Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T11:57:20.242Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An examination of the effect of method and level of concentrate feeding on milk production in dairy cows offered a grass silage-based diet

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

K. W. Agnew ,
C. S. Mayne  and
J. G. Doherty
K. W. Agnew
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR
C. S. Mayne
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR
J. G. Doherty
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR
Get access

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to examine the effect of method and level of concentrate feeding on milk production characteristics in dairy cows offered a grass silage-based diet. Twelve treatments were used with 24 Holstein/Friesian dairy cows in a four-period change-over design experiment. Treatments consisted of three methods of concentrate feeding (twice daily, four times daily or complete diet) and four levels of concentrate feeding (2, 4, 6 or 8 kg/day). Offering a complete diet significantly reduced silage substitution rate (0·28 kg silage dry matter (DM) per kg concentrate DM) compared with concentrates offered twice daily (0·50 kg silage DM per kg concentrate DM; P < 0·01). Method of concentrate feeding had no significant effect on milk yield or milk fat concentration (P > 0·05), although the response in milk protein concentration to increased concentrate food level was significantly greater with twice and four times daily concentrate feeding than with complete diet feeding (0·59, 0·56 and 0·44 g/kg per kg increase in concentrate food level; P < 0·05). Increasing concentrate inclusion level significantly reduced silage DM intake (P < 0·001) but significantly increased (P < 0·001) total DM intake. Milk yield and milk protein concentration were significantly increased (P < 0·001) and milk fat concentration significantly reduced (P < 0·02) with increasing concentrate inclusion level. Total ration apparent digestibility coefficients were unaffected (P > 0·05) by either method of feeding or concentrate inclusion level. However, modified acid-detergent fibre apparent digestibility decreased significantly with increasing concentrate inclusion (P < 0·01). Results suggested that offering complete diets, with concentrates comprising on average 0·33 of total DM intake, increased both silage and total DM intake although this was not reflected in either increased milk yield or improvements in milk composition.

Keywords

concentratesdairy cowsfeeding frequencymilk production
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 63 , Issue 1 , August 1996 , pp. 21 - 31
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1996

