Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T20:15:07.589Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of concentrate supplementation on milk production and cow traffic in early and late lactation in a pasture-based automatic milking system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 September 2017

J. Shortall ,
C. Foley ,
R. D. Sleator  and
B. O’Brien
J. Shortall*
Affiliation:
Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, Bishopstown, Co. Cork, Ireland
C. Foley
Affiliation:
Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
R. D. Sleator
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, Bishopstown, Co. Cork, Ireland
B. O’Brien
Affiliation:
Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
*
† E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The objective of this experiment was to establish the effect of low-concentrate (LC) and high-concentrate (HC) supplementation in the early and late periods of lactation on milk production and cow traffic in a pasture-based automatic milking (AM) system. In total, 40 cows (10 primiparous and 30 multiparous) were randomly assigned to one of the two treatments. The experimental periods for the early and late lactation trials extended from 23 February to 12 April 2015 and 31 August to 18 October 2015, respectively (49 days in each trial period). The early lactation supplement levels were 2.3 and 4.4 kg/cow per day for LC and HC, respectively, whereas the late lactation supplement levels were 0.5 and 2.7 kg/cow per day for LC and HC, respectively. Variables measured included milking frequency, milking interval, milking outcome and milking characteristics, milk yield/visit and per day, wait time/visit and per day, return time/visit and the distribution of gate passes. As the herd was seasonal (spring) calving, the experimental periods could not run concurrently and as a result no statistical comparison between the periods was conducted. There was no significant effect of treatment in the early lactation period on any of the milk production, milking characteristics or cow traffic variables. However, treatment did significantly affect the distribution of gate passes, with the HC cows recording significantly more gate passes in the hours preceding the gate time change such as hours 7 (P<0.01), 15 (P<0.05), 20, 21 (P<0.001), and 22 (P<0.05), whereas the LC treatment recorded significantly more gate passes in the hours succeeding the gate time change, such as time points 2 (P<0.01) and 10 (P<0.05). There was a significant effect of treatment in late lactation, with HC having a greater milk yield (P<0.01), milking duration and activity/day (P<0.05), while also having a significantly shorter milking interval (P<0.05) and return time/visit (P<0.01). The distribution of gate passes were similar to the early lactation period, with HC also recording a significantly greater number of gate passes during the early morning period (P<0.01) when visitations were at their lowest. Any decision regarding the supplementing of dairy cows with concentrates needs to be examined from an economic perspective, to establish if the milk production and cow traffic benefits displayed in late lactation outweigh the cost of the concentrate; thereby ensuring that the decision to supplement is financially prudent.

Keywords

pasture basedautomatic milkingconcentrate supplementationcow trafficgrazing
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , April 2018 , pp. 853 - 863
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2017 

