ANSC 460.3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Delaval, Ad Libitum, Mammary Gland
27 Jun 2018
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Feeding systems for Dairy Cows
Goals of feeding systems for dairy cows:
-Provide proper amount & balance of nutrients to all cows
oOptimize rumen fermentation and health
oSteady supply of nutrients to microbes and tissues
-Maximize DMI
-Achieve high milk production and enhance milk composition
-Maintain cow health and reproduction
-Maximize profitability
Keys to a successful dairy feeding program
-Properly- formulated rations
-Mixing and feeding accurate amounts of ration
-Skilled and conscientious workers
-Equipment in good and working order
-High quality feeds
-Good record keeping
-Good communication between dairy manager, technical consultant and dairy workers
Most of the time in the day the cow is resting (13-15 hours)
- increase intake after milking and feeding
o these are the biggest stimulus for intake of feed
-typically, after milking fresh feed is made available to the cows
- feeding more times a day causes more intake but this is limited by the amount of labor required
for this
- pushing up of feed stimulates intake but it is not as large of a response as fresh feed or milking
o even thought big stimulus it is important to make feed more assessable to the cow
Feeding behavior of dairy cattle:
-feed 10-13 meals/d when fed ad libitum or free choice
oaverage meal duration is 20-30 mins
-provides relatively constant supply of nutrients
orumen microbes
otissues (mammary gland)
-aim is to provide a nutritionally-balanced diet 24/7
-total mixed ration offers best opportunity
feeding forage & concentrate separately:
-computer- controlled feeding station
oallows to give different amounts of concentrate to different cows
-controls concentrate intake
-feed box, feeding stall, electronic devices for cow identification
-one computer can control numerous feeding stations
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Provide proper amount & balance of nutrients to all cows: optimize rumen fermentation and health, steady supply of nutrients to microbes and tissues. Achieve high milk production and enhance milk composition. Mixing and feeding accurate amounts of ration. Good communication between dairy manager, technical consultant and dairy workers. Delaval feed stations program individual feeding plan for each cow based on milk production ect. Quantitative bland of all diet ingredients formulated to meet specific nutrient requirements of the cows being fed, mixed thoroughly to prevent separation/sorting, and fed for ad libitum/ free choice intake as a single feed. Forage, grains, byproducts, protein supplements, mineral-vitamin premix, feed additives. Each mouthful of feed is uniformed and nutritionally balanced. Cows eat smaller amounts of balanced diet 24/7: stable rumen environment, constant nutrient supply to microbes and tissues, lower risk of digestive upsets (minimize risk of acidosis, increased feed efficiency, achieve and maintain higher dmi in early lactations.