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

British Standards Institution. 1980. Methods for analysis of fats and fatty oils. British standard no. 648.Google Scholar
Broster, W. H., Sutton, J. D. and Bines, J. A. 1979. Concentrate: forage ratios for high yielding dairy cows. In Recent advances in animal nutrition — 1978 (ed. Haresign, W., Lewis, D.), pp. 99–126. Butterworths, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cassel, E. K., Merrill, W. G., Milligan, R. A. and Guest, R. W. 1984. Evaluation of systems for feeding supplemental concentrate to cows in groups. Journal of Dairy Science 67: 560–568.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cecava, M. J., Merchen, N. R., Berger, L. L. and Nelson, D. R. 1990. Effect of energy level and feeding frequency on site of digestion and postruminal nutrient flows in steers. Journal of Dairy Science 73: 2470–2479.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clancy, M. J. and Wilson, R. K. 1966. Development and application of a new chemical method for predicting the digestibility and intake of herbage samples. Proceedings the tenth international grassland congress, Helsinki, pp. 445–452.Google Scholar
Gaynor, P. J., Dowlen, H. H., Miller, J. K., Mueller, F. J. and Ramsey, N. 1989. Response of lactating Jersey cows fed concentrate twice daily by computer or in a total mixed ration. Journal of Dairy Science 72: 1519–1527.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gibson, J. P. 1984. The effects of frequency of feeding on milk production of dairy cattle: an analysis of published results. Animal Production 38: 181–189.Google Scholar
Goetsch, A. L. and Galyean, M. L. 1983. Influence of feeding frequency on passage of fluid and particulate markers in steers fed a concentrate diet. Canadian Journal Animal Science 63: 727–730.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gordon, F. J., Patterson, D. C., Yan, T., Porter, M. G., Mayne, C. S. and Unsworth, E. F. 1996. The influence of genetic index for milk production on the response to complete diet feeding and the utilisation of energy and nitrogen. Animal Science 61: 199–210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gordon, F. J., Porter, M. G., Mayne, C. S., Unsworth, E. F. and Kilpatrick, D. J. 1995. Effect of forage digestibility and type of concentrate on nutrient utilization by lactating dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Research 62: 15–27.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Greenhalgh, J. F. D., Reid, G. W. and Sarmiento, E. A. 1979. The utilization by dairy cows of rations given as complete diets or separate feeds. Proceedings of the 30th annual meeting of the European Association for Animal Production, Harrogate, pp. 1–4.Google Scholar
Istasse, L., Reid, G. W., Tait, C. A. G. and Ørskov, E. R. 1986. Concentrates for dairy cows: effects of feeding method, proportion in the diet and type. Animal Feed Science and Technology 15: 167–182.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaufmann, W. 1976. Influence of the composition of the ration and the frequency of feeding on pH regulation in the rumen and on feed intake in ruminants. Livestock Production Science 3: 103–114.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lawes Agricultural Trust. 1990. Genstat 5 reference manual. Rothamsted Experimental Station, Rothamsted.Google Scholar
Malestein, A., Van't Klooster, T. H., Counotte, G. H. M. and Prins, R. A. 1981. Concentrate feeding and ruminal fermentation. I. Influence of frequency of feeding concentrates on rumen acid composition, feed intake and milk composition. Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 29: 239–248.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayne, C. S. 1993. The effect of fine grinding or sodium hydroxide treatment of wheat offered as part of a concentrate supplement on the performance of lactating dairy cows. Animal Production 56: 424–425 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Mayne, C. S. and Gordon, F. J. 1984. The effect of type of concentrate and level of concentrate feeding on milk production. Animal Production 39: 65–76.Google Scholar
Mayne, C. S. and Gordon, F. J. 1985. The effect of concentrate-to-forage ratio on the milk yield response to supplementary protein. Animal Production 41: 269–279.Google Scholar
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland. 1975. Energy allowances and feeding systems for ruminants. Technical bulletin no. 33. HMSO, London.Google Scholar
Nocek, J. E., Steele, R. L. and Braund, D. G. 1986. Performance of dairy cows fed forage and grain separately versus a total mixed ration. Journal of Dairy Science 69: 2140–2147.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Phipps, R. H., Bines, J. A., Fulford, R. J. and Weller, R. F. 1984. Complete diets for dairy cows: a comparison between complete diets and separate ingredients. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 103: 171–180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poole, D. A. 1986. Food intake, milk production and body-weight change of milking cows given complete diets to appetite. Animal Production 42: 305–313.Google Scholar
Raun, N. S. and Burroughs, W. 1962. Suction strainer technique in obtaining rumen fluid samples from intact lambs. Journal of Animal Science 21: 454–457.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, P. H. and Sniffen, C. J. 1985. Forestomach and whole tract digestibility for lactating dairy cows as influenced by feeding frequency. Journal of Dairy Science 68: 857–867.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rooke, J. A., Brett, P. A., Overend, M. A. and Armstrong, D. G. 1985. The energetic efficiency of rumen microbial protein synthesis in cattle given silage-based diets. Animal Feed Science and Technology 13: 255–267.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, N. E., Ufford, G. R., Coppock, C. E. and Merrill, W. G. 1978. Complete rations-group feeding systems for dry and lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 61: 585–591.Google Scholar
Sutton, J. D. 1981. Concentrate feeding and milk composition. In Recent advances in animal nutrition-1981 (ed Haresign, W.), pp. 35–48. Butterworths, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sutton, J. D., Broster, W. H., Napper, D. J. and Siviter, J. W. 1985. Feeding frequency for lactating cows: effects on digestion, milk production and energy utilization. British Journal of Nutrition 53: 117–130.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thomas, C. 1980. Conserved forages. In Feeding strategies for dairy cows (ed. Johnson, C. L., Tayler, J. C.), pp. 8.1–8.14. Agricultural Research Council, London.Google Scholar
Thomas, C. 1984. Milk compositional quality and the role of forages. In Milk compositional quality and its importance in future markets (ed. Castle, M. E., Gunn, R. G.), Occasional publication, British Society of Animal Production no. 9, pp. 69–76.Google Scholar
Thomas, P. C. and Chamberlain, D. G. 1982. The utilisation of silage nitrogen. In Forage protein conservation and utilisation (ed. Griffiths, T. W., Maguire, M. F.), pp. 121–144. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels.Google Scholar
Thomas, P.C., Kelly, N.C., Chamberlain, D. G. and Wait, M. K. 1980. The nutritive value of silages. Digestion of organic matter, gross energy and carbohydrate constituents in the rumen and intestines of sheep receiving diets of grass silage or grass silage and barley. British Journal of Nutrition 43: 481–489.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Soest, P. J. 1976. Laboratory methods for evaluating the energy value of feedstuffs. In Feed energy sources for livestock (ed. Swan, H., Lewis, D.), pp. 83–94. Butterworths, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar