kg DM). Total mixed rations composed of maize silage, grass silage and concentrate were fed in a 40 : 30 : 30 ratio on DM basis. Rumen fluid was collected from each cow at days -4, 1, 4, 8, 15 and 22 relative to the introduction of the additives in the diets. On each of these days, a 48-h GP experiment was performed in which rumen fluid from each individual donor cow was incubated with each of the three substrates that reflected the treatment diets offered to the cows. DM intake was on average 19.8, 20.1 and 16.2 kg/day with an average fat- and protein-corrected milk production of 30.7, 31.7 and 26.2 kg/day with diet CON, AR and LA, respectively. In general, feed additives in the donor cow diet had a larger effect on gas and CH4 production than the same additives in the incubation substrate. Incubation substrate affected asymptotic GP, half-time of asymptotic CH4 production, total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration, molar proportions of propionate and butyrate and degradation of organic matter (OMD), but did not affect CH4 production. No substrate×day interactions were observed. A significant diet×day interaction was observed for in vitro gas and CH4 production, total VFA concentration, molar proportions of VFA and OMD. From day 4 onwards, the LA diet persistently reduced gas and CH4 production, total VFA concentration, acetate molar proportion and OMD, and increased propionate molar proportion. In vitro CH4 production was reduced by the AR diet on day 8, but not on days 15 and 22. In line with these findings, the molar proportion of propionate in fermentation fluid was greater, and that of acetate smaller, for the AR diet than for the CON diet on day 8, but not on days 15 and 22. Overall, the data indicate a short-term effect of AR on CH4 production, whereas the CH4-mitigating effect of LA persisted.

Feeding a higher forage diet prepartum decreases incidences of subclinical ketosis in transition dairy cows.

PubMed

Vickers, L A; Weary, D M; Veira, D M; von Keyserlingk, M A G

2013-02-01

A common feeding practice during the dry period is to switch dairy cows to an energy-dense diet 3 wk prepartum, but this practice may lead to the overconsumption of energy and increase the risk of metabolic disease postpartum. The aim of this trial was to compare the metabolic status of transition Holstein dairy cows fed a 77% forage diet (77F; NEl = 1.46 Mcal/kg; NDF = 41%) vs. those fed an 87% forage diet (87F; NEl = 1.41 Mcal/kg; 48% NDF). Approximately 60 d before calving, cows were dried off, housed in a free stall barn, and fed the 87F diet. Three weeks before expected calving, cows were randomly assigned to either the 77F treatment and switched to this diet (n = 45) or assigned to the 87F treatment and stayed on the dry cow ration until parturition (n = 42). After parturition, all cows were fed a common lactation diet (NEl = 1.59 Mcal/kg; 36% NDF). Dry matter intake was measured daily from 2 wk before to 2 wk after calving. Blood was sampled daily for 10 d postpartum. Subclinical ketosis was diagnosed using a threshold of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) ≥ 1.0 mmol/L after calving. The percentage of cows pregnant and odds of being pregnant for each treatment group were determined at 60, 90, and 120 d in milk through ultrasound by the herd veterinarian. Cows on the 87F diet consumed less DM prepartum than those on the 77F diet (12.7 ± 0.3 kg/d vs. 15.4 ± 0.3 kg/d, P < 0.001), but no difference in DMI was detected after calving (19.7 ± 5.5 kg/d; P = 0.87). Although the calculated prepartum required energy intake was the same for the 2 treatments (15.3 ± 1.2 Mcal/d; P = 0.16), cows on the 77F diet consumed 4.5 Mcal/d more than those on the 87F diet (22.5 ± 0.5 Mcal/d vs. 18.0 ± 0.5 Mcal/d; P < 0.001). Postpartum concentration of BHBA was less for cows fed the 87F diet prepartum (0.49 ± 0.02 mmol/L vs. 0.59 ± 0.02 mmol/L; P = 0.02), and fewer animals on this diet were diagnosed subclinical ketosis (SCK; 49% vs. 17%; P = 0.001). Milk production tended to be less for cows fed the 87F diet prepartum (47.3 ± 0.4 kg/d vs. 48.8 ± 0.4 kg/d; P = 0.10) for the first 22 wk of lactation, which was significant for d 7 to 28 of lactation (44.6 ± 1.1 kg/d vs. 47.6 ± 1.0 kg/d; P = 0.05). Although sample size was small to draw strong conclusions on reproductive performance, at 120 d in milk, cows on the 87F diet were 0.3 times more likely to be pregnant (P = 0.03). These results indicate that feeding an 87F diet before calving can reduce rates of SCK in transition dairy cows.

Comparative Metagenomic and Metatranscriptomic Analysis of Hindgut Paunch Microbiota in Wood- and Dung-Feeding Higher Termites

PubMed Central

He, Shaomei; Ivanova, Natalia; Kirton, Edward; Allgaier, Martin; Bergin, Claudia; Scheffrahn, Rudolf H.; Kyrpides, Nikos C.; Warnecke, Falk; Tringe, Susannah G.; Hugenholtz, Philip

2013-01-01

Termites effectively feed on many types of lignocellulose assisted by their gut microbial symbionts. To better understand the microbial decomposition of biomass with varied chemical profiles, it is important to determine whether termites harbor different microbial symbionts with specialized functionalities geared toward different feeding regimens. In this study, we compared the microbiota in the hindgut paunch of Amitermes wheeleri collected from cow dung and Nasutitermes corniger feeding on sound wood by 16S rRNA pyrotag, comparative metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses. We found that Firmicutes and Spirochaetes were the most abundant phyla in A. wheeleri, in contrast to N. corniger where Spirochaetes and Fibrobacteres dominated. Despite this community divergence, a convergence was observed for functions essential to termite biology including hydrolytic enzymes, homoacetogenesis and cell motility and chemotaxis. Overrepresented functions in A. wheeleri relative to N. corniger microbiota included hemicellulose breakdown and fixed-nitrogen utilization. By contrast, glycoside hydrolases attacking celluloses and nitrogen fixation genes were overrepresented in N. corniger microbiota. These observations are consistent with dietary differences in carbohydrate composition and nutrient contents, but may also reflect the phylogenetic difference between the hosts. PMID:23593407

Ability of dairy cows to be inseminated according to breed and genetic merit for production traits under contrasting pasture-based feeding systems.

PubMed

Bedere, N; Disenhaus, C; Ducrocq, V; Leurent-Colette, S; Delaby, L

2017-05-01

Strong genetic selection on production traits is considered to be responsible for the declined ability of dairy cows to ensure reproduction. The present study aimed to quantify the effect of genetic characteristics (breeds and genetic merit for production traits) and feeding systems (FS) on the ability of dairy cows to be inseminated. An experiment was conducted during 9 years on Normande and Holstein cows assigned to contrasted pasture-based FS. Diets were based on maize silage in winter and grazing plus concentrate in spring in the High FS; and on grass silage in winter and grazing with no concentrate during spring in the low FS. Within breed, cows were classified into two genetic groups with similar estimated breeding values (EBV) for milk solids: cows with high EBV for milk yield were included in a Milk-Group and those with high EBV for fat and protein contents were included in a Content-Group. Holstein produced more milk throughout lactation than Normande cows (+2294 kg in the High FS and +1280 kg in the Low FS, P<0.001) and lost more body condition to nadir (-1.00 point in the High FS and -0.80 kg in the Low FS, P<0.001). They also showed a poorer ability to be inseminated because of both a delayed commencement of luteal activity (CLA) and delayed first service (more days from start of the breeding season to first service, DAI1). Cows in the Milk-Group produced more milk than cows in the Content-Group, but milk solids production was similar. Cows in the Content-Group had earlier CLA than cows in the Milk-Group (P<0.01). Genetic group neither affected ovulation detection rate nor DAI1. Within breed and FS, cows with high genetic merit for milk yield had later CLA and DAI1. Cows in the High FS produced more milk and lost less condition to nadir than cows in the Low FS. FS did not affect dairy cows' ability to be inseminated. However, cows with higher milk protein content, and presumably better energy balance, had earlier CLA (P<0.01) and DAI1 (P<0.10). In addition, higher milk yield was associated with poorer ovulation detection rate and oestrus intensity (P<0.05). The study showed that at similar EBV level for milk solids, selection for increased milk fat and protein content resulted in improved cyclicity and similar oestrous expression and submission rates compared with selection for increased milk yield.

Feeding dried distillers grains with solubles to lactating beef cows: impact of excess protein and fat on cow performance, milk production and pre-weaning progeny growth.

PubMed

Shee, C N; Lemenager, R P; Schoonmaker, J P

2016-01-01

Multiparous Angus×Simmental cows (n=54, 5.22±2.51 years) with male progeny were fed one of two diets supplemented with either dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) or soybean meal (CON), from calving until day 129 postpartum (PP) to determine effects of excess protein and fat on cow performance, milk composition and calf growth. Diets were formulated to be isocaloric and consisted of rye hay and DDGS (19.4% CP; 8.76% fat), or corn silage, rye hay and soybean meal (11.7% CP; 2.06% fat). Cow-calf pairs were allotted by cow and calf age, BW and breed. Cow BW and body condition score (BCS; P⩾0.13) were similar throughout the experiment. A weigh-suckle-weigh was performed on day 64 and day 110±10 PP to determine milk production. Milk was collected on day 68 and day 116±10 PP for analysis of milk components. Milk production was unaffected (P⩾0.75) by dietary treatments. Milk urea nitrogen was increased at both time points in DDGS compared with CON cows (P<0.01). Protein was decreased (P=0.01) and fat was increased (P=0.01) in milk from DDGS compared with CON cows on day 68 PP. Compared to CON, DDGS decreased medium chain FA (P<0.01) and increased long chain FA (P<0.01) at both time points. Saturated FA content of milk was decreased (P<0.01) at both time-points in DDGS compared with CON cows, which resulted in an increase (P<0.01) in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated FA, including cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid. Daily gain of the DDGS calves was increased (P=0.01) compared with CON calves, resulting in heavier BW on day 129 (P=0.01). Heavier BW of DDGS calves was maintained through weaning (P=0.01). Timed-artificial insemination (TAI) rates were greater for cows fed DDGS compared with cows fed CON (P<0.02), but dietary treatment had no effect on overall pregnancy rates (P=0.64). In summary, feeding DDGS to lactating beef cows did not change cow BW or BCS, but did improve TAI rates and altered milk composition compared with CON. As a result, male progeny from cows fed DDGS during lactation had greater average daily gain and were heavier at day 129 and at weaning compared with male progeny from cows fed a control diet.

Modification of fatty acid profile of cow milk by calcium salts of fatty acids and its use in ice cream.

PubMed

Nadeem, Muhammad; Abdullah, Muhammad; Hussain, Imtiaz; Inayat, Saima

2015-02-01

This study was conducted to determine the effect of calcium salts of fatty acids (CSFA) on fatty acid profile of milk of "Sahiwal" cows and suitability of milk with modified fatty acids in the formulation of ice cream. Fatty acid profile of cow milk was modified by feeding CSFA to eighteen randomly stratified "Sahiwal" cows of first and early lactation divided into three groups. CSFA were offered at two different levels i.e. T1 (150 g per cow per day) T2 (300 g per cow per day) both treatments were compared with a control (T0) without any addition of calcium salts of fatty acids. Iso caloric and iso nitrogenous feeds were given to both experimental groups and control. Concentrations of short chain fatty acids in T0, T1 and T2 were 9.85 ± 0.48a, 8.8 ± 0.24b and 7.1 ± 0.37c %, respectively and the concentrations of C18:1 and C18:2 increased (P < 0.05) from 27.6 ± 1.32b % to 31.7 ± 1.68a % and 2.15 ± 0.09b % to 2.79 ± 0.05a %, respectively, at T2 level. Incorporation of milk fat of T1 and T2 (modified fatty acids profile) in ice cream did not have any adverse effect on pH, acidity and compositional attributes of ice cream. Viscosity of T1 was 67.94 ± 3.77a as compared to (T0) control 68.75 ± 2.46a (CP). Firmness of experimental samples and control were almost similar (P > 0.05) overall acceptability score of T2 was 7.1 ± 0.28b out of 9 (total score) which was more than 78 ± 2.92 %. It was concluded that CSFA may be successfully incorporated up to T2 level (300 g per cow per day) into the feed of "Sahiwal" cows to produce milk with higher content of unsaturated fatty acids and it may be used in the formulation of ice cream with acceptable sensory characteristics and increased health benefits.

Utilization of protein in red clover and alfalfa silages by lactating dairy cows and growing lambs.

PubMed

Broderick, Glen A

2018-02-01

Feeding trials were conducted with lactating cows and growing lambs to quantify effects of replacing dietary alfalfa silage (AS) with red clover silage (RCS) on nutrient utilization. The lactation trial had a 2 × 4 arrangement of treatments: AS or RCS fed with no supplement, rumen-protected Met (RPM), rumen-protected Lys (RPL), or RPM plus RPL. Grass silage was fed at 13% of dry matter (DM) with AS to equalize dietary neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and crude protein contents. All diets contained (DM basis) 5% corn silage and 16% crude protein. Thirty-two multiparous (4 ruminally cannulated) plus 16 primiparous Holstein cows were blocked by parity and days in milk and fed diets as total mixed rations in an incomplete 8 × 8 Latin square trial with four 28-d periods. Production data (over the last 14 d of each period) and digestibility and excretion data (at the end of each period) were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Although DM intake was 1.2 kg/d greater on AS than RCS, milk yield and body weight gain were not different. However, yields of fat and energy-corrected milk as well as milk content of fat, true protein, and solids-not-fat were greater on AS. Relative to AS, feeding RCS increased milk and energy-corrected milk yield per unit of DM intake, milk lactose content, and apparent N efficiency and reduced milk urea. Relative to AS, apparent digestibility of DM, organic matter, NDF, and acid detergent fiber were greater on RCS, whereas apparent and estimated true N digestibility were lower. Urinary N excretion and ruminal concentrations of ammonia, total AA, and branched-chain volatile fatty acids were reduced on RCS, indicating reduced ruminal protein degradation. Supplementation of RPM increased intake, milk true protein, and solids-not-fat content and tended to increase milk fat content. There were no silage × RPM interactions, suggesting that RPM was equally limiting on both AS and RCS. Supplementation of RPL did not influence any production trait; however, a significant silage × RPL interaction was detected for intake: RPL reduced intake of AS diets but increased intake of RCS diets. Duplicated metabolism trials were conducted with lambs confined to metabolism crates and fed only silage. After adaptation, collections of silage refusals and excreta were made during ad libitum feeding followed by feeding DM restricted to 2% of body weight. Intake of DM was not different when silages were fed ad libitum. Apparent digestibility of DM, organic matter, NDF, and hemicellulose was greater in lambs fed RCS on both ad libitum and restricted intake; however, acid detergent fiber digestibility was only greater at restricted intake. Apparent and estimated true N digestibility was substantially lower, and N retention was reduced, on RCS. Results confirmed greater DM and fiber digestibility in ruminants and N efficiency in cows fed RCS. Specific loss of Lys bioavailability on RCS was not observed. Based on milk composition, Met was the first-limiting AA on both silages; however, Met was not limiting based on production and nutrient efficiency. Depressed true N digestibility suggested impaired intestinal digestibility of rumen-undegraded protein from RCS. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect on production of replacing dietary starch with sucrose in lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Broderick, G A; Luchini, N D; Reynal, S M; Varga, G A; Ishler, V A

2008-12-01

Replacing dietary starch with sugar has been reported to improve production in dairy cows. Two sets of 24 Holstein cows averaging 41 kg/d of milk were fed a covariate diet, blocked by days in milk, and randomly assigned in 2 phases to 4 groups of 6 cows each. Cows were fed experimental diets containing [dry matter (DM) basis]: 39% alfalfa silage, 21% corn silage, 21% rolled high-moisture shelled corn, 9% soybean meal, 2% fat, 1% vitamin-mineral supplement, 7.5% supplemental nonstructural carbohydrate, 16.7% crude protein, and 30% neutral detergent fiber. Nonstructural carbohydrates added to the 4 diets were 1) 7.5% corn starch, 0% sucrose; 2) 5.0% starch, 2.5% sucrose; 3) 2.5% starch, 5.0% sucrose; or 4) 0% starch, 7.5% sucrose. Cows were fed the experimental diets for 8 wk. There were linear increases in DM intake and milk fat content and yield, and linear decreases in ruminal concentrations of ammonia and branched-chain volatile fatty acids, and urinary excretion of urea-N and total N, and urinary urea-N as a proportion of total N, as sucrose replaced corn starch in the diet. Despite these changes, there was no effect of diet on microbial protein formation, estimated from total purine flow at the omasum or purine derivative excretion in the urine, and there were linear decreases in both milk/DM intake and milk N/N-intake when sucrose replaced dietary starch. However, expressing efficiency as fat-corrected milk/DM intake or solids-corrected milk/DM intake indicated that there was no effect of sucrose addition on nutrient utilization. Replacing dietary starch with sucrose increased fat secretion, apparently via increased energy supply because of greater intake. Positive responses normally correlated with improved ruminal N efficiency that were altered by sucrose feeding were not associated with increased protein secretion in this trial.

Digestion, milk production, milk composition, and blood composition of dairy cows fed whole flaxseed.

PubMed

Petit, Helene V

2002-06-01

A total of 90 lactating Holstein cows averaging 628 kg (SE = 8) of body weight (BW) were allotted at calving to 30 groups of three cows blocked for similar calving dates to determine the effects of feeding whole untreated flaxseed on milk production and composition, fatty acid composition of blood and milk, and digestibility, and to determine whether flaxseed could substitute for other sources of fat such as Megalac and micronized soybeans. Cows were fed a total mixed diet based on grass and corn silage and fat supplements for ad libitum intake. The experiment was carried out from calving up to wk 16 of lactation. Cows within each block were assigned to one of the three isonitrogenous, isoenergetic, and isolipidic supplements based on either whole flaxseed (FLA), Megalac (MEG), or micronized soybeans (SOY). Intake of dry matter and change in BW were similar among diets. Cows fed FLA had greater milk yield than those fed MEG (35.7 vs. 33.5 kg/d) and there was no difference between cows fed FLA and those fed SOY (34.4 kg/d). Fat percentage was higher in the milk of cows fed MEG (4.14%) than in the milk of those fed FLA (3.81%) or SOY (3.70%), but milk protein percentage was higher for cows fed FLA (2.98%) than for those fed MEG (2.86%) and SOY (2.87%). Digestibilities of acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and ether extract were lower for cows fed FLA than for those fed SOY and MEG. Retention of N was similar among diets. Feeding FLA resulted in the lowest omega-6-to-omega-3-fatty-acids ratio, which would improve the nutritive value of milk from a human health point of view. The data suggest that micronized soybeans and Megalac can be completely substituted by whole untreated flaxseed as the fat source in the diet of early lactating cows without any adverse effect on production and that flaxseed increased milk protein percentage and its omega-6-to-omega-3-fatty-acids ratio.

Short communication: Effects of dietary 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole supplementation on vitamin B12 supply, lactation performance, and energy balance in dairy cows during the transition period and early lactation.

