Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-12T23:20:28.241Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Concentrate reduction and sequential roughage offer to dairy cows: effects on milk protein yield, protein efficiency and milk quality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2015

Florian Leiber*
Affiliation:
Departement of Livestock Science, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 113, CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland
Katharina Dorn
Affiliation:
Departement of Livestock Science, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 113, CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland
Johanna K. Probst
Affiliation:
Departement of Livestock Science, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 113, CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland
Anne Isensee
Affiliation:
Departement of Livestock Science, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 113, CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland
Nick Ackermann
Affiliation:
Departement of Livestock Science, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 113, CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland
Anton Kuhn
Affiliation:
Departement of Livestock Science, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 113, CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland
Anet Spengler Neff
Affiliation:
Departement of Livestock Science, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 113, CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland
*
*For correspondence; e-mail: florian.leiber@fibl.org

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during 6 weeks to evaluate effects of a reduced dietary level of protein-rich concentrates in a moderate dairy production system on cows’ performance, protein efficiency and milk quality including fatty acid profiles. Twenty-three lactating cows (Swiss Fleckvieh) were assigned either to a group receiving on average 2·4 kg/d individually fed concentrates (Prot+, n = 12) or to a group receiving no individually fed concentrates (Prot−, n = 11). All cows had ad-libitum access to a total mixed ration (TMR) mainly based on grass and maize silage, hay and little potatoes and soybean cake. In weeks 4–6 of the experiment, part of the hay was excluded from the TMR, and fed separately in the morning. Individual feed intake and milk yield were recorded during weeks 3 and 6 of the experiment; at the same time feed, faeces and milk samples were collected twice per week for analyses. Data were processed in linear mixed models. Omission of individual concentrates in Prot− was fully compensated by higher roughage intake in terms of dry matter. Crude protein (CP) and net energy intake was almost maintained. Despite a lower apparent CP digestibility in Prot−, the ratio of milk protein to ingested CP was the same in both groups, indicating a higher ruminal utilisation of degraded CP in Prot−. This corresponded with lower milk urea concentrations in Prot−. Milk quality was affected in terms of lower concentrations of linoleic and conjugated linoleic acid in milk fat of Prot−. Concentrations of odd- and branched-chain fatty acids in milk were increased in Prot−. Sequential offer of hay and TMR did not lead to considerable effects in intake, efficiency and milk quality. In conclusion, the results indicate that the efficiency of feed protein utilisation for milk protein is not impaired if concentrates are reduced in a moderate- to low-input dairy production system.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 2015 