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

Bach, A, Iglesias, C, Calsamiglia, S and Devant, M 2007. Effect of amount of concentrate offered in automatic milking systems on milking frequency, feeding behavior, and milk production of dairy cattle consuming high amounts of corn silage. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 5049–5055.Google Scholar
Bargo, F, Muller, LD, Delahoy, JE and Cassidy, TW 2002. Milk response to concentrate supplementation of high producing dairy cows grazing at two pasture allowances. Journal of Dairy Science 85, 1777–1792.Google Scholar
Bargo, F, Muller, LD, Kolver, ES and Delahoy, JE 2003. Invited review: production and digestion of supplemented dairy cows on pasture. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 1–42.Google Scholar
Baudracco, J, Lopez-Villalobos, N, Holmes, CW and Macdonald, KA 2010. Effects of stocking rate, supplementation, genotype and their interactions on grazing dairy systems: a review. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 53, 109–133.Google Scholar
Berry, DP, Veerkamp, RF and Dillon, P 2006. Phenotypic profiles for body weight, body condition score, energy intake, and energy balance across different parities and concentrate feeding levels. Livestock Science 104, 1–12.Google Scholar
Bruckmaier, RM 2005. Normal and disturbed milk ejection in dairy cows. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 29, 268–273.Google Scholar
Delaby, L, Peyraud, J and Delagarde, R 2001. Effect of the level of concentrate supplementation, herbage allowance and milk yield at turn-out on the performance of dairy cows in mid lactation at grazing. Animal Science 73, 171–181.Google Scholar
Dillon, P, Roche, JR, Shalloo, L and Horan, B 2005. Optimising financial return from grazing in temperate pastures. In Utilisation of grazed grass in temperate animal systems. Proceedings of a Satellite Workshop of the XXth International Grassland Congress (ed. JJ Murphy), pp. 131–147. Wageningen Academic Publishers,Wageningen, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Greenall, R, Warren, E and Warren, M 2004. Integrating automatic milking installations (AMIs) into grazing systems—lessons from Australia. In Automatic milking: a better understanding (ed. A Meijering, H Hogeveen and CJAM de Koning), pp. 273–279. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Halachmi, I, Ofir, S and Miron, J 2005. Comparing two concentrate allowances in an automatic milking system. Animal Science 80, 339–343.Google Scholar
Ingvartsen, KL and Andersen, JB 2000. Integration of metabolism and intake regulation: a review focusing on periparturient animals. Journal of Dairy Science 83, 1573–1597.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jago, JG, Davis, KL, Copeman, PJ, Ohnstad, I and Woolford, MM 2007. Supplementary feeding at milking and minimum milking interval effects on cow traffic and milking performance in a pasture-based automatic milking system. Journal of Dairy Research 74, 492–499.Google Scholar
Jago, JG, Davis, KL and Woolford, MW 2006. Stage of lactation affects the milking performance and behaviour of cows in a pasture-based automated milking system. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 66, 258–262.Google Scholar
Jago, J, Jackson, A, Davis, K, Wieliczko, R, Copeman, P, Ohnstad, I, Claycomb, R and Woolford, M 2004. Is automatic milking possible with a 100% pasture diet. In Automatic milking: a better understanding (ed. A Meijering, H Hogeveen and CJAM de Koning), p. 307. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
John, A, Clark, C, Freeman, M, Kerrisk, K, Garcia, S and Halachmi, I 2016. Review: milking robot utilization, a successful precision livestock farming evolution. Animal 10, 1484–1492.Google Scholar
Kellaway, R and Harrington, T 2004. Feeding concentrates: supplements for dairy cows. Landlinks Press, Collingwood, VIC, Australia.Google Scholar
Kendrick, KW, Bailey, TL, Garst, AS, Pryor, AW, Ahmadzadeh, A, Akers, RM, Eyestone, WE, Pearson, RE and Gwazdauskas, FC 1999. Effects of energy balance on hormones, ovarian activity, and recovered oocytes in lactating Holstein cows using transvaginal follicular aspiration. Journal of Dairy Science 82, 1731–1741.Google Scholar
Kennedy, J, Dillon, P, Delaby, L, Faverdin, P, Stakelum, G and Rath, M 2003. Effect of genetic merit and concentrate supplementation on grass intake and milk production with Holstein Friesian dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 610–621.Google Scholar
Lessire, F, Froidmont, E, Shortall, J, Hornick, JL and Dufrasne, I 2017. The effect of concentrate allocation on traffic and milk production of pasture-based cows milked by an automatic milking system. Animal, https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731117000659, Published online by Cambridge University Press 05 April 2017.Google Scholar