PubMed

Wang, D M; Zhang, B X; Wang, J K; Liu, H Y; Liu, J X

2018-03-01

The current study was conducted to investigate the effects of 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole (DMB) supplementation to the feed during the transition period and early lactation on the vitamin B 12 supply, lactation performance, and energy balance in postpartum cows. Twenty-four prepartum Holstein dairy cows were divided into 12 blocks based on their parity and milk yield at the last lactation and were then randomly allocated to 1 of 2 treatments: a basal diet without DMB (control) or a treatment diet that contained 1.5 g of DMB/d per cow. The study started at wk 3 before the expected calving day and ended at wk 8 postpartum. The feed intake and the lactation performance were measured weekly after calving. Blood parameters were measured on d -10, 0, 8, 15, 29, 43, and 57 relative to the calving day. Body weight was measured on the calving day and on d 57 after calving. The yields of milk, protein, and lactose in cows fed DMB were higher than in the control throughout the whole postpartum stage. On wk 8 postpartum, the vitamin B 12 content in the milk and sera was greater in cows fed DMB than in the control. The overall body weight loss from wk 1 to 8 postpartum was less in cows fed DMB than in the control. The plasma content of nonesterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyric acid was significantly lower in cows fed DMB than in the control throughout the whole experimental stage. In conclusion, dietary DMB fed during the transition period and early lactation improved the vitamin B 12 supply, milk production, and energy balance of postpartum dairy cows. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of dietary betaine in lactating Holstein cows subjected to heat stress.

PubMed

Hall, L W; Dunshea, F R; Allen, J D; Rungruang, S; Collier, J L; Long, N M; Collier, R J

2016-12-01

Betaine (BET), a natural, organic osmolyte, improves cellular efficiency by acting as a chaperone, refolding denatured proteins. To test if dietary BET reduced the effect of heat stress (HS) in lactating dairy cows, multiparous, lactating Holstein cows (n=24) were blocked by days in milk (101.4±8.6 d) and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 daily intakes of dietary BET: the control (CON) group received no BET, mid intake (MID) received 57mg of BET/kg of body weight, and high dose (HI) received 114mg of BET/kg of body weight. Cows were fed twice daily and BET was top-dressed at each feeding. Cows were milked 2 times/d and milk samples were taken daily for analysis. Milk components, yield, feed intake, and water intake records were taken daily. Rectal temperature and respiration rate were taken 3 times/d at 0600, 1400, and 1800h. Cows were housed in environmentally controlled rooms and were allowed acclimation for 7d at thermoneutral (TN) conditions with a mean temperature-humidity index of 56.6. Cows were then exposed to 7d of TN followed by 7d of HS represented by a temperature-humidity index of 71.5 for 14d. This was followed by a recovery period of 3d at TN. Dietary BET increased milk yield during the TN period. No differences were found between BET and CON in total milk production or milk composition during HS. The increase in water intake during HS was not as great for cows fed BET compared with controls. The cows on CON diets had higher p.m. respiration rate than both MID and HI BET during HS, but lower rectal temperature compared with BET. No difference was found in serum glucose during TN, but cows given HI had elevated glucose levels during HS compared with CON. No differences were found in serum insulin levels between CON and BET but an intake by environment interaction was present with insulin increasing in HI-treated lactating dairy cows during HS. The heat shock response [heat shock protein (HSP) 27 and HSP70] was upregulated in bovine mammary epithelial cells in vitro. Blood leukocyte HSP27 was downregulated at the HI dose under TN conditions and HSP70 was upregulated at the HI dose and this effect was increased by HS. No effect was seen with the MID dose with HSP27 or HSP70. The lack of effect of BET at MID may be associated with uptake across the gut. We conclude that BET increased milk production under TN conditions and was associated with reduced feed and water intake and slightly increased body temperatures during HS of cows fed BET. The effect of BET on milk production was lost during HS with HI BET, whereas serum glucose levels increased during HS. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationship between residual feed intake and digestibility for lactating Holstein cows fed high and low starch diets.

PubMed

Potts, S B; Boerman, J P; Lock, A L; Allen, M S; VandeHaar, M J

2017-01-01

We determined if differences in digestibility among cows explained variation in residual feed intake (RFI) in 4 crossover design experiments. Lactating Holstein cows (n=109; 120±30d in milk; mean ± SD) were fed diets high (HS) or low (LS) in starch. The HS diets were 30% (±1.8%) starch and 27% (±1.2%) neutral detergent fiber (NDF); LS diets were 14% (±2.2%) starch and 40% (±5.3%) NDF. Each experiment consisted of two 28-d treatment periods, with apparent total-tract digestibility measured using indigestible NDF as an internal marker during the last 5d of each period. Individual cow dry matter (DM) intake and milk yield were recorded daily, body weight was measured 3 to 5 times per week, and milk components were analyzed 2 d/wk. Individual DM intake was regressed on milk energy output, metabolic body weight, body energy gain, and fixed effects of parity, experiment, cohort (a group of cows that received treatments in the same sequence) nested within experiment, and diet nested within cohort and experiment, with the residual being RFI. High RFI cows ate more than expected and were deemed less efficient. Residual feed intake correlated negatively with digestibility of starch for both HS (r=-0.31) and LS (r=-0.23) diets, and with digestibilities of DM (r=-0.30) and NDF (r=-0.23) for LS diets but was not correlated with DM or NDF digestibility for HS diets. For each cohort within an experiment, cows were classified as high RFI (HRFI; >0.5 SD), medium RFI (MRFI; ±0.5 SD), and low RFI (LRFI; <-0.5 SD). Digestibility of DM was similar (~66%) among HRFI and LRFI for HS diets but greater for LRFI when fed LS diets (64 vs. 62%). For LS diets, digestibility of DM could account for up to 31% of the differences among HRFI and LRFI for apparent diet energy density, as determined from individual cow performance, indicating that digestibility explains some of the between-animal differences for the ability to convert gross energy into net energy. Some of the differences in digestibility between HRFI and LRFI were expected because cows with high RFI eat at a greater multiple of maintenance, and greater intake is associated with increased passage rate and digestibility depression. Based on these data, we conclude that a cow's digestive ability explains none of the variation in RFI for cows eating high starch diets but 9 to 31% of the variation in RFI when cows are fed low starch diets. Perhaps differences in other metabolic processes, such as tissue turnover, heat production, or others related to maintenance, can account for more variation in RFI than digestibility. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Atypical hypocalcemia in 2 dairy cows, after having been fed discarded vegetable cooking oil.

PubMed

Gunn, Allan J; Abuelo, Angel

2017-12-01

Two mid-lactation dairy cows were presented sternally recumbent 4 days after the herd had been fed discarded vegetable cooking oil ad libitum. In both affected animals hypocalcemia was confirmed by clinical chemistry and response to treatment. This atypical presentation of hypocalcemia associated with feeding discarded cooking oil is previously unreported.

Atypical hypocalcemia in 2 dairy cows, after having been fed discarded vegetable cooking oil

PubMed Central

Gunn, Allan J.; Abuelo, Angel

2017-01-01

Two mid-lactation dairy cows were presented sternally recumbent 4 days after the herd had been fed discarded vegetable cooking oil ad libitum. In both affected animals hypocalcemia was confirmed by clinical chemistry and response to treatment. This atypical presentation of hypocalcemia associated with feeding discarded cooking oil is previously unreported. PMID:29203941

Performance by Fall-Calving Cows Grazing Tall Fescue Pastures With Different Proportions Stockpiled

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) S.J. Darbyshire.] is often stockpiled to reduce winter feed costs for cattle. Over two consecutive years, a total of 158 Gelbvieh × Angus fall-calving cows (1318 plus/minus 13.2 lb) were allocated randomly to one of eight 24-acre tall fescue pastures on 18 ...

Performance by Fall-Calving Cows Grazing Tall Fescue Pastures with Different Proportions Stockpiled

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.] is often stockpiled to reduce winter feed costs for cattle. Over two consecutive years, a total of 158 Gelbvieh × Angus fall-calving cows (599 ± 6.0 kg) were allocated randomly to one of eight 10-ha tall fescue pastures (subdivided into six 1.6-h...

The impact of cow nutrient status during the second and third trimesters on age at puberty, antral follicle count, and fertility of daughters

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fluctuating feed resources to beef cows across the production cycle is a proven method for decreasing input costs; however, limiting nutrients during late gestation have been demonstrated to decrease ovarian follicle numbers in female offspring in some studies. We hypothesize that limiting nutrients...

EVIDENCE OF FEED CONTAMINATION DUE TO SAMPLE HANDLING AND PREPARATION DURING A MASS BALANCE STUDY OF DIOXINS IN LACTATING COWS IN BACKGROUND CONDITIONS

EPA Science Inventory

In 1997, the United States (US) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted a mass balance study of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs) and dibenzofurans (CDFs) in lactating cows in background conditions. The field portion of the study occurred at the US Department of A...

Changes in rumen bacterial communities and rumen chemistry in primiparous Holstein cows during the periparturient period

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objectives of this study were to study the changes in: 1) rumen bacterial community composition (BCC) and fermentation as influenced by feeding regimen and period; and 2) pH and VFA profiles among selected cows with minimum (stable) and maximum variation (unstable) between pre- and post-parturie...

Analysis of hepatic transcript profile and plasma lipid profile in early lactating dairy cows fed grape seed and grape marc meal extract.

PubMed

Gessner, Denise K; Winkler, Anne; Koch, Christian; Dusel, Georg; Liebisch, Gerhard; Ringseis, Robert; Eder, Klaus

2017-03-23

It was recently reported that dairy cows fed a polyphenol-rich grape seed and grape marc meal extract (GSGME) during the transition period had an increased milk yield, but the underlying reasons remained unclear. As polyphenols exert a broad spectrum of metabolic effects, we hypothesized that feeding of GSGME influences metabolic pathways in the liver which could account for the positive effects of GSGME in dairy cows. In order to identify these pathways, we performed genome-wide transcript profiling in the liver and lipid profiling in plasma of dairy cows fed GSGME during the transition period at 1 week postpartum. Transcriptomic analysis of the liver revealed 207 differentially expressed transcripts, from which 156 were up- and 51 were down-regulated, between cows fed GSGME and control cows. Gene set enrichment analysis of the 155 up-regulated mRNAs showed that the most enriched gene ontology (GO) biological process terms were dealing with cell cycle regulation and the most enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways were p53 signaling and cell cycle. Functional analysis of the 43 down-regulated mRNAs revealed that a great part of these genes are involved in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced unfolded protein response (UPR) and inflammatory processes. Accordingly, protein folding, response to unfolded protein, unfolded protein binding, chemokine activity and heat shock protein binding were identified as one of the most enriched GO biological process and molecular function terms assigned to the down-regulated genes. In line with the transcriptomics data the plasma concentrations of the acute phase proteins serum amyloid A (SAA) and haptoglobin were reduced in cows fed GSGME compared to control cows. Lipidomic analysis of plasma revealed no differences in the concentrations of individual species of major and minor lipid classes between cows fed GSGME and control cows. Analysis of hepatic transcript profile in cows fed GSGME during the transition period at 1 week postpartum indicates that polyphenol-rich feed components are able to inhibit ER stress-induced UPR and inflammatory processes, both of which are considered to contribute to liver-associated diseases and to impair milk performance in dairy cows, in the liver of dairy cows during early lactation.

Comparison of shortened and conventional dry period management strategies.

PubMed

Cermakova, J; Kudrna, V; Simeckova, M; Vyborna, A; Dolezal, P; Illek, J

2014-09-01

The aim of this study was to compare 2 dry-cow management strategies and evaluate the effect of shortened dry period strategy on feed intake, metabolism, and postpartum performance of dairy cows in early lactation. Twenty-nine high-yielding dairy cows were divided into 2 groups. The control (CON) group (n=14) was assigned to a traditional dry period of approximately 60 d (57±5.9 d) and was fed a far-off dry cow ration from dry-off to -21 d relative to expected parturition. From d -21 relative to expected parturition, the cows were switched to a precalving ration containing an additional 3kg of concentrates. The cows of the experimental group (n=15) were assigned to a shortened dry period (SDP; 35±6.3 d) and were continuously fed a late-lactation diet from d -60 d relative to expected parturition until calving. After calving, both groups were fed the same lactation diet corresponding to their lactation requirements and cows were followed for 100 d of lactation. Prepartum dry matter intake of the cows assigned to an SDP and fed a late-lactation diet was approximately 4.11kg/cow per day greater compared with the CON group during the 60 d. However, no effect of dry period strategy on postpartum dry matter intake was detected. The cows with an SDP produced approximately 2.78kg/d (6.9%) less milk in the first 100 d of lactation than CON cows; the difference was not statistically significant. No differences were observed in live body weight, body condition score, or back-fat thickness between the treatments. Similarly, no differences existed in concentrations of plasma metabolites. The cows of the SDP group showed lower pH and increased concentrations of lactic acid and volatile fatty acids prepartum than the CON cows. Postpartum concentrations of lactic acid, volatile fatty acids, and NH3 and pH in rumen fluid did not differ between the treatments. Shortening of the dry period did not affect the colostrum quality or birth weights of the calves. Based on the results of this study, a traditional dry period management strategy appeared to be more favorable, considering the dry matter intake and milk production, compared with an SDP and feeding a late-lactation diet throughout the dry period. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of parturition and feed restriction on concentrations and distribution of the insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid of dairy cows.

PubMed

Laeger, T; Wirthgen, E; Piechotta, M; Metzger, F; Metges, C C; Kuhla, B; Hoeflich, A

2014-05-01

Hormones and metabolites act as satiety signals in the brain and play an important role in the control of feed intake (FI). These signals can reach the hypothalamus and brainstem, 2 major centers of FI regulation, via the blood stream or the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). During the early lactation period of high-yielding dairy cows, the increase of FI is often insufficient. Recently, it has been demonstrated that insulin-like growth factors (IGF) may control FI. Thus, we asked in the present study if IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP) are regulated during the periparturient period and in response to feed restriction and therefore might affect FI as well. In addition, we specifically addressed conditional distribution of IGFBP in plasma and CSF. In one experiment, 10 multiparous German Holstein dairy cows were fed ad libitum and samples of CSF and plasma were obtained before morning feeding on d -20, -10, +1, +10, +20, and +40 relative to calving. In a second experiment, 7 cows in second mid-lactation were sampled for CSF and plasma after ad libitum feeding and again after feeding 50% of the previous ad libitum intake for 4 d. Intact IGFBP-2, IGFBP-3, and IGFBP-4 were detected in plasma by quantitative Western ligand blot analysis. In CSF, we were able to predominantly identify intact IGFBP-2 and a specific IGFBP-2 fragment containing detectable binding affinities for biotinylated IGF-II. Whereas plasma concentrations of IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-4 increased during the periparturient period, IGFBP-3 was unaffected over time. In CSF, concentrations of IGFBP-2, both intact and fragmented, were not affected during the periparturient period. Plasma IGF-I continuously decreased until calving but remained at a lower concentration in early lactation than in late pregnancy. Food restriction did not affect concentrations of IGF components present in plasma or CSF. We could show that the IGFBP profiles in plasma and CSF are clearly distinct and that changes in IGFBP in plasma do not simply correspond in the brain. We thus assume independent control of IGFBP distribution between plasma and CSF. Due to the known anorexic effect of IGF-I, elevated plasma concentrations of IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-4 during the postpartum period in conjunction with reduced plasma IGF-I concentrations may be interpreted as an endocrine response against negative energy balance in early lactation in dairy cows. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diagnosis and Management of Subacute Ruminal Acidosis in Dairy Herds.

PubMed

Oetzel, Garrett R

2017-11-01

Subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) is a common problem in lactating dairy cows that causes chronic health problems, impairs feed efficiency, and increases the environmental impact of milk production. Low ruminal pH appears to be the main instigator of the pathophysiology of SARA, although other metabolites produced in the rumen may be involved. Inflammatory responses to SARA are variable but important determinants of a cow's response to SARA. SARA can be diagnosed at the herd level by integrating information about clinical signs and on-farm measures of ruminal pH. Prevention of SARA requires excellent feeding management and proper diet formulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of supplemental yeast culture and dietary starch content on rumen fermentation and digestion in dairy cows.

PubMed

Dias, A L G; Freitas, J A; Micai, B; Azevedo, R A; Greco, L F; Santos, J E P

2018-01-01

The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate the effect of feeding a culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on rumen metabolism and digestibility when cows are fed diets varying in starch content. Four lactating Holstein cows were assigned to a 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Treatments were low starch (LS; 23% of diet DM) and no yeast culture (YC; LS-control), LS and 15 g of YC/d (LS-YC), high starch (HS; 29% of diet DM) and no YC (HS-control), and HS and 15 g of YC/d (HS-YC). Periods lasted 28 d, with the last 9 d for data collection. Days 20 to 24 were used to determine production, nutrient flow, and digestibility. On d 25, 3 kg of corn grain DM was placed in the rumen 1 h before the morning feeding, and yields of milk and milk components were measured after the challenge. Blood was sampled -1, 3, 7, and 11 h relative to the morning feeding on d 24 and 25. Rumen pH was measured continuously on d 24 and 25. Rumen papillae were collected on d 24 and 28 to quantify mRNA expression of select genes. Supplementing YC increased yields of milk (26.3 vs. 29.6 kg/d), energy-corrected milk (ECM; 26.5 vs. 30.3 kg/d), fat (0.94 vs. 1.08 kg/d), true protein (0.84 vs. 0.96 kg/d), and ECM/dry matter intake (1.15 vs. 1.30) compared with the control but did not affect dry matter intake (22.6 vs. 22.9 kg/d). Cows fed HS had increased milk true protein percentage (3.18 vs. 3.31%) and yield (0.87 vs. 0.94 kg/d) compared with cows fed LS. Feeding HS-YC increased the proportion of dietary N incorporated into milk true protein from 24.9% in the other 3 treatments to 29.6%. Feeding HS increased the concentration of propionate (21.7 vs. 32.3 mM) and reduced that of NH 3 -N (8.3 vs. 6.7 mg/dL) in rumen fluid compared with the control, and combining HS with YC in HS-YC tended to increase microbial N synthesis compared with LS-YC (275 vs. 322 g/d). Supplementing YC to cows fed HS reduced plasma haptoglobin and rumen lactate concentrations, increased mean rumen pH, reduced the time with pH <6.0, and prevented the decrease in rumen neutral detergent fiber digestion caused by HS. Cows fed HS had less total-tract digestion of organic matter (73.9 vs. 72.4%) because of reduced acid detergent fiber (57.6 vs. 51.7%) and neutral detergent fiber (60.9 vs. 56.7%) digestibility. Production performance after the challenge was similar to that before the challenge, and YC improved yield of ECM. After the challenge, supplementing YC tended to reduce rumen lactate concentration compared with the control and reduced haptoglobin in cows fed HS. Feeding HS but not YC increased expression in rumen papillae of genes for receptors (FFAR2 and FFAR3) and transporter (SLC16A3) of short-chain fatty acids but did not affect genes involved in transport of Na + /H + or water or in inflammatory response. Supplementing YC to dairy cows improved lactation performance in diets containing low or high starch, and mechanisms might be partially attributed to improvements in rumen pH, digestion of fiber, microbial N synthesis, and reduction in acute phase response. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Severe iron-deficiency anaemia and feeding practices in young children.

PubMed

Parkin, Patricia C; DeGroot, Julie; Maguire, Jonathon L; Birken, Catherine S; Zlotkin, Stanley

2016-03-01

Fe-deficiency anaemia (IDA) occurs in 1-2 % of infants in developed countries, peaks at 1-3 years of age and is associated with later cognitive deficits. The objectives of the present study were to describe the characteristics of young children with severe IDA and examine modifiable risk factors in a developed-country setting. Two prospective samples: a national surveillance programme sample and a regional longitudinal study sample. Canada, 2009-2011. Two samples of young children recruited from community-based health-care practices: a national sample with severe anaemia (Hb<80 g/l) due to Fe deficiency and a regional sample with non-anaemic Fe sufficiency. Children with severe IDA (n 201, mean Hb 55·1 g/l) experienced substantial morbidity (including developmental delay, heart failure, cerebral thrombosis) and health-care utilization (including a 42 % hospitalization rate). Compared with children with Fe sufficiency (n 597, mean Hb 122·4 g/l), children with severe IDA consumed a larger volume of cow's milk daily (median 1065 ml v. 500 ml, P<0·001) and were more likely to be using a bottle during the day (78 % v. 43 %, OR=6·0; 95 % CI 4·0, 8·9) and also in bed (60 % v. 21 %, OR=6·5; 95 % CI 4·4, 9·5). Severe IDA is associated with substantial morbidity and may be preventable. Three potentially modifiable feeding practices are associated with IDA: (i) cow's milk consumption greater than 500 ml/d; (ii) daytime bottle use beyond 12 months of age; and (iii) bottle use in bed. These feeding practices should be highlighted in future recommendations for public health and primary-care practitioners.