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

Agroscope 2013 Fütterungsempfehlungen und Nährwerttabellen für Wiederkäuer. [Feeding recommendations for ruminants] http://www.agroscope.admin.ch/futtermitteldatenbank/04834/index.html Accessed January 15, 2015Google Scholar
Barceló-Coblijn, G & Murphy, EJ 2009 Alpha-linolenic acid and its conversion to longer chain n3 fatty acids: benefits for human health and a role in maintaining tissue n3 fatty acid levels. Progress in Lipid Research 48 355374CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berry, NR, Sutter, F, Bruckmaier, RM, Blum, JW & Kreuzer, M 2001 Limitations of high Alpine grazing conditions for early-lactation cows: effects of energy and protein supplementation. Animal Science 73 149162CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cantalapiedra-Hijar, G, Peyraud, JL, Lemosquet, S, Molina-Alcaide, E, Boudra, H, Nozière, P & Ortigues-Marty, I 2014 Dietary carbohydrate composition modifies the milk N efficiency in late lactation cows fed low crude protein diets. Animal 8 275285CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cassidy, ES, West, PC, Gerber, JS & Foley, JA 2013 Redefining agricultural yields: from tonnes to people nourished per hectare. Environmental Research Letters 8 034015CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clauss, M, Hume, ID & Hummel, J 2010 Evolutionary adaptations of ruminants and their potential relevance for modern production systems. Animal 4 979992CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
CVAS (Cumberland Valley Analytical Services) 2008 Near infrered spectroscopy for forage and feed testing. http://www.foragelab.com/Media/nirs_white_paper.pdf Accessed January 15, 2015Google Scholar
Ertl, P, Knaus, W & Steinwidder, A 2014 Comparison of zero concentrate supplementation with different quantities of concentrates in terms of production, animal health, and profitability of organic dairy farms in Austria. Organic Agriculture 4 233242Google Scholar
Fievez, V, Colman, E, Castro-Montoya, JM, Stefanov, I & Vlaeminck, B 2012 Milk odd- and branched-chain fatty acids as biomarkers of rumen function-An update. Animal Feed Science and Technology 172 5165CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Furger, M, Kunz, P, Schaffner, M, Schwarzenberger, M, Bürgisser, M, Peer, G & Brandenburger, C 2013 Hochleistungskühe füttern: mit oder ohne Kraftfutter? [Feeding high-yielding cows: with or without concentrates?]. ETH-Schriftenreihe zur Tierernährung 36 1125Google Scholar
Gazzarin, C, Frey, HJ, Petermann, R & Höltschi, M 2011 Weide- oder Stallfütterung – was ist wirtschaftlicher? [Pasture feeding or cowshed feeding – which is more economical?]. Agrarforschung Schweiz 2 418423Google Scholar
Gross, J, van Dorland, HA, Bruckmaier, RM & Schwarz, FJ 2011 Performance and metabolic profile of dairy cows during a lactational and deliberately induced negative energy balance with subsequent realimentation. Journal of Dairy Science 94 18201830CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Horn, M, Steinwidder, A, Pfister, R, Gasteiner, J, Vestergaard, M, Larsen, T & Zollitsch, W 2014 Do different cow types respond differently to a reduction of concentrate supplementation in an Alpine low-input dairy system? Livestock Science 170 7283CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ivemeyer, S, Walkenhorst, M, Holinger, M, Maeschli, A, Klocke, P, Spengler Neff, A, Staehli, P, Krieger, M & Notz, C 2014 Changes in herd health, fertility and production under roughage based feeding conditions with reduced concentrate input in Swiss organic dairy herds. Livestock Science 168 159167CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kälber, T, Kreuzer, M & Leiber, F 2012 Silages containing buckwheat and chicory: quality, digestibility and nitrogen utilisation by lactating cows. Archives of Animal Nutrition 66 5065CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Khiaosa-ard, R, Klevenhusen, F, Soliva, CR, Kreuzer, M & Leiber, F 2010 Transfer of linoleic and linolenic acid from feed to milk in cows fed isoenergetic diets differing in proportion and origin of concentrates and roughages. Journal of Dairy Research 77 331336CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knaus, W 2009 Dairy cows trapped between performance demands and adaptability. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 89 11071114CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lascano, GJ & Heinrichs, AJ 2011 Effects of feeding different levels of dietary fiber through the addition of corn stover on nutrient utilization of dairy heifers precision-fed high and low concentrate diets. Journal of Dairy Science 94 30253036CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leiber, F 2014 Resigning protein concentrates in dairy cattle nutrition: a problem or a chance?. Organic Agriculture 4 269273CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lyman, TD, Provenza, FD, Villalba, JJ & Wiedmeier, RD 2011 Cattle preferences differ when endophyte-infected tall fescue, birdsfoot trefoil, and alfalfa are grazed in different sequences. Journal of Animal Science 89 11311137CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Macleod, GK, Colucci, PE, Moore, AD, Grieve, DG & Lewis, N 1994 The effects of feeding frequency of concentrates and feeding sequence of hay on eating behaviour, ruminal environment and milk production in dairy cows. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 74 103113CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nousiainen, J, Shingfield, KJ & Huhtanen, P 2004 Evaluation of milk urea nitrogen as a diagnostic of protein feeding. Journal of Dairy Science 87 386398CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
O'Mara, FP 2012 The role of grasslands in food security and climate change. Annals of Botany 110 12631270CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parker, DS, Lomax, MA, Seal, CJ & Wilton, JC 1995 Metabolic implications of ammonia production in the ruminant. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 54 549563CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pelletier, N & Tyedmers, P 2010 Forecasting potential global environmental costs of livestock production 2000–2050. PNAS 107 1837118374CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Røjen, BA, Lund, P & Kristensen, NB 2008 Urea and short-chain fatty acids metabolism in Holstein cows fed a low-nitrogen grass-based diet. Animal 2 500513CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shingfield, KJ, Bonnet, M & Scollan, ND 2013 Recent developments in altering the fatty acid composition of ruminant-derived foods. Animal 7(s1) 132162CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spek, JW, Dijkstra, J, van Duinkerken, G, Hendriks, WH & Bannink, A 2013 Prediction of urinary nitrogen and urinary urea nitrogen excretion by lactating dairy cattle in northwestern Europe and North America: a meta-analysis. Journal of Dairy Science 96 43104322CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Staerfl, SM, Amelchanka, SL, Kälber, T, Soliva, CR, Kreuzer, M & Zeitz, JO 2012 Effect of feeding dried high-sugar ryegrass (‘AberMagic’) on methane and urinary nitrogen emissions of primiparous cows. Livestock Science 150 293301CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Staerfl, SM, Zeitz, JO, Amelchanka, SL, Kälber, T, Kreuzer, M & Leiber, F 2013 Comparison of the milk fatty acid composition from dairy cows fed high-sugar ryegrass, low-sugar ryegrass, or maize. Dairy Science & Technology 93 201210CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suter, B, Grob, K & Pacciarelli, B 1997 Determination of fat content and fatty acid composition through 1-min transesterification in the food sample; principles. Zeitschrift für Lebensmittel-Untersuchung und -Forschung A 204 252258CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Villalba, JJ, Provenza, FD & Han, G 2004 Experience influences diet mixing by herbivores: implications for plant biochemical diversity. Oikos 107 100109CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Villalba, JJ, Provenza, FD & Manteca, X 2010 Links between ruminants’ food preference and their welfare. Animal 4 12401247CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weiss, WP, Willet, LB, St-Pierre, NR, Borger, DC, McKelvey, TR & Wyatt, DJ 2009 Varying forage type, metabolizable protein concentration, and carbohydrate source affects manure excretion, manure ammonia, and nitrogen metabolism of dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 92 56075619CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Von Witzke, H, Noleppa, S & Zhirkova, I 2011 Fleisch frisst Land. [Meat eats land]. Berlin, Germany: WWF. 73 ppGoogle Scholar
Wilkinson, JM 2011 Re-defining efficiency of feed use by livestock. Animal 5 10141022CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed