Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T06:47:22.822Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The influence of dietary protein intake on milk production and blood composition of high-yielding dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2009

R. J. Treacher
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Council, Institute for Besearch on Animal Diseases, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire, RG16 ONN
W. Little
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Council, Institute for Besearch on Animal Diseases, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire, RG16 ONN
K. A. Collis
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Council, Institute for Besearch on Animal Diseases, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire, RG16 ONN
A. J. Stark
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Council, Institute for Besearch on Animal Diseases, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire, RG16 ONN

Summary

Cows were fed either 75 or 100% of the recommended intake levels for protein and 100% of recommended energy levels (Agricultural Research Council, 1965) from 8 weeks pre-calving until 14 weeks post calving. From 14 weeks post calving and to the end of lactation all the cows received 100% of the recommended protein and energy intakes.

The mean of the 305-d milk yields of the 2 groups was not significantly different and although cows on the lower protein intake produced less lactose during the first 14 weeks of lactation there was no significant difference in total lactose, fat, protein or total solids production between the groups. In both groups blood packed-cell volume, red cell count and haemoglobin decreased during the first 10 weeks of lactation and then began to increase in the high-protein group. The cows receiving the low-protein diet showed a similar increase only when they received the high-protein ration from 14 weeks post calving. The mean interval from calving to conception was 27·5 weeks in the high-protein group and 20 weeks in the low-protein group.

It is concluded that feeding 75% of protein requirements to dairy cows during the first 14 weeks of lactation does not reduce milk yield or quality significantly and probably has no adverse effect on fertility.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 1976

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

REFERENCES

Agricultural Research Council (1965). The Nutrient Requirements of Farm Livestock. No. 2. Ruminants. London: H.M.S.O.Google Scholar
Allen, W. M., Berrett, S. & Patterson, D. S. P. (1967). Journal of Comparative Pathology 77, 71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Armstrong, D. G. (1968). Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 27, 57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baird, G. D. (1969), Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 177, 343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bek, F., Janouskova, J. & Moldan, B. (1974). Atomic Absorption Newsletter 13, 47.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L. (1959). Scientific Principles of Feeding Farm Livestock, p. 21. London: Farmer and Stockbreeder Publications Ltd.Google Scholar
Broster, W. H. (1972). Protein requirements of cows for lactation. Handbuch der Tierernährung 2, 292. Hamburg: Paul Parey.Google Scholar
Broster, W. H. & Bines, J. A. (1974). Proceedings of British Society for Animal Production 3, 59.Google Scholar
Claesson, O. & Hansson, A. (1956). Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica 6, 383.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drori, D. & Folman, Y. (1973). Israeli–Swedish Seminar in Dairy Husbandry, Agricultural College Sweden, Report 26.Google Scholar
Fisher, L. J. & Elliot, J. M. (1966). Journal of Dairy Science 49, 826.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gardner, R. W. & Park, R. L. (1973). Journal of Dairy Science 56, 390.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Glencross, R. G., Munro, I. B., Senior, B. E. & Pope, G. S. (1973). Acta Endocrinologica 73, 374.Google Scholar
Gordon, F. J. & Forbes, T. J. (1970). Journal of Dairy Research 37, 481.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grieve, D. G., Macleod, G. K. & Stone, J. B. (1974). Journal of Dairy Science 57, 633 (Abstract).Google Scholar
Hackley, B. M., Smith, J. C. & Halsted, J. A. (1968). Clinical Chemistry 14, 1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hewett, C. (1974). Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, Supplementum 50.Google Scholar
Kowalczuk, J. (1970). Journal of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists 53, 926.Google Scholar
Kronfeld, D. S., Mayer, G. P., Robertson, J. McD. & Raggi, F. (1963). Journal of Dairy Science 46, 559.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lewis, D. & Annison, E. F. (1974). 8th Nutrition Conference for Feed Manufacturers, p. 27. London: Butterworth.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Linzell, J. L. (1967). Journal of Physiology 190, 347.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Little, W. (1974). Research in Veterinary Science 17, 193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Manston, R., Russell, A. M., Dew, S. M. & Payne, J. M. (1975). Veterinary Record 96, 497.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paquay, R., Godeau, J. M., De Baere, R. & Lousse, A. (1973). Journal of Dairy Research 40, 93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Payne, J. M., Rowlands, G. J., Manston, R. & Dew, S. M. (1973). British Veterinary Journal 129, 370.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Petersen, W. E. & Boyd, W. L. (1937). Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 37, 537.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reynolds, M. (1953). American Journal of Physiology 175, 118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rook, J. A. F. & Line, C. (1962). 16th International Dairy Congress, Copenhagen A, p. 57.Google Scholar
Rook, J. A. F., StorryJ, E. J, E. & Wheelock, J. V. (1965). Journal of Dairy Science 48, 745.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rowlands, G. J., Little, W., Manston, R. & Dew, S. M. (1974). Journal of Agricultural Science 83, 27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sigma Chemical Co. (1970). Technical Bulletin, no. 970.Google Scholar
Sparrow, R. C., Hemken, R. W., Jacobson, D. R., Button, F. S. & Enlow, C. M. (1973). Journal of Dairy Science 56, 664.Google Scholar
Steel, R. G. D. & Torrie, J. H. (1960). Principles and Procedures of Statistics. New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Thomas, J. W. (1971). Journal of Dairy Science 54, 1629.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walsh, J. P. (1969). Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 8, 319.Google Scholar
Whitlock, R. H., Little, W. & Rowlands, G. J. (1974). Research in Veterinary Science 16, 122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood, H. G., Peeters, G. J., Verbeke, R., Lauryssens, M. & Jacobson, B. (1965). Biochemical Journal 96, 607.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodman, H. E. (1957). Bulletin of Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, London, no. 48, 14th edn.Google Scholar
Wright, J. A., Rook, J. A. F. & Wood, P. D. P. (1974), Journal of Dairy Research 41, 155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, D. S. & Hicks, J. M. (1965). Journal of Clinical Pathology 18, 98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zvonkovic, P. J. (1940). Vestn. sel.'-khoz. Nauki Zhivotn. p. 140.Google Scholar
Dairy Science Abstracts 5, 129.Google Scholar