Technical note: A device for obtaining time-integrated samples of ruminal fluid

USGS Publications Warehouse

Corley, R. N.; Murphy, M.R.; Lucena, J.; Panno, S.V.

1999-01-01

A device was adapted to allow for time-integrated sampling of fluid from the rumen via a cannula. The sampler consisted of a cup-shaped ceramic filter positioned in the ventral rumen of a cannulated cow and attached to a tube through which fluid entering the filter was removed continuously using a peristaltic pump. Rate of ruminal fluid removal using the device was monitored over two 36-h periods (at 6-h intervals) and was not affected (P > .05) by time, indicating that the system was not susceptible to clogging during this period. Two cows having ad libitum access to a totally mixed ration were used in a split-block design to evaluate the utility of the system for obtaining time-integrated samples of ruminal fluid. Ruminal fluid VFA concentration and pattern in samples collected in two replicated 8-h periods by the time-integrated sampler (at 1-h intervals) were compared with composite samples collected using a conventional suction-strainer device (at 30-min intervals). Each 8-h collection period started 2 h before or 6 h after feeding. Results indicated that total VFA concentration was not affected (P > .05) by the sampling method. Volatile fatty acid patterns were likewise unaffected (P > .05) except that acetate was 2.5% higher (P < .05) in samples collected 2 h before feeding and valerate was 5% higher (P < .05) in samples collected 6 h after feeding by the suction-strainer device. Although significant, these differences were not considered physiologically important. We concluded that use of the ceramic filter improved the sampling of ruminal fluid by simplifying the technique and allowing time-integrated samples to be obtained.

Evaluation of alfalfa leaf meal for dairy cows. Quarterly report, July 1, 1997--September 30, 1997

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Akayezu, J.M.; Jorgensen, M.A.; Linn, J.G.

1997-10-30

A series of laboratory tests and two feeding experiments were conducted to determine the quality and evaluate the feeding value of alfalfa leaf meal (ALM) for dairy cows. An experiment was also conducted to enhance the protein value of ALM for ruminants. The fiber content of 6 different samples obtained from the processing plant from November 1996 to August 1997 were variable, ranging from 28.8 to 44.5% of DM for NDF, and from 16.0 to 28.6% of DM for ADF. Ash content ranged from 10.1 to 13.8% of the DM. The protein content of ALM was fairly constant and rangedmore » from 21.8 to 23.6% of DM. Amino acids comprise at least 70% of the total CP in ALM, but essential amino acids comprise only about 35% of the total CP. The amino acid profile of ALM is similar to that of alfalfa hay, but markedly different from that of soybean meal. Overall, ALM produced to date is similar in nutrient content to prime alfalfa hay. In one of the feeding trials, ALM pellets were used to replace part of the hay in diets for early lactation cows. The results indicate that ALM pellets can make up as much as 16% of the diet DM in replacement of an equivalent amount of high quality chopped alfalfa hay without adverse effects on production or rumen health. In an other study, ALM replaced soybean meal to supply up to 3 3 % of the total CP in the diet without any detrimental effect on production. However, in each study, dry matter intake was reduced when ALM was included in the diet at or above 15 to 16% of the DM. Although this reduction in feed intake did not influence milk production over the short duration of these studies, it is not known what would happen if ALM was fed over long periods of time. Also, these results should not be interpreted to suggest either that ALM may used to replace all the hay in the diets or that ALM in meal form may be used to replace hay in the diets. Moreover, feed consumption by cows used in these experiments was rather high and somewhat atypical of most cows.« less

Economic performance of lactating dairy cows submitted for first service timed artificial insemination after a voluntary waiting period of 60 or 88 days.

PubMed

Stangaferro, M L; Wijma, R; Masello, M; Thomas, Mark J; Giordano, J O

2018-05-23

The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic performance of dairy cows managed with a voluntary waiting period (VWP) of 60 or 88 d. A secondary objective was estimating variation in cash flow under different input pricing scenarios through stochastic Monte Carlo simulations. Lactating Holstein cows from 3 commercial farms were blocked by parity group and total milk yield in their previous lactation and then randomly assigned to a VWP of 60 (VWP60; n = 1,352) or 88 d (VWP88; n = 1,359). All cows received timed-artificial insemination (TAI) for first service after synchronization of ovulation with the Double-Ovsynch protocol. For second and greater services, cows received artificial insemination (AI) after detection of estrus or the Ovsynch protocol initiated 32 ± 3 d after AI. Two analyses were performed: (1) cash flow per cow for the calving interval of the experimental lactation and (2) cash flow per slot occupied by each cow enrolled in the experiment for an 18-mo period after calving in the experimental lactation. Extending the VWP from 60 to 88 d delayed time to pregnancy during lactation (~20 d) and increased the risk of leaving the herd for multiparous cows (hazard ratio = 1.21). As a result, a smaller proportion of multiparous cows calved again and had a subsequent lactation (-6%). The shift in time to pregnancy combined with the herd exit dynamics resulted in longer lactation length for primiparous (22 d) but not multiparous cows. Longer lactations led to greater milk income over feed cost and a tendency for greater cash flow during the experimental lactation for primiparous but not multiparous cows in the VWP88 group. On the other hand, profitability per slot for the 18-mo period was numerically greater ($68 slot/18 mo) for primiparous cows but numerically reduced (-$85 slot/18 mo) for multiparous cows in the VWP88 treatment. For primiparous cows most of the difference in cash flow was explained by replacement cost, whereas for multiparous cows it was mostly explained by differences in replacement cost and income over feed cost. Under variable input pricing conditions generated through stochastic simulations, the longer VWP treatment always increased cash flow per 18 mo for primiparous and reduced cash flow for multiparous cows. In conclusion, extending the duration of the VWP from 60 to 88 d numerically increased profitability of primiparous cows and reduced profitability of multiparous cows. Such an effect depended mostly on the herd replacement dynamics and milk production efficiency. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of houseflies (Musca domestica) in harbouring Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in dairy herds in Israel.

PubMed

Braverman, Y; Chizov-Ginzburg, A; Saran, A; Winkler, M

1999-12-01

A study was conducted to assess the role of houseflies, Musca domestica L. in harbouring Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in dairy farms in Israel. The bacterium was isolated in June 1993 from 40 wild houseflies which had fed on a lesion on a cow, and from 28 laboratory flies fed on contaminated milk from a cow infected with mastitis. The bacterium was recovered from the body surface of 10 flies (of a total of 160) 10 min after being dipped entirely in a bacterial broth. The bacterium was recovered from the body surface of 10 flies (of a total of 40) 5 min after being fed on contaminated milk. When 110 flies were fed on contaminated sugar cubes, the bacterium was recovered externally from 70 flies 5 min later, and from an additional 20 flies 10 min after feeding. Of 110 flies, 80 excreted bacteria in saliva from 5 min to 3 h after feeding on contaminated milk. Bacteria were isolated from the intestine of 40 of 60 flies between 1 h and 4 h after feeding on contaminated milk. Bacteria were found in the faeces of 30 of 60 flies, between 1 h and 4 h after feeding on contaminated milk. In the light of these findings, and given the fact that this species of fly has a predilection to feed on milk residues of cow teats, the authors concluded that the housefly plays an important role in harbouring and disseminating C. pseudotuberculosis in dairy herds in Israel. In contrast, stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans L.) are not important in the habouring and dissemination of the bacteria, since bacteria were not recovered 5, 10, 15, 30 min, 2 h or 24 h after membrane feeding on a mixture of bacterial broth and blood.

Host attraction and biting behaviour of Anopheles mosquitoes in South Halmahera, Indonesia.

PubMed

St Laurent, Brandyce; Burton, Timothy A; Zubaidah, Siti; Miller, Helen C; Asih, Puji B; Baharuddin, Amirullah; Kosasih, Sully; Shinta; Firman, Saya; Hawley, William A; Burkot, Thomas R; Syafruddin, Din; Sukowati, Supratman; Collins, Frank H; Lobo, Neil F

2017-08-02

Indonesia is home to a variety of malaria vectors whose specific bionomic traits remain largely uncharacterized. Species-specific behaviours, such as host feeding preferences, impact the dynamics of malaria transmission and the effectiveness of vector control interventions. To examine species-specific host attraction and feeding behaviours, a Latin square design was used to compare Anopheles mosquitoes attracted to human, cow, and goat-baited tents. Anopheles mosquitoes were collected hourly from the inside walls of each baited tent. Species were morphologically and then molecularly identified using rDNA ITS2 sequences. The head and thorax of individual specimens were analysed for Plasmodium DNA using PCR. Bloodmeals were identified using a multiplex PCR. A total of 1024, 137, and 74 Anopheles were collected over 12 nights in cow, goat, and human-baited tents, respectively. The species were identified as Anopheles kochi, Anopheles farauti s.s., Anopheles hackeri, Anopheles hinesorum, Anopheles indefinitus, Anopheles punctulatus, Anopheles tessellatus, Anopheles vagus, and Anopheles vanus, many of which are known to transmit human malaria. Molecular analysis of blood meals revealed a high level of feeding on multiple host species in a single night. Anopheles kochi, An. indefinitus, and An. vanus were infected with Plasmodium vivax at rates comparable to primary malaria vectors. The species distributions of Anopheles mosquitoes attracted to human, goat, and cow hosts were similar. Eight of nine sporozoite positive samples were captured with animal-baited traps, indicating that even predominantly zoophilic mosquitoes may be contributing to malaria transmission. Multiple host feeding and flexibility in blood feeding behaviour have important implications for malaria transmission, malaria control, and the effectiveness of intervention and monitoring methods, particularly those that target human-feeding vectors.

Effects of feeding ratio of beet pulp to alfalfa hay or grass hay on ruminal mat characteristics and chewing activity in Holstein dry cows.

PubMed

Izumi, Kenichi; Unno, Chigusa

2010-04-01

The influence of the feeding ratio of a non-forage fiber source and hay on ruminal mat characteristics and chewing activity was evaluated in dairy dry cows. Cows were fed four different diets: the ratios of alfalfa hay (AH) to beet pulp (BP) were 8:2 (dry matter basis, A8B2) and 2:8 (A2B8), and those of grass hay (GH) to BP were 8:2 (G8B2) and 2:8 (G2B8). Total eating time was decreased with increasing BP content (P < 0.01). Total rumination time for AH was shorter than that for GH (P < 0.01), and it decreased with increasing BP content (P < 0.01). The ruminal mat was detected by using a penetration resistance test of the rumen digesta. Penetration resistance value (PRV) of ruminal mat was highest with the G8B2 diet and PRV decreased with increasing BP content (P < 0.05) and feeding AH (P < 0.05). Thickness of the ruminal mat was greater for increasing BP content (P < 0.05). Simple linear regression of ruminal mat PRV on total rumination time resulted in a high positive correlation (r = 0.744; P < 0.001; n = 16). The results demonstrated that increasing the PRV of the ruminal mat stimulated rumination activity and a ruminal mat could be formed, although it was soft even when cows were offered a large quantity of BP.

Wheat is more potent than corn or barley for dietary mitigation of enteric methane emissions from dairy cows.

PubMed

Moate, P J; Williams, S R O; Jacobs, J L; Hannah, M C; Beauchemin, K A; Eckard, R J; Wales, W J

2017-09-01

Wheat is the most common concentrate fed to dairy cows in Australia, but few studies have examined the effects of wheat feeding on enteric methane emissions, and no studies have compared the relative potencies of wheat, corn, and barley for their effects on enteric methane production. In this 35-d experiment, 32 Holstein dairy cows were offered 1 of 4 diets: a corn diet (CRN) of 10.0 kg of dry matter (DM)/d of single-rolled corn grain, 1.8 kg of DM/d of canola meal, 0.2 kg of DM/d of minerals, and 11.0 kg of DM/d of chopped alfalfa hay; a wheat diet (WHT) similar to the CRN diet but with the corn replaced by single-rolled wheat; a barley diet (SRB) similar to the CRN diet but with the corn replaced by single-rolled barley; and a barley diet (DRB) similar to the CRN diet but with the corn replaced by double-rolled barley. Individual cow feed intakes, milk yields, and milk compositions were measured daily but reported for the last 5 d of the experiment. During the last 5 d of the experiment, individual cow methane emissions were measured using the SF 6 tracer technique for all cows, and ruminal fluid pH was continuously measured by intraruminal sensors for 3 cows in each treatment group. The average DM intake of cows offered the CRN, WHT, SRB, and DRB diets was 22.2, 21.1, 22.6, and 22.6 kg/d. The mean energy-corrected milk of cows fed the WHT diet was less than that of cows fed the other diets. This occurred because the milk fat percentage of cows fed the WHT diet was significantly less than that of cows fed the other diets. The mean methane emissions and methane yields of cows fed the WHT diet were also significantly less than those of cows fed the other diets. Indeed, the CRN, SRB, and DRB diets were associated with 49, 73, and 78% greater methane emissions, respectively, compared with the emissions from the WHT diet. Methane yield was found to be most strongly related to the minimum daily ruminal fluid pH. This study showed that although the inclusion of wheat in the diet of dairy cows could be an effective strategy for substantially reducing their methane emissions, it also reduced their milk fat percentage and production of milk fat and energy-corrected milk. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mass balance of polychlorinated biphenyls and other organochlorine compounds in a lactating cow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McLachlan, M.S.

1993-03-01

A contaminant mass balance was conducted of a lactating cow in its natural state. PCBs, HDHs, DDE, DDT, HCB, and several other chlorinated substances were investigated. It was found that virtually all of the cow's exposure was through feed. The contaminant absorption in the cow and hence the carry-over rate of persistent compounds was found to be a function of K[sub ow], with approximately constant values up to a log K[sub ow] of 6.5 and thereafter rapidly decreasing absorption with increasing lipophilicity of the contaminant. The key to PCB persistence in the cow was the 4,4[prime] substitution pattern. The 2,3,5more » substitution was a less effective hindrance for PCB metabolism. 33 refs., 2 figs., 7 tabs.« less

Transient feeding of a concentrate-rich diet increases the severity of subacute ruminal acidosis in dairy cattle.

PubMed

Pourazad, P; Khiaosa-Ard, R; Qumar, M; Wetzels, S U; Klevenhusen, F; Metzler-Zebeli, B U; Zebeli, Q

2016-02-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the pattern of concentrate-rich feeding on subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA), its severity, and the corresponding changes in VFA concentration. Eight rumen-cannulated Holstein cows were assigned to a 2 × 2 crossover design with 2 SARA challenge models and 2 experimental runs ( = 8 per treatment). Each run lasted for 40 d, consisting of a 6-d baseline, a 6-d gradual grain adaptation, and a 28-d SARA challenge period. The 2 SARA challenge models were transient (TRA) and persistent (PER) SARA. Initially, all cows were subjected to a forage-only diet (baseline) and gradually switched to 60% concentrate (DM basis). Then, cows in the PER model were continuously challenged for 28 d, whereas cows in the TRA model had a 7-d break from the SARA diet and were fed the forage-only diet after the first 7 d of SARA challenge. Thereafter, the TRA cows were rechallenged with the SARA diet. Wireless ruminal pH sensors were used to obtain ruminal pH profiles and temperature over the experimental period. For the determination of VFA, free ruminal liquid (FRL) and particle-associated ruminal liquid (PARL) were collected once for the baseline and twice (d 20 and 40 for the PER model) or 3 times (d 13, 30, and 40 for the TRA model) during SARA, each time at 0, 4, and 8 h after the morning feeding. Cows in both models experienced SARA albeit with day-to-day variation. From the start until the first 7-d SARA, cows of both models had similar pH profiles, but during the rechallenge, SARA was more severe in the TRA model than in the PER model based on lower daily mean ruminal pH (5.93 vs. 6.15; SEM 0.058) and double the amount of time at pH < 5.8 (497 vs. 278 min; SEM 68.61, < 0.05). Mean ruminal temperature was raised during SARA compared with the baseline (38.9 vs. 38.7°C; SEM 0.057, < 0.001). Concentrations of VFA increased with increasing time after feeding ( < 0.001). In general, SARA challenge (d 40 vs. the baseline), but not the challenge model, altered VFA concentrations and profile of both FRL and PARL by increasing the amounts of propionate and butyrate, whereas total VFA concentration was less affected. Proportions of VFA shifted over the duration of SARA challenge with more propionate but less acetate and butyrate proportions with advancing days of SARA challenge, leading to the values of the last SARA day being different from the earlier days ( < 0.05). In conclusion, the TRA condition led to the higher severity of SARA, but factors beyond feed intake and VFA alterations seemed to play a role.

A field study on the effects of dietary monensin on milk production and milk composition in dairy cows

PubMed Central

Dubuc, Jocelyn; DuTremblay, Denis; Baril, Jean; Bagg, Randy; Brodeur, Marcel; Duffield, Todd; DesCôteaux, Luc

2010-01-01

The objectives of this study were to quantify the effect of 16 ppm of dietary monensin on milk production and composition of dairy cows, and to investigate factors having a potential impact on this effect. Data were generated from a total of 3577 Holstein dairy cows (47 herds) in Quebec enrolled in a herd-level, randomized clinical trial investigating the effects of monensin supplementation. Milk production and composition data were collected from monthly dairy herd improvement (DHI) testing. Monensin increased milk production by 0.9 kg/cow/d in cows under 150 days in milk (DIM) (P < 0.05). Monensin decreased milk fat percentage by 0.18 percentage points during the whole lactation (P < 0.05). This decreasing effect was larger for component-fed cows (P < 0.05) and for cows being fed low levels of dietary physically effective particles (P < 0.05) when compared respectively to cows fed total mixed ration and cows fed high levels of dietary physically effective particles. The results of this study suggest that monensin influences milk production and milk composition of dairy cows, and that diet composition and feeding system influence those effects. PMID:20592825

Effect of increased concentrate allotment before evening grazing on herbage intake, nitrogen utilization and rumen fermentation in dairy cows grazed on perennial ryegrass pasture.

PubMed

Ueda, Koichiro; Mitani, Tomohiro; Kondo, Seiji

2016-10-01

Two experiments were conducted to elucidate the effect of increased concentrate allotment before evening grazing on herbage intake, nitrogen utilization and rumen fermentation in dairy cows. In experiment 1, nine lactating cows were grazed in the morning and evening sessions (2.5 h each). The cows were allocated to treatments of three concentrate allotment levels before the evening grazing session by altering proportions to daily total offered; 25%, 50% and 75%. Daily herbage dry matter intake quadratically decreased with increasing the concentrate allotment levels (P < 0.05). Nitrogen utilization was similar among treatments. To investigate diurnal changes in rumen fermentation, a second experiment was conducted where six ruminally cannulated non-lactating dairy cows grazed in the morning and evening sessions (3 h each) were subjected to the same treatments as experiment 1. Total volatile fatty acid concentration in the rumen linearly increased with increasing the concentrate allotment levels throughout the pre-evening grazing session to the post-morning grazing session (P < 0.01). The results indicate that dairy cows reduce daily herbage intake but do not alter nitrogen utilization with increasing concentrate allotment before evening grazing. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Feeding nitrate and docosahexaenoic acid affects enteric methane production and milk fatty acid composition in lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Klop, G; Hatew, B; Bannink, A; Dijkstra, J

2016-02-01

An experiment was conducted to study potential interaction between the effects of feeding nitrate and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; C22:6 n-3) on enteric CH4 production and performance of lactating dairy cows. Twenty-eight lactating Holstein dairy cows were grouped into 7 blocks of 4 cows. Within blocks, cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: control (CON; urea as alternative nonprotein N source to nitrate), NO3 [21 g of nitrate/kg of dry matter (DM)], DHA (3 g of DHA/kg of DM and urea as alternative nonprotein N source to nitrate), or NO3 + DHA (21 g of nitrate/kg of DM and 3 g of DHA/kg of DM, respectively). Cows were fed a total mixed ration consisting of 21% grass silage, 49% corn silage, and 30% concentrates on a DM basis. Feed additives were included in the concentrates. Cows assigned to a treatment including nitrate were gradually adapted to the treatment dose of nitrate over a period of 21 d during which no DHA was fed. The experimental period lasted 17 d, and CH4 production was measured during the last 5d in climate respiration chambers. Cows produced on average 363, 263, 369, and 298 g of CH4/d on CON, NO3, DHA, and NO3 + DHA treatments, respectively, and a tendency for a nitrate × DHA interaction effect was found where the CH4-mitigating effect of nitrate decreased when combined with DHA. This tendency was not obtained for CH4 production relative to dry matter intake (DMI) or to fat- and protein corrected milk (FPCM). The NO3 treatment decreased CH4 production irrespective of the unit in which it was expressed, whereas DHA did not affect CH4 production per kilogram of DMI, but resulted in a higher CH4 production per kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) production. The FPCM production (27.9, 24.7, 24.2, and 23. 8 kg/d for CON, NO3, DHA, and NO3 + DHA, respectively) was lower for DHA-fed cows because of decreased milk fat concentration. The proportion of saturated fatty acids in milk fat was decreased by DHA, and the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids was increased by both nitrate and DHA. Milk protein concentration was lower for nitrate-fed cows. In conclusion, nitrate but not DHA decreased enteric CH4 production and no interaction effects were found on CH4 production per kilogram of DMI or per kilogram of FPCM. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrated crop/livestock systems reduce late-fall livestock feeding costs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Feed costs during the late-fall and winter periods represent the greatest cost to cow-calf production in the northern Great Plains. Integration of crop and livestock enterprises may improve sustainability through synergisms among enterprises reducing waste and improving productivity, and providing b...

Effects of supplements of folic acid, vitamin B12, and rumen-protected methionine on whole body metabolism of methionine and glucose in lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Preynat, A; Lapierre, H; Thivierge, M C; Palin, M F; Matte, J J; Desrochers, A; Girard, C L

2009-02-01

The present experiment was undertaken to determine the effects of dietary supplements of rumen-protected methionine and intramuscular injections of folic acid and vitamin B(12), given 3 wk before to 16 wk after calving, on glucose and methionine metabolism of lactating dairy cows. Twenty-four multiparous Holstein cows were assigned to 6 blocks of 4 cows each according to their previous milk production. Within each block, 2 cows were fed a diet estimated to supply methionine as 1.83% metabolizable protein, equivalent to 76% of methionine requirement, whereas the 2 other cows were fed the same diet supplemented daily with 18 g of rumen-protected methionine. Within each diet, the cows were administrated either no vitamin supplement or weekly intramuscular injections of 160 mg of folic acid plus 10 mg of vitamin B(12.) To investigate metabolic changes at 12 wk of lactation, glucose and methionine kinetics were measured by isotope dilution using infusions of 3[U-(13)C]glucose, [(13)C]NaHCO(3) and 3[1-(13)C,(2)H(3)] methionine. Milk and plasma concentrations of folic acid and vitamin B(12) increased with vitamin injections. Supplementary B-vitamins increased milk production from 34.7 to 38.9 +/- 1.0 kg/d and increased milk lactose, protein, and total solids yields. Whole-body glucose flux tended to increase with vitamin supplementation with a similar quantitative magnitude as the milk lactose yield increase. Vitamin supplementation increased methionine utilization for protein synthesis through increased protein turnover when methionine was deficient and through decreased methionine oxidation when rumen-protected methionine was fed. Vitamin supplementation decreased plasma concentrations of homocysteine independently of rumen-protected methionine feeding, although no effect of vitamin supplementation was measured on methionine remethylation, but this could be due to the limitation of the technique used. Therefore, the effects of these B-vitamins on lactation performance were not mainly explained by methionine economy because of a more efficient methylneogenesis but were rather related to increased glucose availability and changes in methionine metabolism.

Comparison of three methods of feeding colostrum to dairy calves.

PubMed

Besser, T E; Gay, C C; Pritchett, L

1991-02-01

Absorption of colostral immunoglobulins by Holstein calves was studied in 3 herds in which 3 methods of colostrum feeding were used. Failure of passive transfer, as determined by calf serum immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) concentration less than 10 mg/ml at 48 hours of age, was diagnosed in 61.4% of calves from a dairy in which calves were nursed by their dams, 19.3% of calves from a dairy using nipple-bottle feeding, and 10.8% of calves from a dairy using tube feeding. The management factor determined to have the greatest influence on the probability of failure of passive transfer in the herds using artificial methods of colostrum feeding (bottle feeding or tube feeding) was the volume of colostrum fed as it affected the amount of IgG1 received by the calf. In dairies that used artificial feeding methods, failure of passive transfer was infrequent in calves fed greater than or equal to 100 g IgG1 in the first colostrum feeding. In the dairy that allowed calves to suckle, prevalence of failure of passive transfer was greater than 50% even among calves nursed by cows with above-average colostral IgG1 concentration. Analysis of the effect of other management factors on calf immunoglobulin absorption revealed small negative effects associated with the use of previously frozen colostrum and the use of colostrum from cows with long nonlactating intervals.

Economic impact of stable flies (Diptera: Muscidae) on dairy and beef cattle production.

PubMed

Taylor, David B; Moon, Roger D; Mark, Darrell R

2012-01-01

Stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), are among the most damaging arthropod pests of cattle worldwide. The last estimate of their economic impact on United States cattle production was published 20 yr ago and placed losses at $608 million. Subsequently, several studies of effects of stable flies on beef cattle weight gain and feed efficiency have been published, and stable flies have become increasingly recognized as pests of cattle on pasture and range. We analyzed published studies and developed yield-loss functions to relate stable fly infestation levels to cattle productivity, and then estimated the economic impact of stable flies on cattle production in the United States. Four industry sectors were considered: dairy, cow-calf, pastured stockers, and feeder cattle. In studies reporting stable fly infestation levels of individual herds, median annual per animal production losses were estimated to be 139 kg of milk for dairy cows, and 6, 26, and 9 kg body weight for preweanling calves, pastured stockers, and feeder cattle, respectively. The 200,000 stable flies emerging from an average sized winter hay feeding site reduce annual milk production of 50 dairy cows by an estimated 890 kg and weight gain of 50 preweanling calves, stockers, or feeder cattle by 58, 680, or 84 kg. In 2009 dollars, the value of these losses would be $254, $132, $1,279, or $154, respectively. Using cattle inventories and average prices for 2005-2009, and median monthly infestation levels, national losses are estimated to be $360 million for dairy cattle, $358 million for cow-calf herds, $1,268 million for pastured cattle, and $226 million for cattle on feed, for a total impact to U.S. cattle industries of $2,211 million per year. Excluded from these estimates are effects of stable flies on feed conversion efficiency, animal breeding success, and effects of infested cattle on pasture and water quality. Additional research on the effects of stable flies on high-production dairy cows and nursing beef calves is needed to increase the reliability of the estimates.

The effects of energy concentration in roughage and allowance of concentrates on performance, health and energy efficiency of pluriparous dairy cows during early lactation.

PubMed

Schmitz, Rolf; Schnabel, Karina; von Soosten, Dirk; Meyer, Ulrich; Spiekers, Hubert; Rehage, Jürgen; Dänicke, Sven

2018-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different energy supplies from roughage and concentrates on performance, health and energy efficiency during early lactation. For this purpose an experiment was conducted containing 64 pluriparous German Holstein cows from 3 weeks prepartum until 16 weeks postpartum. During dry period all cows received an equal dry cow ration. After calving, cows were assigned in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement to one of four groups, receiving either a moderate (MR, 6.0 MJ NE L ) or a high (HR, 6.4 MJ NE L ) energy concentration in roughage and furthermore moderate (MC, 150 g/kg energy-corrected milk (ECM)) or high amounts of concentrates (HC, 250 g/kg ECM) on dry matter (DM) basis, which were allocated from an automatic feeding system. Higher allocation of concentrates resulted in an increase of DM intake at expense of roughage intake. HC cows had a higher milk yield than MC cows, whereas ECM was higher in HR cows due to a decrease of milk fat yield in MR groups. Energy balance and body condition score were elevated in HC cows, but no differences occurred in development of subclinical ketosis. Furthermore, energy efficiency variables were lower in HC groups because the greater energy intake was not associated with a considerable elevation of milk yield. Consistency of faeces did not indicate digestive disorders in any of the treatment groups although the faecal manure score was significantly lower in HR groups. Our results underline the importance of a high energy uptake from roughage, which can contribute to an adequate performance and beneficial efficiency, especially at lower amounts of concentrates in ration. Feeding concentrates on an average amount of 9.4 kg/d compared to 6.4 kg/d on DM basis improved the energy balance in our trial, but without consequences for metabolic blood variables and general health of the cows.

Performance of dairy cows fed conventional sorghum or corn silages compared to brown midrib sorghum silage: a meta-analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A meta-analysis was conducted to compare the effects of feeding dairy cows conventional sorghum (CSS) or corn silages (CCS) vs. brown midrib sorghum silage (BMRSS) on dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, and milk composition. Data from nine published articles (1984-2015) were used to contrast CSS (7...

Increasing the concentration of linolenic acid in diets fed to Jersey cows in late lactation does not affect methane production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Oil and fat products has shown to reduce methane, however, limited research compares different fat sources effects on methane production. A study using 8 multiparous (325 ± 17 DIM) (mean ± SD) lactating dairy cows, was conducted to determine effects of feeding canola/tallow vs. extruded byproduct co...

Effects of feeding different amounts of supplemental glycerol on ruminal environment and digestibility of lactating dairy cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of increasing amounts of dietary glycerol on rumen environment, blood metabolites, and nutrient digestibility. Six rumen cannulated Holstein cows averaging 56 ± 18 DIM and 38.0 ± 8.2 kg/d of milk were used in the study. Experimental design was a replicat...

26 CFR 1.183-1 - Activities not engaged in for profit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 183(c). A sold milk for $1,000 during the year. During the year A paid $300 State taxes on gasoline used to transport the cows, milk, etc., and paid $1,200 for feed for the cows. For the year A also had... paragraph: Income from milk sales $1,000 Gross income from activity 1,000 Less: deductions allowable under...

Dairy Cows Productivity and Socio-Economic Profile of Dairy Smallholder’s Communities in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widyobroto, B. P.; Rochijan; Noviandi, C. T.; Astuti, A.

2018-02-01

The objective of this field questionnaire survey was to describe the dairy cow productivity and socio-economic profile of dairy cattle farmers in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta smallholder farming communities which have been targeted dairy development policy. The study was conducted on 190 Friesian Holstein (FH) cows maintained under smallholder’s management system in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, Indonesia. A total of 83 farmers were randomly selected and interviewed with structured questionnaire to assess the socio-economic dairy farmer and productivity performance of dairy cows. The number of dairy productivity performance within the normal. Shortages as well as high cost of feed, occurrence of disease, scarce information about feeding and high medicament cost were the main constraints which might have contributed considerably to delayed age at first service, late age at first calving, long calving interval, short lactation length and low milk production. Therefore, strategies designed to solve the existing problem should be important by involving all stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of improvement strategiesor dairy development policy was being implemented and necessary respect to environmental factors affecting agricultural activities such as a constraint on land use and access to water resources.

Whole cow's milk in early life.

PubMed

Thorsdottir, Inga; Thorisdottir, Asa V

2011-01-01

Cow's milk is a major food for young children. Whole cow's milk is known to be detrimental to infants, mainly due to its low iron content. The negative association with iron status led to recommending the introduction of formula feeding in infancy during the weaning period or when breastfeeding ceased. More recently, the literature suggests that consuming whole cow's milk in infancy has unfortunate effects on growth, especially weight acceleration and development of overweight in childhood. These issues are discussed in the following chapter. Other suggested reasons for the avoidance of whole cow's milk in infancy are touched upon, such as milk protein allergy and high renal solute load. The hypothesis about early cow's milk introduction in the pathology of certain diseases, mainly through the peptide β-casomorphin-7, is briefly reviewed, showing that there is no clear evidence for the suggested associations. The chapter gives a recent example of introducing formula at 6 months of age instead of whole cow's milk in infants' diet in Iceland. Several aspects of consuming whole cow's milk in infancy can be found in recent reviews. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Intestinal blood loss as an aggravating factor of iron deficiency in infants aged 9 to 12 months fed whole cow's milk.

PubMed

Fernandes, Sandra Maria Rodrigues; de Morais, Mauro Batista; Amancio, Olga Maria Silverio

2008-02-01

To verify the occurrence of occult intestinal blood loss and iron deficiency in infants aged 9 to 12 months. A consecutive sample of 98 infants of the Pediatric Public Health Primary Care Unit in the town of Arapongas, Parana State, Brazil was involved in this cross-sectional study. Dietary history, hemoglobin, serum iron, transferrin saturation, ferritin, and an occult fecal blood loss investigation, by the immune chromatographic method specific for human hemoglobin were performed. Presence of occult intestinal blood occurred in 8/23 of the breast-fed (plus complementary feed) infants and in 30/64 of the infants who were fed with cow's milk (plus complementary feed) (P=0.449). The comparison of body iron indicators in accordance to positive or negative occult fecal blood, did not show any significant difference in the 23 breast-fed infants. Serum ferritin (median=4.2 ng/mL) was significantly lower (P=0.004) in infants who received whole cow's milk and had positive occult fecal blood, than in those infants who received whole cow's milk but were without occult fecal blood (median=12.1 ng/mL). In breast-fed infants with negative occult fecal blood, iron deficiency severity is not greater than in those with positive results. In infants fed whole cow's milk, occult fecal blood loss is an aggravating factor of iron deficiency.

Feeding Moringa oleifera fresh or ensiled to dairy cows--effects on milk yield and milk flavor.

PubMed

Mendieta-Araica, Bryan; Spörndly, Eva; Reyes-Sánchez, Nadir; Spörndly, Rolf

2011-06-01

Moringa oleifera, either fresh or ensiled, was compared with Elephant grass as a main feedstuff for dairy cows. To test the effects feed had on milk yield, milk composition, ration digestibility, and the organoleptic characteristics of milk, six lactating dairy cows were used in a Changeover 3 × 3 Latin Square experiment, replicated twice. With equal intake of metabolizable energy the intake of protein and fiber differed (p < 0.001) between all diets where fresh Moringa had the highest and the Elephant grass diet had the lowest intake. Compared with the control diet, ensiled Moringa had higher digestibility (P < 0.05) of both protein and fiber. With the exception of DM digestibility, no digestibility differences were found between fresh Moringa and Moringa silage treatments. Milk yield did not differ between any of the treatments and averaged 13.7 kg cow day(-1). Milk composition was similar among all treatments. Milk from the fresh Moringa treatment, however, had a grassy flavor and aroma, significantly different from the other two treatments, even though it was normal in color and appearance. No organoleptic differences were found between milk from the control treatment and the Moringa silage treatment. The conclusion is that Moringa silage can be fed to dairy cows in large quantities to produce the same quantity and quality of milk as traditional diets.

Economic values of production and functional traits, including residual feed intake, in Finnish milk production.

PubMed

Hietala, P; Wolfová, M; Wolf, J; Kantanen, J; Juga, J

2014-02-01

Improving the feed efficiency of dairy cattle has a substantial effect on the economic efficiency and on the reduction of harmful environmental effects of dairy production through lower feeding costs and emissions from dairy farming. To assess the economic importance of feed efficiency in the breeding goal for dairy cattle, the economic values for the current breeding goal traits and the additional feed efficiency traits for Finnish Ayrshire cattle under production circumstances in 2011 were determined. The derivation of economic values was based on a bioeconomic model in which the profit of the production system was calculated, using the generated steady state herd structure. Considering beef production from dairy farms, 2 marketing strategies for surplus calves were investigated: (A) surplus calves were sold at a young age and (B) surplus calves were fattened on dairy farms. Both marketing strategies were unprofitable when subsidies were not included in the revenues. When subsidies were taken into account, a positive profitability was observed in both marketing strategies. The marginal economic values for residual feed intake (RFI) of breeding heifers and cows were -25.5 and -55.8 €/kg of dry matter per day per cow and year, respectively. The marginal economic value for RFI of animals in fattening was -29.5 €/kg of dry matter per day per cow and year. To compare the economic importance among traits, the standardized economic weight of each trait was calculated as the product of the marginal economic value and the genetic standard deviation; the standardized economic weight expressed as a percentage of the sum of all standardized economic weights was called relative economic weight. When not accounting for subsidies, the highest relative economic weight was found for 305-d milk yield (34% in strategy A and 29% in strategy B), which was followed by protein percentage (13% in strategy A and 11% in strategy B). The third most important traits were calving interval (9%) and mature weight of cows (11%) in strategy A and B, respectively. The sums of the relative economic weights over categories for RFI were 6 and 7% in strategy A and B, respectively. Under production conditions in 2011, the relative economic weights for the studied feed efficiency traits were low. However, it is possible that the relative importance of feed efficiency traits in the breeding goal will increase in the future due to increasing requirements to mitigate the environmental impact of milk production. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of feed efficiency within and across lactation in dairy cows and the effect of genetic selection.

PubMed

Hurley, A M; Lopez-Villalobos, N; McParland, S; Lewis, E; Kennedy, E; O'Donovan, M; Burke, J L; Berry, D P

2018-02-01

The objective of the present study was to investigate the phenotypic inter- and intra-relationships within and among alternative feed efficiency metrics across different stages of lactation and parities; the expected effect of genetic selection for feed efficiency on the resulting phenotypic lactation profiles was also quantified. A total of 8,199 net energy intake (NE I ) test-day records from 2,505 lactations on 1,290 cows were used. Derived efficiency traits were either ratio based or residual based; the latter were derived from least squares regression models. Residual energy intake (REI) was defined as NE I minus predicted energy requirements based on lactation performance; residual energy production (REP) was defined as net energy for lactation minus predicted energy requirements based on lactation performance. Energy conversion efficiency was defined as net energy for lactation divided by NE I . Pearson phenotypic correlations among traits were computed across lactation stages and parities, and the significance of the differences was determined using the Fisher r-to-z transformation. Sources of variation in the feed efficiency metrics were investigated using linear mixed models, which included the fixed effects of contemporary group, breed, parity, stage of lactation, and the 2-way interaction of parity by stage of lactation. With the exception of REI, parity was associated with all efficiency and production traits. Stage of lactation, as well as the 2-way interaction of parity by stage of lactation, were associated with all efficiency and production traits. Phenotypic correlations among the efficiency and production traits differed not only by stage of lactation but also by parity. For example, the strong phenotypic correlation between REI and energy balance (EB; 0.89) for cows in parity 3 or greater and early lactation was weaker for parity 1 cows at the same lactation stage (0.81), suggesting primiparous cows use the ingested energy for both milk production and growth. Nonetheless, these strong phenotypic correlations between REI and EB suggested negative REI animals (i.e., more efficient) are also in more negative EB. These correlations were further supported when assessing the effect on phenotypic performance of animals genetically divergent for feed intake and efficiency based on parental average. Animals genetically selected to have lower REI resulted in cows who consumed less NE I but were also in negative EB throughout the entire lactation. Nonetheless, such repercussions of negative EB do not imply that selection for negative REI (as defined here) should not be practiced, but instead should be undertaken within the framework of a balanced breeding objective, which includes traits such as reproduction and health. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of different flooring systems on weight and pressure distribution on claws of dairy cows.

