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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 ,
Katharina Dorn ,
Johanna K. Probst ,
Anne Isensee ,
Nick Ackermann ,
Anton Kuhn  and
Anet Spengler Neff
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
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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.

Keywords

Feeding systemfeeding sequenceforageprotein efficiencyfeed conversion
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 82 , Issue 3 , August 2015 , pp. 272 - 278
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 2015 

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