Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T15:08:58.007Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Level and pattern of winter concentrate allocation in dairy cows: results in first lactation cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. B. Coulon
Affiliation:
INRA, Laboratoire Adaptation des Herbivores aux Milieux, Theix, 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
P. D'Hour
Affiliation:
INRA, Laboratoire Adaptation des Herbivores aux Milieux, Theix, 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
J. P. Garel
Affiliation:
INRA, Domaine de Marcenat, 15190 Marcenat, France
M. Petit
Affiliation:
INRA, Laboratoire Adaptation des Herbivores aux Milieux, Theix, 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
Get access

Abstract

A total of 148 dairy cows in their first lactation and with a mean calving date of 6 December were used in a 4–year experiment. The experiment was designed to examine the effect of level and distribution of concentrate given during the winter period in addition to grass silage (ad libitum) and hay (4 kg/day) on total lactation performance. Each year the same five treatments were compared: three levels of concentrate supply during the winter period (H, M and L), and, for levels M and L, two different allocation patterns (standard (S) or flat rate (F)). Concentrate allocation was individually pre-determined according to expected milk production. During summer, all animals grazed together as a single group. During the experimental period (weeks 4 to 18 of lactation), concentrate and roughage intakes were 6·3, 5·0 and 3·6 kg dry matter (DM) per day and 9.;5, 9·6 and 10·0 kg DM per day in group HS, MS and LS respectively. Milk yield and protein concentration of group HS were higher than that of group MS (+1·3 kg I day and +1·0 g/kg) or LS (+3·0 kg/day and +1·7 g/kg). During winter, live-weight changes were +4, -26 and -39 kg for group HS, MS and LS respectively. Over the 40 weeks of lactation, the differences in milk production and concentrate supply were 193 kg and 196 kg DM between groups HS and MS, and 518 kg and 413 kg DM between groups HS and LS. There was no significant difference between groups S and F.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1994