PubMed

Telezhenko, E; Bergsten, C; Magnusson, M; Ventorp, M; Nilsson, C

2008-05-01

Weight and pressure distribution on the claw were studied in Swedish Holsteins housed in different flooring systems. A total of 127 cows housed in different sections of the experimental barn were used. Each section had different flooring in the walking and standing areas. There were rubber mats or abrasive mastic asphalt flooring on the alleys or a low-abrasive slatted concrete floor. Some sections had feed-stalls equipped with rubber mats; other sections did not. The vertical ground reaction force, contact area, and average contact pressure were determined on the left hind foot using the I-Scan system and analyzed with the F-scan system. These determinations were made in each of the following 3 zones of the claw: bulb, wall, and sole. Most of the weight on claws exposed to concrete floors was carried by the bulb (37.4 +/- 3.5 and 18.3 +/- 2.9% of weight exerted on the foot in the lateral and medial claw, respectively) and the wall zone (20.0 +/- 2.6 and 13.4 +/- 2.4% on lateral and medial claw, respectively). The weight and pressure distribution in cows kept on sections with rubber covered alleys but passing daily over the asphalt floor on their way to the milking parlor did not differ in any zones, except for lateral bulbs, compared with those exposed to slatted concrete alone. Still, the weight bearing of the sole zone in cows kept on rubber mats without access to asphalt was less than that of cows kept on concrete slatted floors (5.1 +/- 0.7 vs. 12.7 +/- 1.1% and 1.1 +/- 0.5 vs. 8.7 +/- 0.7% in lateral and medial claws, respectively). In cows kept on asphalt flooring without feed-stalls, most weight was exerted to the sole zone (36.2 +/- 2.9 and 22.2 +/- 1.8% in lateral and medial claws, respectively). Feed-stalls in combination with asphalt flooring yielded a decreased total contact area (30.1 +/- 1.2 cm(2)) compared with asphalt floors without feed-stalls (35.7 +/- 1.2 cm(2)). The largest total contact area was obtained on the asphalt floor without feed-stalls, resulting in a lower contact pressure (39.8 +/- 2.3 N/cm(2)) than in claws exposed to concrete (66.0 +/- 2.7 N/ cm(2)) or rubber mats (56.7 +/- 1.7 N/cm(2)). In conclusion, housing with abrasive floors resulted in claws with increased contact area at the sole surface and therefore, decreased contact pressure, but reduced the weight-bearing role of the strongest part of the claw capsule, the claw wall.

Influence of feeding supplements of almond hulls and ensiled citrus pulp on the milk production, milk composition, and methane emissions of dairy cows.

PubMed

Williams, S R O; Chaves, A V; Deighton, M H; Jacobs, J L; Hannah, M C; Ribaux, B E; Morris, G L; Wales, W J; Moate, P J

2018-03-01

Almond hulls and citrus pulp have been fed to dairy cows with variable responses for milk production, but no information exists on their effect on enteric methane emissions. This experiment examined the effects of dietary supplementation with either almond hulls or ensiled citrus pulp on the milk yield, milk composition, and enteric methane emissions of dairy cows. Thirty-two Holstein dairy cows in mid lactation were offered 1 of 3 diets over a 28-d experiment. Twelve cows received a control (CON) diet, 10 cows a diet containing almond hulls (ALH), and 10 cows a diet containing ensiled citrus pulp (CIT). All cows were offered 6.0 kg of dry matter (DM)/d of crushed corn, 2.0 kg of DM/d of cold-pressed canola, and 0.2 kg of DM/d of a mineral mix. In addition, cows fed the CON diet were offered 14.5 kg of DM/d of alfalfa cubes; cows fed the ALH diet were offered 10.5 kg of DM/d of alfalfa cubes and 4.0 kg of DM/d of almond hulls; and cows on the CIT diet were offered 11.5 kg of DM/d of alfalfa cubes and 3.0 kg of DM/d of ensiled citrus pulp. Milk yield was measured daily and milk composition was measured on 4 d of each week. Individual cow methane emissions were measured by a sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique on d 24 to 28 of the experiment. The mean milk yield of cows fed the CON diet (27.4 kg/d) was greater than the mean milk yield of cows fed the ALH diet (24.6 kg/cow per day), whereas the mean milk yield of cows fed the CIT diet (26.2 kg/cow per day) was not different from the mean milk yield from cows fed the other 2 diets. Dietary treatment did not influence the concentrations of milk fat, protein, and lactose or fat yields, but the mean protein yield from cows fed the CON diet (0.87 kg/d) was greater than that from cows fed the ALH diet (0.78 kg/d) but not different to those fed the CIT diet (0.85 kg/d). In general, we found no differences in the proportion of individual fatty acids in milk. The mean pH of ruminal fluid from cows offered the CON diet was not different to the pH in the ruminal fluids of cows offered the ALH or the CIT diets. The mean methane emissions (g/d) and yields (g/kg of DM intake) were not influenced by dietary treatment. These findings indicate that, although almond hulls and ensiled citrus pulp can be used as a low-cost feed supplement, almond hulls did negatively affect milk production and neither inhibited enteric methane emissions. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cow-specific diet digestibility predictions based on near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy scans of faecal samples.

PubMed

Mehtiö, T; Rinne, M; Nyholm, L; Mäntysaari, P; Sairanen, A; Mäntysaari, E A; Pitkänen, T; Lidauer, M H

2016-04-01

This study was designed to obtain information on prediction of diet digestibility from near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) scans of faecal spot samples from dairy cows at different stages of lactation and to develop a faecal sampling protocol. NIRS was used to predict diet organic matter digestibility (OMD) and indigestible neutral detergent fibre content (iNDF) from faecal samples, and dry matter digestibility (DMD) using iNDF in feed and faecal samples as an internal marker. Acid-insoluble ash (AIA) as an internal digestibility marker was used as a reference method to evaluate the reliability of NIRS predictions. Feed and composite faecal samples were collected from 44 cows at approximately 50, 150 and 250 days in milk (DIM). The estimated standard deviation for cow-specific organic matter digestibility analysed by AIA was 12.3 g/kg, which is small considering that the average was 724 g/kg. The phenotypic correlation between direct faecal OMD prediction by NIRS and OMD by AIA over the lactation was 0.51. The low repeatability and small variability estimates for direct OMD predictions by NIRS were not accurate enough to quantify small differences in OMD between cows. In contrast to OMD, the repeatability estimates for DMD by iNDF and especially for direct faecal iNDF predictions were 0.32 and 0.46, respectively, indicating that developing of NIRS predictions for cow-specific digestibility is possible. A data subset of 20 cows with daily individual faecal samples was used to develop an on-farm sampling protocol. Based on the assessment of correlations between individual sample combinations and composite samples as well as repeatability estimates for individual sample combinations, we found that collecting up to three individual samples yields a representative composite sample. Collection of samples from all the cows of a herd every third month might be a good choice, because it would yield a better accuracy. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The potential of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of milk samples to predict energy intake and efficiency in dairy cows.

PubMed

McParland, S; Berry, D P

2016-05-01

Knowledge of animal-level and herd-level energy intake, energy balance, and feed efficiency affect day-to-day herd management strategies; information on these traits at an individual animal level is also useful in animal breeding programs. A paucity of data (especially at the individual cow level), of feed intake in particular, hinders the inclusion of such attributes in herd management decision-support tools and breeding programs. Dairy producers have access to an individual cow milk sample at least once daily during lactation, and consequently any low-cost phenotyping strategy should consider exploiting measureable properties in this biological sample, reflecting the physiological status and performance of the cow. Infrared spectroscopy is the study of the interaction of an electromagnetic wave with matter and it is used globally to predict milk quality parameters on routinely acquired individual cow milk samples and bulk tank samples. Thus, exploiting infrared spectroscopy in next-generation phenotyping will ensure potentially rapid application globally with a negligible additional implementation cost as the infrastructure already exists. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRS) analysis is already used to predict milk fat and protein concentrations, the ratio of which has been proposed as an indicator of energy balance. Milk FTIRS is also able to predict the concentration of various fatty acids in milk, the composition of which is known to change when body tissue is mobilized; that is, when the cow is in negative energy balance. Energy balance is mathematically very similar to residual energy intake (REI), a suggested measure of feed efficiency. Therefore, the prediction of energy intake, energy balance, and feed efficiency (i.e., REI) from milk FTIRS seems logical. In fact, the accuracy of predicting (i.e., correlation between predicted and actual values; root mean square error in parentheses) energy intake, energy balance, and REI from milk FTIRS in dairy cows was 0.88 (20.0MJ), 0.78 (18.6MJ), and 0.63 (22.0MJ), respectively, based on cross-validation. These studies, however, are limited to results from one research group based on data from 2 contrasting production systems in the United Kingdom and Ireland and would need to be replicated, especially in a range of production systems because the prediction equations are not accurate when the variability used in validation is not represented in the calibration data set. Heritable genetic variation exists for all predicted traits. Phenotypic differences in energy intake also exists among animals stratified based on genetic merit for energy intake predicted from milk FTIRS, substantiating the usefulness of such FTIR-predicted phenotypes not only for day-to-day herd management, but also as part of a breeding strategy to improve cow performance. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of replacing grass silage with forage pearl millet silage on milk yield, nutrient digestion, and ruminal fermentation of lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Brunette, T; Baurhoo, B; Mustafa, A F

2016-01-01

This study investigated the effects of dietary replacement of grass silage (GS) with forage millet silages that were harvested at 2 stages of maturity [i.e., vegetative stage and dough to ripe seed (mature) stage] on milk production, apparent total-tract digestibility, and ruminal fermentation characteristics of dairy cows. Fifteen lactating Holstein cows were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square experiment and fed (ad libitum) a total mixed ration (60:40 forage:concentrate ratio). Dietary treatments included control (GS), vegetative millet silage (EM), and mature millet silage (MM) diets. Experimental silages comprised 24% of dietary dry matter (DM). Soybean meal and slow-release urea were added in millet diets to balance for crude protein (CP). Three additional ruminally fistulated cows were used to determine the effect of treatments on ruminal fermentation and total-tract nutrient utilization. Cows fed the GS diet consumed more DM (22.9 vs. 21.7 ± 1.02 kg/d) and CP (3.3 vs. 3.1 ± 0.19 kg/d), and similar starch (4.9 ± 0.39 kg/d) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF; 8.0 ± 0.27 kg/d) compared with cows fed the MM diet. Replacing the EM diet with the MM diet did not affect DM, NDF, or CP intakes. Cows fed the MM diet produced less milk (26.1 vs. 29.1 ± 0.79 kg/d), energy-corrected milk (28.0 vs.30.5 ± 0.92 kg/d), and 4% fat-corrected milk (26.5 vs. 28.3 ± 0.92 kg/d) yields than cows fed the GS diet. However, cows fed diets with EM and GS produced similar yields of milk, energy-corrected milk, and 4% fat-corrected milk. Feed efficiency (milk yield:DM intake) was greater only for cows fed the GS diet than those fed the MM diet. Milk protein yield and concentration were greater among cows fed the GS diet compared with those fed the EM or MM diets. Milk fat and lactose concentrations were not influenced by diet. However, milk urea N was lower for cows fed the GS diet than for those fed the MM diet. Ruminal NH3-N was greater for cows fed the EM diet than for those fed the GS diet. Total-tract-digestibility of DM (average = 66.1 ± 3.3%), NDF (average = 55.1 ± 2.4%), CP (average = 63.6 ± 4.2%), and gross energy (average = 64.5 ± 2.6%) were not influenced by experimental diets. We concluded that cows fed GS and EM diets had comparable performance, whereas milk yield was significantly reduced with the MM diet, likely because reduced intakes of DM and net energy for lactation. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feedlot performance and carcass characteristics of calves from dams with different levels of winter supplementation developed with or without feed restriction during the postweaning period

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this research was to evaluate the impacts of 2 levels of supplemental feed provided to cows during late gestation and 2 levels of feed provided to their sons during postweaning development on subsequent feedlot performance and carcass characteristics. Bull calves (n = 56) were born ...

Feedlot Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Calves From Dams With Different Levels of Winter Supplementation Developed With or Without Feed Restriction During the Postweaning Period

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Harvested feedstuffs are a major input cost for beef cattle production. The objective of this research was to evaluate the impacts of 2 levels of supplemental feed provided to cows during late gestation and 2 levels of feed provided to their sons during postweaning development on subsequent feedlot ...

Level of maternal winter supplement and feed restriction during postweaning development influence circulating concentrations of IGF-I in heifers during the peripartum and rebreeding period

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Objective of this research was to evaluate effects of 2 levels of supplemental feed provided to cows during late gestation and 2 levels of feed provided to their daughters during postweaning development on circulating concentrations of IGF-I in the daughters before calving, after calving and before ...

Strategies for implementing genomic selection for feed efficiency in dairy cattle breeding schemes.

PubMed

Wallén, S E; Lillehammer, M; Meuwissen, T H E

2017-08-01

Alternative genomic selection and traditional BLUP breeding schemes were compared for the genetic improvement of feed efficiency in simulated Norwegian Red dairy cattle populations. The change in genetic gain over time and achievable selection accuracy were studied for milk yield and residual feed intake, as a measure of feed efficiency. When including feed efficiency in genomic BLUP schemes, it was possible to achieve high selection accuracies for genomic selection, and all genomic BLUP schemes gave better genetic gain for feed efficiency than BLUP using a pedigree relationship matrix. However, introducing a second trait in the breeding goal caused a reduction in the genetic gain for milk yield. When using contracted test herds with genotyped and feed efficiency recorded cows as a reference population, adding an additional 4,000 new heifers per year to the reference population gave accuracies that were comparable to a male reference population that used progeny testing with 250 daughters per sire. When the test herd consisted of 500 or 1,000 cows, lower genetic gain was found than using progeny test records to update the reference population. It was concluded that to improve difficult to record traits, the use of contracted test herds that had additional recording (e.g., measurements required to calculate feed efficiency) is a viable option, possibly through international collaborations. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of a water hyacinth based vermireactor using an epigeic earthworm Eisenia foetida.

PubMed

Gupta, Renuka; Mutiyar, Praveen Kumar; Rawat, Naresh Kumar; Saini, Mahender Singh; Garg, V K

2007-09-01

The aim of this work was to investigate the potential of water hyacinth (WH) spiked with cow dung (CD) into vermicompost. Five vermireactors containing WH and CD in different ratios, were run under laboratory conditions for 147 days. The maximum worm growth was recorded in CD alone. Worms grew and reproduced favourably in 25% WH+75% CD feed mixture. Greater proportion of WH in feed mixture significantly affected the biomass gain, hatchling numbers and numbers of cocoons produced during experiments. In all the vermireactors, there was significant decrease in pH, TOC and C:N ratio, but increase in TKN, TK and TAP at the end. The heavy metals content in the vermicomposts was lower than initial feed mixtures. The results indicated that WH could be potentially useful as raw substrate in vermicomposting if mixed with up to 25% in cow dung (on dry weight basis).

Effects of nitrogen fertilisation rate and maturity of grass silage on methane emission by lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Warner, D; Hatew, B; Podesta, S C; Klop, G; van Gastelen, S; van Laar, H; Dijkstra, J; Bannink, A

2016-01-01

Grass silage is typically fed to dairy cows in temperate regions. However, in vivo information on methane (CH(4)) emission from grass silage of varying quality is limited. We evaluated the effect of two rates of nitrogen (N) fertilisation of grassland (low fertilisation (LF), 65 kg of N/ha; and high fertilisation (HF), 150 kg of N/ha) and of three stages of maturity of grass at cutting: early maturity (EM; 28 days of regrowth), mid maturity (MM; 41 days of regrowth) and late maturity (LM; 62 days of regrowth) on CH(4) production by lactating dairy cows. In a randomised block design, 54 lactating Holstein-Friesian dairy cows (168±11 days in milk; mean±standard error of mean) received grass silage (mainly ryegrass) and compound feed at 80 : 20 on dry matter basis. Cows were adapted to the diet for 12 days and CH(4) production was measured in climate respiration chambers for 5 days. Dry matter intake (DMI; 14.9±0.56 kg/day) decreased with increasing N fertilisation and grass maturity. Production of fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM; 24.0±1.57 kg/day) decreased with advancing grass maturity but was not affected by N fertilisation. Apparent total-tract feed digestibility decreased with advancing grass maturity but was unaffected by N fertilisation except for an increase and decrease in N and fat digestibility with increasing N fertilisation, respectively. Total CH(4) production per cow (347±13.6 g/day) decreased with increasing N fertilisation by 4% and grass maturity by 6%. The smaller CH(4) production with advancing grass maturity was offset by a smaller FPCM and lower feed digestibility. As a result, with advancing grass maturity CH(4) emission intensity increased per units of FPCM (15.0±1.00 g CH(4)/kg) by 31% and digestible organic matter intake (33.1±0.78 g CH(4)/kg) by 15%. In addition, emission intensity increased per units of DMI (23.5±0.43 g CH(4)/kg) by 7% and gross energy intake (7.0±0.14% CH(4)) by 9%, implying an increased loss of dietary energy with advancing grass maturity. Rate of N fertilisation had no effect on CH(4) emissions per units of FPCM, DMI and gross energy intake. These results suggest that despite a lower absolute daily CH(4) production with a higher N fertilisation rate, CH(4) emission intensity remains unchanged. A significant reduction of CH(4) emission intensity can be achieved by feeding dairy cows silage of grass harvested at an earlier stage of maturity.

Modification of the feeding behavior of dairy cows through live yeast supplementation.

PubMed

DeVries, T J; Chevaux, E

2014-10-01

The objective of this study was to determine if the feeding behavior of dairy cows is modified through live yeast supplementation. Twelve lactating Holstein dairy cows (2 primiparous and 10 multiparous) were individually exposed, in a replicated crossover design, to each of 2 treatment diets (over 35-d periods): (1) a control TMR and (2) a control TMR plus 1 × 10(10) cfu/head per day of live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077; Levucell SC20; Lallemand Animal Nutrition, Montreal, QC, Canada). Milk production, feeding, and rumination behavior were electronically monitored for each animal for the last 7 d of each treatment period. Milk samples were collected for the last 6 d of each period for milk component analysis. Dry matter intake (28.3 kg/d), eating time (229.3 min/d), and rate (0.14 kg of dry matter/min) were similar between treatments. With yeast supplementation, meal criteria (minimum intermeal interval) were shorter (20.0 vs. 25.8 min), translating to cows tending to have more meals (9.0 vs. 7.8 meals/d), which tended to be smaller in size (3.4 vs. 3.8 kg/meal). Yeast-supplemented cows also tended to ruminate longer (570.3 vs. 544.9 min/d). Milk yield (45.8 kg/d) and efficiency of production (1.64 kg of milk/kg of dry matter intake) were similar between treatments. A tendency for higher milk fat percent (3.71 vs. 3.55%) and yield (1.70 vs. 1.63 kg/d) was observed when cows were supplemented with yeast. No differences in milk fatty acid composition were observed, with the exception of a tendency for a greater concentration of 18:2 cis-9,cis-12 fatty acid (2.71 vs. 2.48% of total fatty acids) with yeast supplementation. Yeast-supplemented cows had lower mean ruminal temperature (38.4 vs. 38.5 °C) and spent less time with rumen temperature above 39.0 °C (353.1 vs. 366.9 min/d), potentially indicating improved rumen pH conditions. Overall, the results show that live yeast supplementation tended to improve meal patterns and rumination, rumen temperature, and milk fat production. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of feeding dried distillers' grains with solubles on milk yield and milk composition of cows in mid-lactation and digestibility in sheep.

PubMed

Westreicher-Kristen, E; Kaiser, R; Steingass, H; Rodehutscord, M

2014-04-01

We evaluated the effect of three sources of dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS) in diets of mid-lactating dairy cows on milk production and milk composition and on digestibility in sheep. DDGS from wheat, corn and barley (DDGS1 ), wheat and corn (DDGS2 ) and wheat (DDGS3 ) were studied and compared with a rapeseed meal (RSM). RSM and DDGS were characterized through in situ crude protein (CP) degradability. Nutrient digestibility was determined in sheep. Twenty-four multiparous cows were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design with 28-day periods. Treatments included total mixed rations containing as primary protein sources RSM (control), DDGS1 (D1), DDGS2 (D2) or DDGS3 (D3). RSM contained less rapidly degradable CP (fraction a), more potentially degradable CP (fraction b) and more rumen undegradable CP (UDP) than the three DDGS. In vivo digestibility of RSM organic matter was similar to DDGS. Calculated net energy for lactation (NEL ) was lower for RSM (7.4 MJ/kg DM) than for DDGS, which averaged 7.7 MJ/kg DM. Cows' dry matter intake did not differ between diets (21.7 kg/day). Cows fed D1 yielded more milk than those fed D3 (31.7 vs. 30.4 kg/day); no differences were found between control and DDGS diets (31.3 vs. 31.1 kg/day). Energy-corrected milk was similar among diets (31.2 kg/day). Diets affected neither milk fat concentration (4.0%) nor milk fat yield (1.24 kg/day). Milk protein yield of control (1.12 kg/day) was significantly higher than D3 (1.06 kg/day) but not different form D1 and D2 (1.08 kg/day each). Feeding DDGS significantly increased milk lactose concentration (4.91%) in relation to control (4.81%). DDGS can be a suitable feed in relation to RSM and can be fed up to 4 kg dry matter per day in rations of dairy cows in mid-lactation. However, high variation of protein and energy values of DDGS should be considered when included in diets of dairy cows. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Supplementation of herbage-based diets with corn meal or liquid molasses changes the milk fatty acids profile in grazing dairy cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Previous studies showed that feeding carbohydrate sources with different NSC profiles (e.g., starch vs. sucrose) and rates of ruminal degradation altered the milk fatty acids (FA) profile in dairy cows. This study evalu¬ated the impact of corn meal (CM) or liquid molasses (MOL) on the milk FA profil...

Nitrogen use efficiencies to grow, feed, and recycle manure from the major diet components fed to dairy cows in the USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Crops and livestock transform a general range of 20% to 50% of applied N into product N. Most applied N not transformed into agricultural products is lost to the environment. The objective of this study was to quantify soil N input (fertilizer N, biologically fixed-N) incorporation into dairy cow di...

Relative excretion of nitrogen from alfalfa silage, corn silage, corn grain, and soybean meal in urine and feces by lactating dairy cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The main objective of this trial is to determine the partitioning of nitrogen (N) from different feed ingredients in milk, feces, and urine. This abstract focuses on relative excretion of N in feces and urine. Twelve multiparous late-lactation Holstein cows (means±SD; 264±18 days in milk) were fed a...

Effects of continuous infusion of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) into adipose tissue on glucose and fatty acid metabolism in lactating dairy cattle

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Late-lactation Holstein cows (n=9/treatment) were used to evaluate effects of TNF-alpha administration on glucose and fatty acid (FA) metabolism. Cows were blocked by feed intake and milk yield and randomly assigned within block to 1 of 3 treatments: control, TNF-alpha, and pair-fed control. Treatme...

Dietary protein quality and quantity affect lactational responses to corn distillers grains: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Hollmann, M; Allen, M S; Beede, D K

2011-04-01

Diet fermentability influences lactational responses to feeding corn distillers grains (CDG) to dairy cows. However, some measures of diet fermentability are inherently related to the concentration and characteristics of corn-based ingredients in the ration. Corn-based feeds have poor protein quality, unable to meet the essential AA requirements of lactating cows. We conducted a meta-analysis of treatment means (n=44) from the scientific literature to evaluate responses in milk yield (MY) and milk true protein concentration and yield to dietary CDG. The test variable was the difference in response between the CDG diet mean and the control diet mean (0% CDG) within experiment. Fixed variables were CDG concentration of the diet [% of dietary dry matter (DM)] and crude protein (CP) concentration and fractions of CP based on origin (corn-based versus non-corn-based feeds) of control and CDG diets. Diets with CDG ranged from 4 to 42% CDG, DM basis. Non-corn-based dietary CP averaged 6.3±3.32% of total DM. Milk yield and milk true protein yield responses to added CDG were maximized when approximately 8.5% of the total dietary DM was non-corn-based CP. Milk yield response peaked for higher-producing cows (>30.0 kg MY/cow per day) at 4.3% dietary corn-based CP, but decreased linearly for lower-producing cows (<30.0 kg MY/cow per day) as corn-based dietary CP increased. Milk true protein yield response decreased as corn-based dietary CP concentration increased but milk true protein concentration response was not decreased when CDG diets had more than 6.5% dietary non-corn-based CP. Overall, 8.5% dietary non-corn-based CP was necessary in lactation diets to maximize lactational responses to dietary CDG. The necessity of dietary non-corn-based CP to maximize milk and milk protein yields limits the amount of dietary corn-based CP, including that from CDG, which can be included in rations without overfeeding N. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differences in Voluntary Cow Traffic between Holstein and Illawarra Breeds of Dairy Cattle in a Pasture-based Automatic Milking System

PubMed Central

Clark, C. E. F.; Kwinten, N. B. P.; van Gastel, D. A. J. M.; Kerrisk, K. L.; Lyons, N. A.; Garcia, S. C.

2014-01-01

Automatic milking systems (AMS) rely upon voluntary cow traffic (the voluntary movement of cattle around a farm) for milk harvesting and feed consumption. Previous research on conventional milking systems has shown differences between dairy cow breeds for intake and milk production, however, the ability to manipulate voluntary cow traffic and milking frequency on AMS farms through breed selection is unknown. This study investigated the effect of breed (Holstein Friesian versus Illawarra) on voluntary cow traffic as determined by gate passes at the Camden AMS research farm dairy facility. Daily data on days in milk, milk yield, gate passes and milking frequency for 158 Holstein Friesian cows and 24 Illawarra cows were collated by month for the 2007 and 2008 years. Illawarra cows had 9% more gate passes/day than Holstein cows over the duration of the study; however, the milking frequency and milk yield of both breeds were similar. Gate passes were greatest for both breeds in early lactation and in the winter (June to August) and summer (December to February) seasons. These findings highlight an opportunity to translate increased voluntary cow movement associated with breed selection into increased milking frequencies, milk production and overall pasture-based AMS performance. PMID:25049992

Differences in Voluntary Cow Traffic between Holstein and Illawarra Breeds of Dairy Cattle in a Pasture-based Automatic Milking System.

PubMed

Clark, C E F; Kwinten, N B P; van Gastel, D A J M; Kerrisk, K L; Lyons, N A; Garcia, S C

2014-04-01

Automatic milking systems (AMS) rely upon voluntary cow traffic (the voluntary movement of cattle around a farm) for milk harvesting and feed consumption. Previous research on conventional milking systems has shown differences between dairy cow breeds for intake and milk production, however, the ability to manipulate voluntary cow traffic and milking frequency on AMS farms through breed selection is unknown. This study investigated the effect of breed (Holstein Friesian versus Illawarra) on voluntary cow traffic as determined by gate passes at the Camden AMS research farm dairy facility. Daily data on days in milk, milk yield, gate passes and milking frequency for 158 Holstein Friesian cows and 24 Illawarra cows were collated by month for the 2007 and 2008 years. Illawarra cows had 9% more gate passes/day than Holstein cows over the duration of the study; however, the milking frequency and milk yield of both breeds were similar. Gate passes were greatest for both breeds in early lactation and in the winter (June to August) and summer (December to February) seasons. These findings highlight an opportunity to translate increased voluntary cow movement associated with breed selection into increased milking frequencies, milk production and overall pasture-based AMS performance.

Effects of extruding wheat dried distillers grains with solubles with peas or canola meal on ruminal fermentation, microbial protein synthesis, nutrient digestion, and milk production in dairy cows.

PubMed

Claassen, R M; Christensen, D A; Mutsvangwa, T

2016-09-01

Our objective was to examine the effects of feeding coextruded and nonextruded supplements consisting of wheat dried distillers grains with solubles with peas (WDDGS-peas) or canola meal (WDDGS-CM) on ruminal fermentation, omasal flow, and production performance in Holstein cows. Eight cows (4 ruminally cannulated) were used in a replicated 4×4 Latin square with 28-d periods and a 2×2 factorial arrangement of dietary treatments. Dietary treatments were coextruded or nonextruded mixtures of WDDGS-peas and WDDGS-CM that were included in total mixed rations at 15.1% [dry matter (DM) basis]. Diet had no effect on DM intake. Milk yield was greater in cows fed coextruded diets compared with those fed nonextruded diets. Milk fat content was greater in cows fed nonextruded diets compared with those fed coextruded diets, but milk fat yield was greater in cows fed coextruded diets compared with those fed nonextruded diets. Milk yield tended to be greater and milk protein yield was greater in cows fed WDDGS-peas compared with those fed WDDGS-CM. Cows fed nonextruded diets had a greater milk urea-N concentration compared with those fed coextruded diets. Cows fed coextruded diets had greater ruminal digestion of DM and tended to have greater ruminal digestion of organic matter compared with those fed nonextruded diets. Total-tract digestibilities of organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, and starch were greater, whereas that of acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber tended to be greater in cows fed coextruded compared with those fed nonextruded diets. Total-tract digestibility of ether extract was lower whereas that of starch was greater and that of crude protein tended to be greater in cows fed WDDGS-peas compared with those fed WDDGS-CM. Total N excretion and milk N efficiency were unaffected by diet. Ruminal NH3-N concentration tended to be greater in cows fed WDDGS-CM compared with those fed WDDGS-peas. Ruminal propionate concentration was greater whereas plasma urea-N concentration tended to be lower in cows fed coextruded compared with those fed nonextruded diets. Plasma glucose concentration was greater in cows fed diets containing WDDGS-CM compared with those fed diets containing WDDGS-peas, but the difference in plasma glucose concentration between WDDGS-CM and WDDGS-peas was greater in cows fed coextruded diets compared with those fed nonextruded diets. In summary, feeding coextruded compared with nonextruded supplements or WDDGS-peas compared WDDGS-CM increased yields of milk, fat, and protein. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Time budgets of lactating dairy cattle in commercial freestall herds.

PubMed

Gomez, A; Cook, N B

2010-12-01

The aim of this study was to examine the time budgets of 205 lactating dairy cows housed in 16 freestall barns in Wisconsin and to determine the relationships between components of the time budget and herd- and cow-level fixed effects using mixed models. Using continuous video surveillance, time lying in the stall, time standing in the stall, time standing in the alleys (including drinking), time feeding, and time milking (time out of the pen for milking and transit) during a 24-h period were measured for each cow. In addition, the number of lying bouts and the mean duration of each lying bout per 24-h period were determined. Time milking varied between cows from 0.5 to 6.0 h/d, with a mean ± standard deviation of 2.7 ± 1.1h/d. Time milking was influenced significantly by pen stocking density, and time milking negatively affected time feeding, time lying, and time in the alley, but not time standing in the stall. Locomotion score, either directly or through an interaction with stall base type (a rubber crumb-filled mattress, MAT, or sand bedding, SAND), influenced pen activity. Lame cows spent less time feeding, less time in the alleys, and more time standing in the stalls in MAT herds, but not in SAND herds. The effect of lameness on lying time is complex and dependent on the time available for rest and differences in resting behavior observed between cows in MAT and SAND herds. In MAT herds, rest was characterized by a larger number of lying bouts of shorter duration than in SAND herds (mean = 14.4; confidence interval, CI: 12.4 to 16.5 vs. mean = 10.2; CI: 8.2 to 12.2 bouts per d, and mean = 1.0; CI: 0.9 to 1.1 vs. mean = 1.3, CI: 1.2 to 1.4h bout duration for MAT and SAND herds, respectively). Lameness was associated with an increase in time standing in the stall and a reduction in the mean (CI) number of lying bouts per day from 13.2 (CI: 12.3 to 14.1) bouts/d for nonlame cows to 10.9 (CI: 9.30 to 12.8) bouts/d for moderately lame cows, and an overall reduction in lying time in MAT herds compared with SAND herds (11.5; CI: 10.0 to 13.0 vs. 12.7; CI: 11.0 to 14.3h/d, respectively). These results show that time out of the pen milking, stall base type, and lameness significantly affect time budgets of cows housed in freestall facilities. Copyright © 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A mass balance of tri-hexabrominated diphenyl ethers in lactating cows.

PubMed

Kierkegaard, Amelie; De Wit, Cynthia A; Asplund, Lillemor; McLachlan, Michael S; Thomas, Gareth O; Sweetman, Andrew J; Jones, Kevin C

2009-04-01

Beef and dairy products can be important vectors of human exposure to polybrominated diphenylethers (BDEs), and hence an understanding of BDE transfer from feed to cows' milk and tissue is important for BDE exposure assessment The fate of tri- to hexaBDEs in lactating cows exposed to a naturally contaminated diet was studied by analyzing feed, feces, and milk samples from a mass balance study. Tissue distribution was studied in one cowslaughtered afterthe experiment The carryover rates from feed to milk ranged from 0.15 to 0.35 for the major congeners. Lower values were observed for several of the tetrabrominated congeners, and this was attributed to metabolism. The dietary absorption efficiency decreased with increasing octanol-water partition coefficient of the BDE congener. The absorption behavior was consistent with a model based on chemical lipophilicity, but agreed less well with a model based on effective molecular diameter, and it violated Lipinski's "rule of 5". The lipid normalized concentrations were similar in all tissues analyzed including liver and milk, suggesting that tissue distribution is governed by partitioning into lipids. Overall, the behavior of the tri- to hexaBDEs was consistent with that observed for other classes of halogenated aromatic contaminants such as PCBs and PCDD/Fs, but it differed markedly from the behavior of the hepta- decaBDEs.

Milk production and nutrient partitioning as measured by (13)C enrichment of milk components during C3 and C4 plant feeding in purebred Holstein and in Charolais × Holstein F2 crossbred cows.

PubMed

Hillal, Hany; Voigt, Jürgen; Metges, Cornelia C; Hammon, Harald M

2015-01-01

Nutrient partitioning was investigated in cows with different genetic merits for milk production by measuring (13)C/(12)C ratios (reported by delta values δ(13)C) in milk components in response to C3 (grass silage) and C4 diets (corn silage). We hypothesised that changes of δ(13)C in milk differ between Holstein (HOL; high milk production) and Charolais × Holstein cows with medium (CHM) and low (CHL) milk production. Changes of δ(13)C (Δδ(13)C) in milk components were estimated by calculating differences of δ(13)C due to switch from C3 to C4 feeding. After switch to C4 feeding, Δδ(13)C of lactose was greater in HOL than in CHL. Immediate Δδ(13)C of milk fat was the lowest in CHL. The maximal Δδ(13)C of casein was the lowest in HOL. The proportion of carbon in milk derived from diet increased with milk yield, indicating the main impact of the milk production level, but minor impact of breed, on nutrient partitioning towards the mammary gland.

Supplementation with whole cottonseed causes long-term reduction of methane emissions from lactating dairy cows offered a forage and cereal grain diet.

PubMed

Grainger, C; Williams, R; Clarke, T; Wright, A-D G; Eckard, R J

2010-06-01

The objective of our work was to supplement a forage and cereal diet of lactating dairy cows with whole cottonseed (WCS) for 12 wk and to determine whether the expected reduction in CH(4) would persist. A secondary objective was to determine the effect of supplementing the diet with WCS on milk yield and rumen function over the 12-wk feeding period. Fifty lactating cows were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 diets (control or WCS). The 2 separate groups were each offered, on average, 4.2 kg of DM/cow per day of alfalfa hay (a.m.) and 6.6 kg of DM/cow per day of ryegrass silage (p.m.) on the ground in bare paddocks each day for 12 wk. Cows in each group were also individually offered dietary supplements for 12 wk in a feed trough at milking times of 5.4 kg of DM/cow per day of cracked wheat grain and 0.5 kg of DM/cow per day of cottonseed meal (control) or 2.8 kg of DM/cow per day of cracked wheat grain and 2.61 kg of DM/cow per day of WCS. The 2 diets were formulated to be similar in their concentrations of CP and ME, but the WCS diet was designed to have a higher fat concentration. Samples of rumen fluid were collected per fistula from the rumen approximately 4 h after grain feeding in the morning. Samples were taken from 8 cows (4 cows/diet) on 2 consecutive days in wk 2 of the covariate and wk 3, 6, 10, and 12 of treatment and analyzed for volatile fatty acids, ammonia-N, methanogens, and protozoa. The reduction in CH(4) emissions (g/d) because of WCS supplementation increased from 13% in wk 3 to 23% in wk 12 of treatment. Similarly, the reduction in CH(4) emissions (g/kg of DMI) increased from 5.1% in wk 3 to 14.5% in wk 12 of treatment. It was calculated that the average reduction in CH(4) emissions over the 12-wk period was 2.9% less CH(4) per 1% added fat, increasing from 1.5% in wk 3 to 4.4% less CH(4) in wk 12. There was no effect of WCS supplementation on rumen ammonia-N, rumen volatile fatty acids, rumen methanogens, and rumen protozoa. On average over the 12-wk period, supplementation with WCS decreased the yield of milk (10%), fat (11%), protein (14%), lactose (11%), and fat plus protein (12%) and BW gain (31%). The WCS supplementation had no effect on milk fat concentration but resulted in a decrease in concentration of protein (5%) and lactose (11%). The major finding from this study is that addition of WCS to the diet of lactating dairy cows resulted in a persistent reduction in CH(4) emissions (g of CH(4)/kg of DMI) over a 12-wk period and that these reductions in CH(4) are consistent with previous work that has studied the addition of oilseeds to ruminant diets. 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Supplementation of methionine and selection of highly digestible rumen undegradable protein to improve nitrogen efficiency for milk production.

PubMed

Noftsger, S; St-Pierre, N R

2003-03-01

Metabolizable protein (MP) supply and amino acid balance were manipulated through selection of highly digestible rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) sources and methionine (Met) supplementation. Effects on production efficiency and N utilization of lactating dairy cows were determined. Thirty-two multiparous (647 kg) and 28 primiparous (550 kg) Holstein cows were assigned during the fourth week of lactation to one of four dietary treatments. Treatments were 1) 18.3% crude protein (CP) with low estimated intestinal digestibility of RUP (HiCP-LoDRUP), 2) 18.3% CP with high digestibility RUP (HiCP-HiDRUP), 3) 16.9% CP with high digestibility RUP (LoCP-HiDRUP), and 4) 17.0% CP with high digestibility RUP and supplemental Met (LoCP-HiDRUP + Met). Diets were balanced to have equal concentrations of net energy for lactation (NE(L)), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and ash. Milk yields (40.8, 46.2, 42.9, 46.6 kg/d), protein percentages (2.95, 2.98, 2.99, 3.09%), and fat percentages (3.42, 3.64, 3.66, 3.73%) are reported here for HiCP-LoDRUP, HiCP-HiDRUP, LoCP-HiDRUP, and LoCP-HiDRUP + Met, respectively. Milk urea N and BUN decreased when feeding a lower CP diet. Efficiency of use of N for milk protein production was higher when feeding higher digestibility RUP, especially with the LoCP-HiDRUP + Met diet. A digestibility study followed the production trial, with six cows per treatment group continuing on the same treatment for an additional week. The experimental periods were 5 d long, with 1 d of adjustment and 4 d of total collection of urine and feces. Dry matter intake, milk production, milk protein production, and N digestibility were not significantly different among treatments during the collection trial, whereas N intake and N absorbed increased with the higher CP diets. The quantity of N in feces did not change with diet, but quantity of N in urine decreased in the low CP diets. Milk N as a percentage of intake N and milk N as a percentage of N absorbed showed a trend toward increasing as CP concentration in the diet decreased. The supplementation of Met did not improve the efficiency of N utilization during the digestibility study, in contrast to what was estimated during the production trial. Supplementing the highly digestible RUP source with rumen available and rumen escape sources of Met resulted in maximal milk and protein production and maximum N efficiency by cows during the production trial, indicating that postruminal digestibility of RUP and amino acid balance can be more important than total RUP supplementation.

The use of nicotinic acid to induce sustained low plasma nonesterified fatty acids in feed-restricted Holstein cows.

PubMed

Pires, J A A; Grummer, R R

2007-08-01

The objectives were to determine the effects of nicotinic acid (NA) on blood metabolites (experiment 1) and whether successive doses of NA could induce sustained reductions of plasma nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA; experiment 2) in feed-restricted, nonlactating Holstein cows. Experiment 1 was a single 4 x 4 Latin square with 1-wk periods. Each period consisted of 2.5 d of feed restriction to increase plasma NEFA and 4.5 d of ad libitum feeding. Treatments were abomasal administration of 0, 6, 30, or 60 mg of NA/kg of body weight (BW), given as a single bolus 48 h after initiation of feed restriction. Plasma NEFA concentration decreased from 546 microEq/L to 208 +/- 141 microEq/L at 1 h after the infusion of 6 mg of NA/kg of BW, and to less than 100 +/- 148 microEq/L at 3 h after the abomasal infusion of the 2 highest doses of NA. A rebound occurred after the initial decrease of plasma NEFA concentration. The rebound lasted up to 9 h for the 30-mg dose of NA, and up to 6 h for the 6-mg dose. Experiment 2 was a randomized complete block design with 3 treatments and 6 cows. Starting at 48 h of feed restriction, cows received 9 hourly abomasal infusions of 0, 6, or 10 mg of NA/kg of BW. Plasma NEFA concentrations decreased from 553 microEq/L +/- 24 immediately before the initiation of treatments to <100 microEq/L during hourly infusions of 6 or 10 mg of NA/kg. Data suggest that the maximal antilipolytic response was achieved with the lowest dose of NA. A rebound of NEFA started 2 to 3 h after NA infusions were terminated. In both experiments, the NEFA rebound period coincided with increases in insulin and no change or increased glucose concentrations, suggesting a state of insulin resistance induced by elevated NEFA. This model for reducing plasma NEFA concentration by abomasal infusions of NA can be used to study the metabolic ramifications of elevated vs. reduced NEFA concentrations. The data demonstrate potential benefits and pitfalls of using NA to regulate plasma NEFA and prevent lipid-related metabolic disorders.

Palmitic acid feeding increases ceramide supply in association with increased milk yield, circulating nonesterified fatty acids, and adipose tissue responsiveness to a glucose challenge.

PubMed

Rico, J E; Mathews, A T; Lovett, J; Haughey, N J; McFadden, J W

2016-11-01

Reduced insulin action is a key adaptation that facilitates glucose partitioning to the mammary gland for milk synthesis and enhances adipose tissue lipolysis during early lactation. The progressive recovery of insulin sensitivity as cows advance toward late lactation is accompanied by reductions in circulating nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and milk yield. Because palmitic acid can promote insulin resistance in monogastrics through sphingolipid ceramide-dependent mechanisms, palmitic acid (C16:0) feeding may enhance milk production by restoring homeorhetic responses. We hypothesized that feeding C16:0 to mid-lactation cows would enhance ceramide supply and ceramide would be positively associated with milk yield. Twenty multiparous mid-lactation Holstein cows were enrolled in a study consisting of a 5-d covariate, 49-d treatment, and 14-d posttreatment period. All cows were randomly assigned to a sorghum silage-based diet containing no supplemental fat (control; n=10; 138±45 d in milk) or C16:0 at 4% of ration dry matter (PALM; 98% C16:0; n=10; 136±44 d in milk). Blood and milk were collected at routine intervals. Liver and skeletal muscle tissue were biopsied at d 47 of treatment. Intravenous glucose tolerance tests (300mg/kg of body weight) were performed at d -1, 24, and 49 relative to start of treatment. The plasma and tissue concentrations of ceramide and glycosylated ceramide were determined using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Data were analyzed as repeated measures using a mixed model with fixed effects of treatment and time, and milk yield served as a covariate. The PALM treatment increased milk yield, energy-corrected milk, and milk fat yield. The most abundant plasma and tissue sphingolipids detected were C24:0-ceramide, C24:0-monohexosylceramide (GlcCer), and C16:0-lactosylceramide. Plasma concentrations of total ceramide and GlcCer decreased as lactation advanced, and ceramide and GlcCer were elevated in cows fed PALM. Palmitic acid feeding increased hepatic ceramide levels, a response not observed in skeletal muscle tissue. Plasma ceramides (e.g., C24:0-ceramide) were positively correlated with plasma NEFA and milk yield, and positively correlated with NEFA levels following a glucose challenge. Our data demonstrate a remodeled plasma and hepatic sphingolipidome in mid-lactation dairy cows fed PALM. The potential involvement in ceramide in homeorhetic nutrient partitioning to support lactation requires further consideration. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Production systems comparing early weaning to normal weaning with or without creep feeding for beef steers.

PubMed

Myers, S E; Faulkner, D B; Ireland, F A; Berger, L L; Parrett, D F

1999-02-01

A 2-yr study was conducted to determine the effects of three weaning management systems on cow and steer performance. Cow-calf pairs were randomly assigned to one of three treatments, in which the steer calves were 1) early-weaned (yr 1, 177 +/- 9 d; yr 2, 158 +/- 21 d of age) and placed on a finishing diet (EW), 2) supplemented with grain for 55 d on pasture (yr 1, 177 to 231 d; yr 2, 158 to 213 d of age) while nursing their dams and then placed on a finishing diet (NWC), and 3) on pasture for 55 d while nursing their dams (yr 1, 177 to 231 d; yr 2, 158 to 213 d of age) and then placed on a finishing diet (NW). In yr 2, potential breed differences were evaluated using steers of three breed types: 1) Angus x Hereford (BRI); 2) Angus x Simmental (CON); and 3) Angus x Wagyu (WAG). In yr 1, EW steers gained 100% faster (P = .0001) than the average of NWC and NW steers, and NWC steers gained 32% faster (P = .02) than NW steers before weaning. In the feedlot, EW steers had lower intakes (7.70 vs 8.16 kg/d, P = .008) and better feed conversions (.170 vs .153, P = .002) than the average of NWC and NW steers. Marbling score was improved for EW steers compared with the average of NWC and NW steers (P = .003). In yr 2, EW steers had higher gains (P = .0006) during the entire study than the average of NWC and NW steers, and NWC steers had higher gains (P = .003) than NW steers. The EW steers had lower intakes (7.29 vs 7.68 kg/d, P = .0008) and better feed conversions (.160 vs .141, P = .0001) than the average of NWC and NW steers. The CON steers were heavier at slaughter than BRI steers (P = .01), and BRI steers were heavier than WAG steers (P =.0004). Early weaning improved the percentage of steers grading Average Choice or higher by 40%. The percentage of BRI steers grading Choice or greater was 21% higher and percentage of steers grading Average Choice or greater was 33% higher than CON. Cows with EW steers had higher ADG than cows with NW steers (.38 vs -.17 kg/d, P = .0001) before weaning. Cows with EW steers gained in body condition score (.23 vs .00, P = .04), and cows with NW steers did not change. Early weaning improved feed efficiency and quality grades of beef steers.

Stay-green ranking and maturity of corn hybrids: 2. Effects on the performance of lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Arriola, K G; Kim, S C; Staples, C R; Adesogan, A T

2012-02-01

To address producer concerns that feeding high stay-green (SG) corn hybrids is associated with decreased performance and health problems in dairy cows, this study examined how the performance of cows was affected by feeding hybrids with contrasting SG rankings and maturities. Two near-isogenic corn hybrids with high (HSG; Croplan Genetics 691, Croplan Genetics, St. Paul, MN) and low (LSG; Croplan Genetics 737) SG rankings were grown on separate halves of a 10-ha field, harvested at 27% (maturity 1) or 35% (maturity 2) dry matter (DM) and ensiled in bag silos for 84 and 77 d, respectively. A further treatment involved addition of water (15 L/t) to the HSG maturity 1 hybrid during packing to compound the potential negative effects of excess water in the HSG hybrid. Each of the resulting silages was included in a total mixed ration consisting of 35, 55, and 10% (DM basis) of corn silage, concentrate, and alfalfa hay, respectively. In experiment 1, the total mixed ration was fed for ad libitum consumption twice daily to 30 Holstein cows (92±18 d in milk). This experiment had a completely randomized design and consisted of two 28-d periods, each with 14 d for adaptation and 14 d for sample collection. In experiment 2, the ruminal fermentation of the diets was measured using 5 ruminally cannulated cows on the last day of three 15-d periods. Ruminal contraction rate (2.28±0.14 contractions/min), milk yield (36.7±1.3 kg/d), yield of milk protein (1.1±0.03 kg/d), and concentration of milk protein (2.9±0.03%) were not affected by treatment. Feeding diets containing HSG instead of LSG reduced intake of crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber, digestibility of neutral detergent fiber, and concentrations of ruminal total volatile fatty acids (VFA) and milk fat when the hybrids were harvested at 27% DM but not 35% DM. Across maturity stages, feeding diets containing HSG instead of LSG decreased DM and CP digestibility, increased rectal temperature and plasma ceruloplasmin concentration, and increased the efficiency of milk production. Except for increasing yeast and mold counts, adding water to the HSG hybrid harvested at 27% DM did not have adverse effects but was associated with greater starch intake, CP digestibility, and ruminal total VFA concentration, and decreased acetate to propionate ratio in dairy cows. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Localising livestock protein feed production and the impact on land use and greenhouse gas emissions.

PubMed

Sasu-Boakye, Y; Cederberg, C; Wirsenius, S

2014-08-01

Livestock farmers in Sweden usually grow feed grains for livestock but import protein feed from outside Sweden. Aside from the economic implications, some environmental issues are associated with this practice. We used life cycle assessment to evaluate the impact of local protein feed production on land use and greenhouse gas emissions, compared with the use of imported protein feed, for pig meat and dairy milk produced in Sweden. Our results showed that local production reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 4.5% and 12%, respectively, for pigs and dairy cows. Land use for feed production in Sweden increased by 11% for pigs and 25% for dairy cows, but total land use decreased for pig production and increased for dairy milk production. Increased protein feed cultivation in Sweden decreased inputs needed for animal production and improved some ecological processes (e.g. nutrient recycling) of the farm systems. However, the differences in results between scenarios are relatively small and influenced to an extent by methodological choices such as co-product allocation. Moreover, it was difficult to assess the contribution of greenhouse emissions from land use change. The available accounting methods we applied did not adequately account for the potential land use changes and in some cases provided conflicting results. We conclude that local protein feed production presents an opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but at a cost of increasing land occupation in Sweden for feed production.

Effects of Feed Supplementation in Friesien Holstein Crossbreed Cows at the First Quarter on the Production and Quality of Milk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suharyono; Hardani, S. N. W.; Sitoresmi, P. D.; Adiarto

2018-02-01

Nine heads of dairy cows were used in the study. The dairy cows were in 7-8 months pregnant condition, lactation II and were expected calving soon.The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of feed supplementation to increase the production and quality of milk. The feeding treatment was divided into 3 groups, G1 (control) given the usual feed given by livestock owners, G11 was given GI+500 g UMMB/h/d and G111 was given GI + 500 g MFS/h/d. Variables observed were feed and nutritional consumption, average milk production, milk quality, cumulative milk production, average 4% fat corrected milk (FCM) production, peak milk production. The experimental design used a completely randomized design of direct pattern, continued by Duncan’s new multiple range test (DMRT) if there were a significant difference of variable values between treatments. The results showed that the addition of dietary supplement significantly affected the mean consumption of crude protein between GIII and G1 and G11, respectively 1.22 kg/d versus 0.99 and 0.33 kg/d. The average milk production was also influenced by the addition of dietary supplement that was between G1; G11 and G111, respectively 9.55; 10.69 and 11.85 l/d. Cumulative milk and 4% FCM production were also significantly different at P <0.05, with value of each G1; G11 and G111 was 954.98; 1068.70 and 1184.57 l; 10.72; 12.06 and 13.70 kg/d respectively. The conclusion was MFS to be able to increase cumulative and 4% FCM milk production.

Transport of iodine and cesium via the grass-cow-milk pathway after the Chernobyl accident

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kirchner, G.

1994-06-01

More than 150 data sets giving time-dependent concentrations of {sup 131}I and {sup 137}Cs in feed and milk of cows after the Chernobyl accident are evaluated using a minimal compartmental modeling approach. Transfer of cesium via the grass-cow-milk pathway is adequately described by a three-compartmental model. No unique model results for {sup 131}I, as a compartment with slow secretion of {sup 131}I into milk, are identified for some datasets only. Frequency distributions of weathering half-lives on grass and of equilibrium feed-to-milk transfer coefficients are approximately lognormal. Mean values of weathering half-lives on plants are 9.1 {plus_minus} 0.6 d for iodinemore » and 11.1 {plus_minus} 0.8 d for cesium, in good agreement with means established from experiments performed before 1986. Mean values of equilibrium feed-to-milk transfer coefficients are 3.4 {plus_minus} 0.4 10{sup {minus}3} d L{sup {minus}1} for {sup 131}I and 5.4 {plus_minus} 0.5 10{sup {minus}3} d L{sup {minus}1} for {sup 137}Cs. Both are lower than means calculated from the pre-Chernobyl data base. Plausible explanations of the differences include (1) reduced availability of fallout compared to soluble tracer; (2) underestimation of post-Chernobyl transfer coefficients by some experiments concluded too early to record slow transport processes; and (3) reduced transfer of {sup 131}I compared to long-lived iodine isotopes due to decay during fixation in the thyroid. Feed-to-milk transfer of {sup 131}I is related to milk yield, but no influence of milk yield and type of feed on transfer is apparent for cesium. 73 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs.« less

Differences in liver functionality indexes in peripartal dairy cows fed rumen-protected methionine or choline are associated with performance, oxidative stress status, and plasma amino acid profiles.

PubMed

Zhou, Z; Trevisi, E; Luchini, D N; Loor, J J

2017-08-01

The liver functionality index (LFI) represents an assessment of transition cow metabolic health by measuring changes in biomarkers associated with liver plasma protein synthesis (albumin), lipoprotein synthesis (cholesterol), and heme catabolism (bilirubin). The present analysis was conducted to determine the role of peripartal rumen-protected Met or choline (CHOL) supplementation on LFI groupings, and to assess relationships with performance, inflammation, oxidative stress status, and plasma AA profiles. A cohort of 40 multiparous Holstein cows that were part of a randomized complete block design with 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of Met (Smartamine M, Adisseo NA, Alpharetta, GA) and CHOL (ReaShure, Balchem Inc., New Hampton, NY) level (with or without) were used. From -21 d to calving, cows received the same close-up diet and were assigned randomly to each treatment. From calving to 30 d, cows were on the same postpartal diet and continued to receive the same treatments until 30 d. Addition of Met was adjusted daily at 0.08% dry matter of diet and CHOL was fed at 60 g/cow per day. Liver (-10, 7, 20, and 30 d) and blood (-10, 4, 8, 20, and 30 d) samples were harvested for biomarker analyses. Cows were ranked retrospectively and assigned to low (LLFI, LFI <0) and high (HLFI, LFI >0) LFI groups regardless of Met or CHOL supplementation. Compared with cows in LLFI, close-up and lactation DMI, milk yield, milk fat yield, and milk protein yield were greater in HLFI cows. As expected, cows in LLFI had lower plasma cholesterol and albumin but greater bilirubin concentrations around parturition. Plasma haptoglobin concentration was also lower in HLFI cows, but plasma paraoxonase and hepatic total and reduced hepatic glutathione concentrations were greater. Although higher concentrations of His, Met, and Trp, as well as a tendency for greater Ile, were observed in HLFI cows, overall essential AA concentrations did not differ with LFI status. In contrast, overall concentrations of nonessential AA were greater in HLFI cows due to greater circulating concentrations of Ala, Asn, Gln, Pro, and Ser. Similarly, overall concentrations of total AA and total sulfur-containing compounds were greater in cows with HLFI. Feeding Met compared with CHOL led to a tendency for more cows classified as HLFI. Overall, results support the broader application of the LFI in the management of transition cows. In that context, the fact that precalving concentrations of compounds such as reduced glutathione, total sulfur-containing compounds, Met, Tau, and homocysteine differed between HLFI and LLFI independent of Met or CHOL feeding also underscores their potential for monitoring cows that might be at a greater risk of developing health problems after calving. Further studies on the applicability of these biomarkers to monitor transition success appears warranted. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feeding dried distillers grains with solubles to lactating beef cows: impact of excess protein and fat on post-weaning progeny growth, glucose tolerance and carcass traits.

PubMed

Shee, C N; Lemenager, R P; Schoonmaker, J P

2018-04-01

Feeding dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), a feed high in fat and protein, to lactating beef cows can alter milk production and composition, resulting in improved pre-weaning growth of progeny. This alteration in milk profile may consequently alter the growth and carcass composition of the offspring after weaning. Therefore, Angus×Simmental steers (n=48) whose dams were fed one of two diets supplemented with either DDGS or soybean meal (CON) from calving to mid-lactation were placed in a feedlot to determine the effects of maternal nutrition during lactation on progeny development and carcass composition. Cow-calf pairs were allotted to two treatments at birth based on cow and calf BW, breed and age. Maternal diets were isocaloric (3.97 MJ/kg NEg) and consisted of rye hay supplemented with DDGS at 1% of BW (19.4% CP; 8.76% fat) or rye hay and corn silage supplemented with CON (11.7% CP; 2.06% fat). After conclusion of the treatments at 129 days postpartum, cow-calf pairs were comingled and managed as one group until weaning at 219 days postpartum. Steers were then transitioned to a common diet composed of 60% DDGS, 34% corn silage and 6% vitamin/mineral supplement and were placed indoors in individual pens with slatted floors. An intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) was performed 134 days after feedlot entry on 16 steers (CON, n=7; DDGS, n=9) to determine the effect of maternal diet on glucose and insulin sensitivity. Steers were slaughtered at a target BW of 645 kg. Categorical and continuous data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX and MIXED procedures of SAS, respectively. Steers from DDGS dams tended to be heavier on day 85 of feedlot finishing (P=0.09) compared with steers from CON dams. However, there were no differences in final weight, average daily gain, dry matter intake or efficiency (gain:feed, P⩾0.18). Maternal treatments did not affect progeny days on feed (P=0.15), despite a mean difference of 9 days in favor of DDGS. Glucose and insulin concentrations and area under the curve of progeny as measured by IVGTT were not affected by maternal diet (P⩾0.16). Maternal DDGS supplementation decreased marbling score (P=0.04), but did not influence carcass grading percentage or any other carcass characteristic (P⩾0.17).

Effect of dietary crude proteins on the reproductive function in the postpartum dairy cow.