Lind, O, Ipema, A, Koning, C de, Mottram, T and Hermann, H 2000. Automatic milking: reality, challenges and opportunities. In Robotic milking: Proceedings of the International Symposium held in Lelystad, The Netherlands, 17–19 August 2000, pp. 19–31.Google Scholar
Littell, RC, Stroup, WW, Milliken, GA, Wolfinger, RD and Schabenberger, O 2006. SAS for mixed models. Stastical Analysis Systems Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA.Google Scholar
Lyons, NA, Kerrisk, KL and Garcia, SC 2013a. Comparison of 2 systems of pasture allocation on milking intervals and total daily milk yield of dairy cows in a pasture-based automatic milking system. Journal of Dairy Science 96, 4494–4504.Google Scholar
Lyons, NA, Kerrisk, KL and Garcia, SC 2013b. Effect of pre- versus postmilking supplementation on traffic and performance of cows milked in a pasture-based automatic milking system. Journal of Dairy Science 96, 4397–4405.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCarthy, S, Berry, DP, Dillon, P, Rath, M and Horan, B 2007b. Effect of strain of Holstein–Friesian and feed system on udder health and milking characteristics. Livestock Science 107, 19–28.Google Scholar
McCarthy, B, Delaby, L, Pierce, KM, McCarthy, J, Fleming, C, Brennan, A and Horan, B 2016. The multi-year cumulative effects of alternative stocking rate and grazing management practices on pasture productivity and utilization efficiency. Journal of Dairy Science 99, 3784–3797.Google Scholar
McCarthy, S, Horan, B, Dillon, P, O’Connor, P, Rath, M and Shalloo, L 2007a. Economic comparison of divergent strains of Holstein-Friesian cows in various pasture-based production systems. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 1493–1505.Google Scholar
McCarthy, B, Pierce, K, Delaby, L, Brennan, A, Fleming, C and Horan, B 2013. The effect of stocking rate and calving date on grass production, utilization and nutritive value of the sward during the grazing season. Grass and Forage Science 68, 364–377.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McEvoy, M, Kennedy, E, Murphy, JP, Boland, TM, Delaby, L and O’Donovan, M 2008. The effect of herbage allowance and concentrate supplementation on milk production performance and dry matter intake of spring-calving dairy cows in early lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 91, 1258–1269.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morgan, D, Stakelum, G and Dwyer, J 1989. Modified neutral detergent cellulase digestibility procedure for use with the ‘Fibertec’ system. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 28, 91–92.Google Scholar
O’Brien, B 2008. Milk quality handbook – practical steps to improve milk quality. In Moorepark dairy levy research update (ed. B O’Brien), Moorepark Dairy Production Research Centre, Cork, Ireland.Google Scholar
O’Callaghan, TF, Hennessy, D, McAuliffe, S, Kilcawley, KN, O’Donovan, M, Dillon, P, Ross, RP and Stanton, C 2016. Effect of pasture versus indoor feeding systems on raw milk composition and quality over an entire lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 99, 9424–9440.Google Scholar
Patton, D, Shalloo, L, Pierce, KM and Horan, B 2012. A biological and economic comparison of 2 pasture-based production systems on a wetland drumlin soil in the northern region of Ireland. Journal of Dairy Science 95, 484–495.Google Scholar
Prescott, NB 1995. Dairy cow behaviour and automatic milking. PhD thesis, University of Bristol, Bristol, England.Google Scholar
Prescott, NB, Mottram, TT and Webster, AJF 1998. Relative motivations of dairy cows to be milked or fed in a Y-maze and an automatic milking system. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 57, 23–33.Google Scholar
Reid, M, O’Donovan, M, Murphy, JP, Fleming, C, Kennedy, E and Lewis, E 2015. The effect of high and low levels of supplementation on milk production, nitrogen utilization efficiency, and milk protein fractions in late-lactation dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 98, 5529–5544.Google Scholar
Scott, VE, Thomson, PC, Kerrisk, KL and Garcia, SC 2014. Influence of provision of concentrate at milking on voluntary cow traffic in a pasture-based automatic milking system. Journal of Dairy Science 97, 1481–1490.Google Scholar
Van Soest, PJ, Robertson, JB and Lewis, BA 1991. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and nonstarch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science 74, 3583–3597.Google Scholar
Weiss, D, Weinfurtner, M and Bruckmaier, RM 2004. Teat anatomy and its relationship with quarter and udder milk flow characteristics in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 3280–3289.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed