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High-energy forage feeding diets and body condition on the finishing of cull dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2012

T. Moreno ,
A. Botana ,
E. Bispo ,
L. González ,
C. García  and
J. Mesas
T. Moreno*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Centro de Investigaciones Agrarias de Mabegondo (INGACAL), Apdo 10, 15080 A Coruña, Spain
A. Botana
Affiliation:
Unidad de Tecnología de Alimentos, Departamento de Química Analítica, Nutrición and Bromatología, Facultad of Veterinaria, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain
E. Bispo
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Centro de Investigaciones Agrarias de Mabegondo (INGACAL), Apdo 10, 15080 A Coruña, Spain
L. González
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Centro de Investigaciones Agrarias de Mabegondo (INGACAL), Apdo 10, 15080 A Coruña, Spain
C. García
Affiliation:
Centro Tecnológico de la Carne de Galicia, Rúa Galicia n°4, Parque Tecnológico de Galicia, San Cibrán das Viñas, 32900 Ourense, Spain
J. Mesas
Affiliation:
Unidad de Tecnología de Alimentos, Departamento de Química Analítica, Nutrición and Bromatología, Facultad of Veterinaria, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain
*
†E-mail: teresamoreno@ciam.es
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Abstract

Combinations of two high-energy forage finishing diets and two initial body condition scores (BCSs) in a 2 × 2 factorial experimental design were evaluated on cull Holstein–Friesian (HF) cows to improve animal performance and carcass characteristics, aimed at achieving proper fatness and conformation scores (a minimum of ‘4’ and ‘O’, respectively) required for the marketing of high-value loin steaks. The two finishing diets were (i) conventional maize silage complemented with concentrate diet and (ii) wet maize ear silage (pastone) complemented with dry-herbage diet. The two initial body condition levels were (i) low BCS < 5 (LBCS) and (ii) high BCS > 5 (HBCS). The HBCS animals had the greatest potential to respond to the finishing diets. They needed a smaller total feed intake (TFI) and a shorter finishing period (FP) to meet the marketing requirements. The average feed budgets necessary to finish cull dairy cows and to achieve the minimum scores ‘4’ and ‘O’ of carcass classification were 2.31 and 3.61 t of dry matter (DM)/cow for HBCS and LBCS animals, respectively, while the FP lasted an average of 143 and 224 days for HBCS and LBCS animals, respectively. With regard to the two feeding diets, we found no differences for TFI, carcass characteristics and loin muscle features, such as weight, diameter and intramuscular fat.

Keywords

animal performancecarcass characteristicscull dairy cowsfinishing feeding
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 6 , Issue 10 , October 2012 , pp. 1634 - 1641
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2012

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