PubMed

Benaich, S; Guerouali, A; Belahsen, R; Mokhtar, N; Aguenaou, H

1999-01-01

The study was conducted on 216 dairy cows. Samples of feeds distributed to cows were collected monthly for the purpose of determining their content in dry matter, energy, crude proteins and mineral matter. Milk samples were collected weekly for every cow from newly calved cows until confirmation of pregnancy by rectal palpation at least 2 months after artificial insemination. These samples were used for progesterone assays in skimmed milk, in order to assess the interval between calving and return to ovarian activity [C-ROA], calving and first insemination [C-I1], calving and conception [C-C] and number of inseminations per conception (nI/C). Results have shown a significant negative correlation between the duration of [C-ROA] and [C-C] intervals and the dietary content in crude proteins (r = -0.720, p < 0.05 and r = -0.914, p < 0.01 respectively).

Effect of feeding a corn hybrid selected for leafiness as silage or grain to lactating dairy cattle.

PubMed

Clark, P W; Kelm, S; Endres, M I

2002-03-01

A leafy corn hybrid was compared to a grain corn hybrid as silage and high moisture grain to evaluate dry matter intake, milk yield, and milk composition. Sixteen multiparous Holstein cows averaging 97 DIM were used in a feeding trial based on 4 x 4 Latin squares with 21-d periods. Each of four diets contained (dry basis) 8% chopped hay, 42% corn silage, 11% high moisture corn grain, 10% whole, fuzzy cottonseed, and 29% protein concentrate. One diet used leafy corn as both high moisture grain and silage. A second diet contained grain corn hybrid (control) as both high moisture grain and silage. A third diet contained leafy corn for high moisture grain and control corn for silage and the fourth diet used control corn for high moisture grain and leafy corn for silage. Cows fed diets containing leafy silage produced more milk and milk protein and ate more DM than cows fed control silage. The corn hybrid used for high moisture grain did not influence milk yield or composition. Dry matter intake was greater for cows fed the diet containing both leafy high moisture grain and leafy silage than for cows fed both control high moisture grain and control silage, but milk yield and composition were not different. When fed as silage, the leafy corn hybrid used in this experiment supported greater DMI as well as higher milk and protein yields when compared to the grain corn hybrid.

Prevalence and risk factors of subclinical mastitis in lactating dairy cows in north and south regions of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Sarker, Swapan Chandra; Parvin, Mst Sonia; Rahman, A K M Anisur; Islam, Md Taohidul

2013-06-01

The purpose of the study was to identify the potential risk factors for subclinical mastitis (SCM) in lactating dairy cows in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was carried out on randomly selected 212 smallholder dairy farms of Sadar upazilas of Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Satkhira districts of Bangladesh during January to October 2011. The direct interview using a structured questionnaire and physical examination of the cows were done to collect data on 15 variables. Milk samples collected from study cows were subjected to California Mastitis Test (CMT). The diagnosis of SCM was based on the results of CMT and physical examination of udder and milk. The bivariable followed by multivariable analysis was done using SPSS 17.0. Of the total cows examined, 20.2 % had subclinical mastitis. In bivariable analysis, eight risk factors were identified. However, in the final model of multivariable analysis, four potential risk factors were identified. These were history of previous clinical mastitis (odds ratio (OR) 10.51, p<0.001), pendulous type of udder (OR 2.26, p=0.008), no grass feeding (OR 1.84, p=0.039), and body condition score (BCS) 2.5 or less (OR 7.25, p=0.054). Four different factors were significantly associated with the occurrence of subclinical mastitis, which need to be considered in the control of the disease. However, particular emphasis should be given on grass feeding and BCS because these traits can be modified or improved to allow prevention of SCM.

A modified catheterization procedure to reduce bladder damage when collecting urine samples from Holstein cows.

PubMed

Tamura, Tetsuo; Nakamura, Hiroshi; Sato, Say; Seki, Makoto; Nishiki, Hideto

2014-06-01

This study proposed a modified procedure, using a small balloon catheter (SB catheter, 45 ml), for reducing bladder damage in cows. Holstein cows and the following catheters were prepared: smaller balloon catheter (XSB catheter; 30 ml), SB catheter and standard balloon catheter (NB catheter; 70 ml, as the commonly used, standard size). In experiment 1, each cow was catheterized. The occurrence of catheter-associated hematuria (greater than 50 RBC/HPF) was lower in the SB catheter group (0.0%, n=7) than in the NB catheter group (71.4%, n=7; P<0.05). In experiment 2, general veterinary parameters, urine pH, body temperature and blood values in cows were not affected before or after insertion of SB catheters (n=6). The incidence of urinary tract infection (UTI) was 3.0% per catheterized day (n=22). In experiment 3, feeding profiles, daily excretion of urinary nitrogen (P<0.05) and rate from nitrogen intake in urine (P<0.01), were higher with use of the SB catheter (n=13) than with the use of the vulva urine cup (n=18), indicating that using the SB catheter can provide accurate nutritional data. From this study, we concluded that when using an SB catheter, the following results occur; reduction in bladder damage without any veterinary risks and accuracy in regard to feeding parameters, suggesting this modified procedure using an SB catheter is a useful means of daily urine collection.

A Modified Catheterization Procedure to Reduce Bladder Damage when Collecting Urine Samples from Holstein Cows

PubMed Central

TAMURA, Tetsuo; NAKAMURA, Hiroshi; SATO, Say; SEKI, Makoto; NISHIKI, Hideto

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT This study proposed a modified procedure, using a small balloon catheter (SB catheter, 45 ml), for reducing bladder damage in cows. Holstein cows and the following catheters were prepared: smaller balloon catheter (XSB catheter; 30 ml), SB catheter and standard balloon catheter (NB catheter; 70 ml, as the commonly used, standard size). In experiment 1, each cow was catheterized. The occurrence of catheter-associated hematuria (greater than 50 RBC/HPF) was lower in the SB catheter group (0.0%, n=7) than in the NB catheter group (71.4%, n=7; P<0.05). In experiment 2, general veterinary parameters, urine pH, body temperature and blood values in cows were not affected before or after insertion of SB catheters (n=6). The incidence of urinary tract infection (UTI) was 3.0% per catheterized day (n=22). In experiment 3, feeding profiles, daily excretion of urinary nitrogen (P<0.05) and rate from nitrogen intake in urine (P<0.01), were higher with use of the SB catheter (n=13) than with the use of the vulva urine cup (n=18), indicating that using the SB catheter can provide accurate nutritional data. From this study, we concluded that when using an SB catheter, the following results occur; reduction in bladder damage without any veterinary risks and accuracy in regard to feeding parameters, suggesting this modified procedure using an SB catheter is a useful means of daily urine collection. PMID:24561376

Micronutrient Status and Nutritional Intake in 0- to 2-Year-old Children Consuming a Cows' Milk Exclusion Diet.

PubMed

Kvammen, Janne A; Thomassen, Rut A; Eskerud, Mari B; Rugtveit, Jarle; Henriksen, Christine

2018-05-01

To study micronutrient status and nutritional intake from complementary feeding in children on a cows' milk exclusion (CME) diet. Fifty-seven children with cows' milk allergy, younger than 2 years, were included in a cross-sectional study. Blood was analyzed for micronutrient status. Complementary feeding was defined as all solids and liquids except of breast milk, and assessed by 3-day food diary. The results were analyzed according to 3 feeding patterns: mainly breast-fed (mBF), partially breast-fed, and no breast milk group (nBM). The children had a median age of 9 months and micronutrient status was within normal range for total homocysteine (p-tHcy), s-B12, s-folate, b-Hb, s-ferritin, s-zinc, and s-25(OH)D. There were no significant differences between feedings groups, except for B12-biomarkers. The mBF had higher p-tHcy (P < 0.000) and lower s-B12 (P = 0.002) compared nBM. Vitamin B12 deficiency (p-tHcy >6.5 μmol/L combined with s-B12 <250 pmol/L) was found in 12% of participants, most frequently among the mBF (36%) and none in nBM group (P = 0.009). Vitamin B12 intake from complementary feeding was negatively correlated with p-tHcy (r = -0.479, P = 0.001) and positively with s-B12 (r = 0.410, P = 0.003). Iron deficiency anemia was found in 5%. Iron intake correlated positively with b-Hb (r = 0.324, P = 0.02). Zinc deficiency was found in 7% and low 25(OH)D in 9%. Vitamin D intake was positively correlated with the use of supplements (r = 0.456, P = 0.001). The risk of B12 deficiency was high in mBF infants on CME diet, and complementary feeding was associated with better B12 status. Iron, zinc, and vitamin D deficiencies were present in all feeding groups. Complementary feeding should be introduced at 4 to 6 months of age. Vitamin D supplement is recommended to ensure adequate intake.

Mitigation of methane production from cattle by feeding cashew nut shell liquid.

PubMed

Shinkai, T; Enishi, O; Mitsumori, M; Higuchi, K; Kobayashi, Y; Takenaka, A; Nagashima, K; Mochizuki, M; Kobayashi, Y

2012-09-01

The effects of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) feeding on methane production and rumen fermentation were investigated by repeatedly using 3 Holstein nonlactating cows with rumen fistulas. The cows were fed a concentrate and hay diet (6:4 ratio) for 4 wk (control period) followed by the same diet with a CNSL-containing pellet for the next 3 wk (CNSL period). Two trials were conducted using CNSL pellets blended with only silica (trial 1) or with several other ingredients (trial 2). Each pellet type was fed to cows to allow CNSL intake at 4 g/100 kg of body weight per day. Methane production was measured in a respiration chamber system, and energy balance, nutrient digestibility, and rumen microbial changes were monitored. Methane production per unit of dry matter intake decreased by 38.3 and 19.3% in CNSL feeding trials 1 and 2, respectively. Energy loss as methane emission decreased from 9.7 to 6.1% (trial 1) and from 8.4 to 7.0% (trial 2) with CNSL feeding, whereas the loss to feces (trial 1) and heat production (trial 2) increased. Retained energy did not differ between the control and CNSL periods. Digestibility of dry matter and gross energy decreased with CNSL feeding in trial 1, but did not differ in trial 2. Feeding CNSL caused a decrease in acetate and total short-chain fatty acid levels and an increase in propionate proportion in both trials. Relative copy number of methyl coenzyme-M reductase subunit A gene and its expression decreased with CNSL feeding. The relative abundance of fibrolytic or formate-producing species such as Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, and Treponema bryantii decreased, but species related to propionate production, including Prevotella ruminicolla, Selenomonas ruminantium, Anaerovibrio lipolytica, and Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens, increased. If used in a suitable formulation, CNSL acts as a potent methane-inhibiting and propionate-enhancing agent through the alteration of rumen microbiota without adversely affecting feed digestibility. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors affecting beef cattle producer perspectives on feed efficiency.

PubMed

Wulfhorst, J D; Ahola, J K; Kane, S L; Keenan, L D; Hill, R A

2010-11-01

To establish the basis for implementation of a producer education program, a social assessment of the willingness and barriers to adoption of a measure of feed efficiency in beef cattle [residual feed intake (RFI)] was conducted. A 35-question mailed survey was sent to 1,888 producers acquired from the stratified random sample of the Idaho Cattle Association member list (n = 488), Red Angus Association of America member list (n = 2,208), and Red Angus Association of America bull buyer list (n = 5,325). The adjusted response rate for the survey was 49.9%. Of the survey respondents, 58.7% were commercial cow/calf producers and 41.3% were seedstock producers or operated a combination seedstock/commercial operation. Commercial operations had an average of 223 ± 17 cows and 13 ± 3 bulls, whereas seedstock herds (including combination herds) had slightly fewer cows (206 ± 24) and more bulls (23 ± 6). Both commercial and seedstock operators indicated that calving ease/birth weight was the most important trait used to evaluate genetic merit of breeding bulls. Only 3.8 and 4.8% of commercial and seedstock producers indicated that feed efficiency was the most important characteristic used for bull selection. Binary logistic regression models were used to predict willingness of seedstock producers to begin collecting data for the calculation of RFI on their bulls, or to predict willingness of commercial producers to begin selecting bulls based on RFI data. In response, 49.1% of commercial producers and 43.6% of seedstock producers indicated they were willing to adopt RFI as a measure of feed efficiency. These data indicate that feed efficiency was one of the traits that producers consider important; those who perceive feed efficiency as important tended to be actively involved in data collection on their herds, underpinning the notion that objective assessment was valued and used by some. Additional data collection in a future social assessment will continue to elaborate the proportion of producers who perceive feed efficiency as an increasingly important decision and management tool for beef production.

Modelling the Effect of Diet Composition on Enteric Methane Emissions across Sheep, Beef Cattle and Dairy Cows

PubMed Central

Bell, Matt; Eckard, Richard; Moate, Peter J.; Yan, Tianhai

2016-01-01

Simple Summary Enteric methane emissions produced by ruminant livestock has gained global interest due to methane being a potent greenhouse gas and ruminants being a significant source of emissions. In the absence of measurements, prediction models can facilitate the estimation of enteric methane emissions from ruminant livestock and aid investigation of mitigation options. This study developed a practical method using feed analysis information for predicting enteric methane emissions from sheep, beef cattle and dairy cows fed diets encompassing a wide range of nutrient concentrations. Abstract Enteric methane (CH4) is a by-product from fermentation of feed consumed by ruminants, which represents a nutritional loss and is also considered a contributor to climate change. The aim of this research was to use individual animal data from 17 published experiments that included sheep (n = 288), beef cattle (n = 71) and dairy cows (n = 284) to develop an empirical model to describe enteric CH4 emissions from both cattle and sheep, and then evaluate the model alongside equations from the literature. Data were obtained from studies in the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia, which measured enteric CH4 emissions from individual animals in calorimeters. Animals were either fed solely forage or a mixed ration of forage with a compound feed. The feed intake of sheep was restricted to a maintenance amount of 875 g of DM per day (maintenance level), whereas beef cattle and dairy cows were fed to meet their metabolizable energy (ME) requirement (i.e., production level). A linear mixed model approach was used to develop a multiple linear regression model to predict an individual animal’s CH4 yield (g CH4/kg dry matter intake) from the composition of its diet. The diet components that had significant effects on CH4 yield were digestible organic matter (DOMD), ether extract (EE) (both g/kg DM) and feeding level above maintenance intake: CH4 (g/kg DM intake) = 0.046 (±0.001) × DOMD − 0.113 (±0.023) × EE − 2.47 (±0.29) × (feeding level − 1), with concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) = 0.655 and RMSPE = 14.0%. The predictive ability of the model developed was as reliable as other models assessed from the literature. These components can be used to predict effects of diet composition on enteric CH4 yield from sheep, beef and dairy cattle from feed analysis information. PMID:27618107

The fate and effect of monensin during anaerobic digestion of dairy manure under mesophilic conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

There is growing concern about environmental impact of residual antibiotics and feed additives in the manure of treated animals. Monensin, a polyether ionophore coccidiostat, is the only feed additive permitted for use in the U.S. for lactating dairy cows. Previous research has shown that up to 5...

Estimating the energetic cost of feeding excess dietary nitrogen to dairy cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Feeding N in excess of requirements could require the use of additional energy to synthesize and excrete urea, however, the amount energy required is unclear. Little progress has been made on this topic in recent decades so an extension of work published in 1970 was conducted to quantify the effect ...

Corn stover harvest: Likely effects on soil productivity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Demand for corn stover for cattle feeding is likely to be especially high this year because of poor rainfed corn performance and because drought stressed pastures and rangeland are likely to be slow to recover in 2013 and stover will be needed to feed cows. Corn stover harvest is addressed in more d...

Infant formula promotes bone growth in neonatal piglets by enhancing osteoblastogenesis through bone morphogenic protein signaling

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Relatively few studies have examined the effects of formula feeding relative to breast-feeding on bone in the neonate. Using peripheral quantitative CT scan and histomorphometric analysis, we demonstrated that neonatal piglets fed with soy-based formula (SF) and cow milk-based formula (MF) for 21 or...

Genetic architechture and biological basis for feed efficiency in dairy cattle

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The genetic architecture of residual feed intake (RFI) and related traits was evaluated using a dataset of 2,894 cows. A Bayesian analysis estimated that markers accounted for 14% of the variance in RFI, and that RFI had considerable genetic variation. Effects of marker windows were small, but QTL p...

Use of Onion Extract as a Dairy Cattle Feed Supplement: Monitoring Propyl Propane Thiosulfonate as a Marker of Its Effect on Milk Attributes.

PubMed

Abad, Paloma; Arroyo-Manzanares, Natalia; Gil, Lidia; García-Campaña, Ana M

2017-02-01

Onion extract is used as a feed supplement for the diet of dairy cows, acting as inhibitor of methane production; however, its properties could alter sensory attributes of milk. In this work, we propose a method to evaluate the influence of this extract on milk properties, using propyl propane thiosulfonate (PTSO) as a marker. PTSO is extracted using a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe procedure and monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The method was applied to milk samples obtained from 100 dairy cows fed during 2 months with enriched feed. In addition, a milk tasting panel was established to evaluate the PTSO residue that should not be exceeded to guarantee milk sensory attributes. It was established that a value of PTSO lower than 2 mg kg -1 does not alter milk organoleptic properties. This fact makes onion extract an interesting alternative as a feed supplement to control the methane emissions without any influence on milk attributes.

JPRS Report, East Europe.

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-07

is in imbalance, feed dosages are concept, we were to be producing 1 ton of grain per frequently changed, mastitis follows poor hygiene, etc...required 150 grams)-and in expensive foodstuffs are not produced by agriculture, but this country we produced 3,750 liters of milk per cow by our entire...not even thinking is erroneous, agricultural workers are not to penicillin prolongs the life of milk cows on average to blame for expensive

Effect of feeding long or short wheat hay v. wheat silage in the ration of lactating cows on intake, milk production and digestibility.

PubMed

Shaani, Y; Nikbachat, M; Yosef, E; Ben-Meir, Y; Mizrahi, I; Miron, J

2017-12-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate in lactating cows the effect of either chopping or ensiling of wheat roughage on: intake, digestibility, lactation performance and animal behavior. Three groups of 14 lactating cows each, were fed total mixed rations (TMRs) based on either long wheat hay (HL), short wheat hay (HS) or wheat silage (SI), as the sole roughage source (30% of TMR dry matter (DM)). Parameters examined: sorting behavior, DM intake, milk yield and composition, rumination, recumbence, average daily rumen pH, digesta passage rate, and in-vivo digestibility. Performance data was summarized by day and analyzed using a proc-mixed model. The content of physically effective neutral detergent fiber (peNDF) was similar in the HL and SI and lower in the HS, resulting in similar differences among the three corresponding TMRs. In vitro DM digestibility of wheat silage was higher than that of the two hays (65.6% v. 62.8%) resulting in higher in vitro DM digestibility of the SI-TMR compared with the hay-based TMRs (79.3 v. 77.0%). HS-TMR was better than HL- or SI-TMRs at preventing feed sorting by cows after 12 or 24 h eating of the diets. Cows fed HS-TMR consumed more DM and NDF but less peNDF than the other two groups. Average daily rumen pH was similar in the three groups, but daily rumination time was highest in the cows fed HS-TMR. Rumen retention time was longest in cows fed HL-TMR. DM digestibility in cows fed SI-TMR was higher than that of HS and HL groups (65.2%, 61.8% and 62.4%, respectively), but NDF digestibility was similar in the three treatments. The highest intake of digestible DM was observed in cows fed SI-TMR, HS cows were intermediate and HL cows were the lowest. Consequently, cows fed SI-TMR had higher yields of milk, 4% fat corrected milk and energy-corrected milk (47.1, 42.9 and 43.2 kg/day, respectively) than cows fed HS-TMR (45.7, 41.0 and 41.0 kg/day, respectively) or HL-TMR (44.1, 40.3 and 40.3 kg/day, respectively). Net energy production (NEL+M+gain) per kg DM intake was highest in the SI-TMR, lowest in the HS-TMR and intermediate in the HL-TMR (1.52, 1.40 and 1.45, respectively). Animal welfare, as expressed in daily recumbence time and BW gain was similar in the SI and HS groups and higher than the HL cows.