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

Andries, J. I., Brabander, D. L. de and Buysse, F. X. 1988. Feeding strategies for dairy cattle. Comparison of flat rate feeding and standard feeding during early lactation. Archiv fiir Tieremiihrung 38: 651661.Google ScholarPubMed
Broster, W. H. and Broster, V. J. 1984. Reviews of the progress of dairy science: long term effects of plane of nutrition on the performance of the dairy cow. Journal of Dairy Research 51: 149196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Broster, W. H., Broster, V. J. and Clements, A. J. 1993. Feed utilization by the dairy cow over multiple lactations: a review. Livestock Production Science 34: 121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broster, W. H., Sutton, J. D., Bines, J. A., Broster, V. J., Smith, T., Siviter, J. W., Johnson, V. W., Napper, D. J. and Schuller, E. 1985. The influence of plane of nutrition and diet composition on the performance of dairy cows. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 104: 535557.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broster, W. H. and Thomas, C. 1981. The influence of level and pattern of concentrate input on milk output. In Recent advances in animal nutrition — 1987 (ed. Haresign, W.), pp. 4969. Butterworths, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chilliard, Y., Remond, B., Agabriel, J., Robelin, J. and Vérité, R. 1987. Variations du contenu digestif et des réserves corporelles au cours du cycle gestation-lactation. Bulletin Technique CRZV Theix, INRA 70: 117132.Google Scholar
Coulon, J. B., Garel, J. P., Hoden, A., Journet, M. and Liénard, G. 1985. Production laitiere en zone de montagne: effets pluriannuels du type de ration hivernale et du niveau de complementation. Bulletin Technique CRZV Theix, INRA 61: 3148.Google Scholar
Coulon, J. B., Landais, E. and Garel, J. P. 1990. [Feeding, pathology and milk productivity of the dairy cow: inter-relationships during the milk production period.] Annales de Recherches Veterinaires 21:3347.Google Scholar
Coulon, J. B., Petit, M., d'Hour, P. and Garel, J. P. 1987. The effect of level and distribution of concentrate supplementation on performance of dairy cows. Livestock Production Science 17: 117133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coulon, J. B. and Remond, B. 1991. Variations in milk output and milk protein content in response to the level of energy supply to the dairy cow: a review. Livestock Production Science 29: 3147.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Demarquilly, C., Andrieu, J., Michalet-Doreau, B. and Sauvant, D. 1989. Measurement of the nutritive value of feeds. In Ruminant nutrition. Recommended allowances and feed tables (ed. Jarrige, R.), pp. 193212. INRA and John Libbey Eurotext.Google Scholar
Dulphy, J. P. and Demarquilly, C. 1981. Problemes particuliers aux ensilages. In Prevision de la valeur nutritive des aliments des nominants, pp. 81104. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Paris.Google Scholar
Dulphy, J. P., Faverdin, P. and Jarrige, R. 1989. Feed intake: the fill unit systems. In Ruminant nutrition. Recommended allowances and feed tables (ed. Jarrige, R.), pp. 6172. INRA and John Libbey Eurotext.Google Scholar
Fontaubert, Y. de 1988. La maîtrise des cycles sexuels chez les bovins. Le point en 1988. INRA Productions Animates 1: 179185.Google Scholar
Gordon, F. J. 1980. Feed input-milk output relationships in the spring calving dairy cow. In Recent advances in animal nutrition —1980 (ed Haresign, W.), pp. 1531. Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
Gordon, F. J. 1982. The effect of pattern of concentrate allocation on milk production from autumn-calving heifers. Animal Production 34: 5561.Google Scholar
Gordon, F. J. 1984. The effect of level of concentrate supplementation given with grass silage during the winter on the total lactation performance of autumn-calving dairy cows. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 102: 163179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique. 1989. Ruminant nutrition. Recommended allowances and feed tables (ed. Jarrige, R.). INRA and John Libbey Eurotext.Google Scholar
Johnson, C. L. 1977. The effect of the plane and pattern of concentrate feeding on milk yield and composition in dairy cows. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 88: 7994.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, C. L. 1979. The effect of level and frequency of concentrate feeding on the performance of dairy cows of different yield potential. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 92: 743751.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, C. L. 1983. The effect of level and pattern of feeding on the yield of milk constituents from cows of different yield potential. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 101: 717726.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Korver, S. 1982. Feed intake and production in dairy breeds dependent on the ration. PhD thesis, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Leaver, J. D. 1988. Level and pattern of concentrate allocation to dairy cows. In Nutrition and lactation in the dairy cow (ed. Garnsworthy, P. C.), pp. 315326, Butterworth, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ostergaard, V. 1979. Strategies for concentrate feeding to attain optimum feeding level in high yielding dairy cows. Berctning fra Statens Husdyrbrugsforsog 482: 114123.Google Scholar
Reeve, A., Thompson, W., Hodson, R. G., Baker, R. D. and Carswell, A. J. P. 1986. The effect of level of concentrate supplementation in winter and grazing allowance on the milk production and financial performance of spring-calving cows. Animal Production 42: 3951.Google Scholar
Rijpkema, Y. S., Reeuwijk, L. van and Goedhart, P. W. 1990. Effects of pattern of concentrate feeding on milk production of dairy cows offered silage ad libitum. Netherlands Journal of Agriculture Science 38: 461474.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 1987. SAS user's guide: statistics. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Steen, R. W. J. and Gordon, F. J. 1980a. The effect of level and system of concentrate allocation to January/February calving cows on total lactation performance. Animal Production 30: 3951.Google Scholar
Steen, R. W. J. and Gordon, F. J. 1980b. The effect of type of silage and level of concentrate supplementation offered during early lactation on total lactation performance of January/February calving cows. Animal Production 30: 341354.Google Scholar
Strickland, M. J. and Broster, M. J. 1981. The effect of different levels of nutrition at two stages of the lactation on milk production and live-weight change in Friesian cows and heifers. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 96: 677690.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, W. and Leaver, J. D. 1984a. Systems of concentrate allocation for dairy cattle. 1. A comparison of three patterns of allocation for autumn-calving cows and heifers offered grass silage ad libitum. Animal Production 39: 315324.Google Scholar
Taylor, W. and Leaver, J. D. 1984b. Systems of concentrate allocation for dairy cattle. 2. A comparison of two patterns of allocation for autumn-calving cows offered two qualities of grass silage ad libitum. Animal Production 39: 325333.Google Scholar
Vérité, R. and Peyraud, J. L. 1989. Protein: the PDI system. In Ruminant nutrition. Recommended allowances and feed tables (ed. Jarrige, R.), pp. 3347. INRA and John Libbey Eurotext.Google Scholar
Vermorel, M. 1989. Energy: the feed unit systems. In Ruminant nutrition. Recommended allowances and feed tables (ed. Jarrige, R.), pp. 2330. INRA and John Libbey Eurotext.Google Scholar
Wiktorsson, H. 1971. Studies on the effects of different levels of nutrition to dairy cows. Swedish Journal of Agricultural Research 1: 83103.Google Scholar
Wiktorsson, H. 1979. General plane of nutrition for dairy cows. In Feeding strategy for the high yielding dairy cow (ed. Broster, W. H. and Swan, H.), pp. 149169. St Albans, Granada.Google Scholar