Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-v5vhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-20T02:37:59.362Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Complete diets given ad libitum to dairy cows: the effect of straw content and of cubing the diet

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

J. B. Owen ,
E. L. Miller  and
P. S. Bridge
J. B. Owen
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Biology, University of Cambridge
E. L. Miller
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Biology, University of Cambridge
P. S. Bridge
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Twelve Friesian cows were given six complete diets ad libitum in an experiment designed as a double 6 × 6 Latin Square balanoed for residual effects. The main energy components of the diets were rolled barley and 20, 35 or 50% chopped barley straw. The diets were given either as a loose mix or extruded through a fin. die. Dry-matter intake, milk yield and solids not fat % declined while butter fat % increased progressively with increased levels of straw in the complete diets which were fed in the loose form. In comparison with the loose diet containing 20% straw, the corresponding cubed diet was associated with a depression in dry matter intake and a decreased butterfat %. In contrast, the oubed diets containing 35 and 50% straw supported higher dry-matter intakes, higher solids oorrected milk yield but lower butter fat % than the corresponding loose diets. The effect of cubing the 35 and 50% straw diets was to make the voluntary dry-matter intakes and lactational performances comparable to those obtained with the loose mixes containing 20 and 35% straw respectively. In general the voluntary intake data agrees with a previously proposed model. However, the depressed intake obtained with the 20% straw diet in the cubed form would not have been predicted by the model. It is suggested that complete diets could be used in large units to combine the low labour costs of self feeding of dry feed with a high degree of control over nutrient intake and laotational performance.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 77 , Issue 2 , October 1971 , pp. 195 - 202
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1971

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Amir, S., Aitken, J. N. & Kay, M. (1968). Restricted and ad lib. feeding of dairy cows on diets differing in crude fibre and metabolizable energy contents. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 27, 35A–36A.Google Scholar
Association of Offical Agricultural Chemists (1965). Official Methods of Analysis, 10th ed.Washington, D.C.The Association of official Agricultural Chemists.Google Scholar
Balch, C. C., Broster, W. H., Rook, J. A. F. & Tuck, V. J. (1965). The effect on growth rate and on milk yield and composition of finely grinding the hay and cooking (flaking) the maize in mixed diets for growing and for milking heifers. J. Dairy Res. 32, 1–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baldwin, R. L., Lin, H. J., Cheng, W., Cabreba, R. & Ronning, M. (1969). Enzyme and metabolite levels in mammary and abdominal adipose tissue of lactating dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 52, 183–87.Google Scholar
Benson, J. D., Askew, E. W., Emery, R. S. & Thomas, J. W. (1969). Effects of a restricted roughage ration on lipoprotein lipase and glyceride synthetase activities in bovine mammary and adipose tissues. Fedn Proc. Fedn Am. Socs exp. Biol. 28, 623.Google Scholar
Blood, D. C. & Henderson, J. A. (1968). Veterinary Medicine, 3rd ed.London: Baillière, Tindall and Cassell Limited.Google Scholar
Burt, A. W. A. (1957). The influence of level of feeding during lactation upon the yield and composition of milk. Dairy Sci. Abstr. 19, 436–53.Google Scholar
Cochran, W. G. & Cox, G. M. (1957). Experimental Designs, 2nd edn., p. 133. New York: John Wiley and Sons.Google Scholar
Evans, R. E. (1960). Rations for Livestock. Bull. No. 48. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Forbes, T. J., Irwin, J. H. D. & Raven, A. M. (1969). The use of coarsely chopped barley straw in high concentrate diets for beef cattle. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 73, 347–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Forbes, T. J., Raven, A. M. & Irwin, J. H. D. (1969). The use of coarsely milled barley straw in finishing diets for young beef cattle. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 73, 365–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hope, H. (1969). Mobile mixer project off to a good start. Fmrs' Wkly 71, (10) ix, xii.Google Scholar
Kay, M., Aitken, J. N. & McKiddie, G. (1967). Further studies on pelleted diets for lactating dairy cows. Anim. Prod. 9, 266.Google Scholar
Kay, M., Macdearmid, A. & Massie, R. (1970). Intensive beef production. II. Replacement of cereals with ground straw. Anim. Prod. 12, 419–24.Google Scholar
Montgomery, M. J. & Baumgardt, B. R. (1965). Regulation of food intake in ruminants. 2. Rations varying in energy concentration and physical forms. J. Dairy Sci. 48, 1623–28.Google Scholar
Owen, J. B., Davies, D. A. R. & Ridgman, W. J. (1969). The control of voluntary intake in ruminants. Anim. Prod. 11, 511–20.Google Scholar
Owen, J. B., Miller, E. L. & Bridge, P. S. (1968). A study of voluntary intake of food and water and the lactational performance of cows given diets of varying roughage content ad libitum. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 70, 223–35.Google Scholar
Owen, J. B., Miller, E. L. & Bridge, P. S. (1969). Complete diets given ad libitumto dairy cows – the effect of the level of inclusion of milled straw. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 72, 351–57.Google Scholar
Raven, A. M., Forbes, T. J. & Irwin, J. H. D. (1969). The utilization by beef cattle of concentrate diets containing different levels of milled barley straw and of protein. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 73, 355–63.Google Scholar
Satter, L. D. & Bringe, A. N. (1969). Effect of abrupt ration changes on milk and blood components. J. Dairy Sci. 52, 1776–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swan, H. & Lamming, G. E. (1970). Studies on the nutrition of ruminants. 5. The effect of diets containing up to 70% ground barley straw on the live-weight gain and carcass composition of yearling Friesian cattle. Anim. Prod. 12, 63–70.Google Scholar
Rook, J. A. F. (1961). Variation in the chemical composition of the milk of the cow. Dairy Sci. Abstr. 23, 251–58, 303–8.Google Scholar
Tyrell, H. F. & Reid, J. T. (1965). Prediction of energy value of cow's milk. J. Dairy Sci. 48, 1215–23.Google Scholar