Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T05:58:26.576Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of concentrate allocation on traffic and milk production of pasture-based cows milked by an automatic milking system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 April 2017

F. Lessire ,
E. Froidmont ,
J. Shortall ,
J. L. Hornick  and
I. Dufrasne
F. Lessire*
Affiliation:
Fundamental and Applied Research on Animal and Health, Animal Production Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Quartier Vallée 2 avenue de Cureghem, 10, 4000 Liège 1, Belgium
E. Froidmont
Affiliation:
Production and Sectors Department, Walloon Agricultural Research Centre, rue de Liroux, 8, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
J. Shortall
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
J. L. Hornick
Affiliation:
Fundamental and Applied Research on Animal and Health, Animal Production Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Quartier Vallée 2 avenue de Cureghem, 10, 4000 Liège 1, Belgium
I. Dufrasne
Affiliation:
Fundamental and Applied Research on Animal and Health, Animal Production Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Quartier Vallée 2 avenue de Cureghem, 10, 4000 Liège 1, Belgium
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Increased economic, societal and environmental challenges facing agriculture are leading to a greater focus on effective way to combine grazing and automatic milking systems (AMS). One of the fundamental aspects of robotic milking is cows’ traffic to the AMS. Numerous studies have identified feed provided, either as fresh grass or concentrate supplement, as the main incentive for cows to return to the robot. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of concentrate allocation on voluntary cow traffic from pasture to the robot during the grazing period, to highlight the interactions between grazed pasture and concentrate allocation in terms of substitution rate and the subsequent effect on average milk yield and composition. Thus, 29 grazing cows, milked by a mobile robot, were monitored for the grazing period (4 months). They were assigned to two groups: a low concentrate (LC) group (15 cows) and a high concentrate (HC) group (14 cows) receiving 2 and 4 kg concentrate/cow per day, respectively; two allocations per day of fresh pasture were provided at 0700 and 1600 h. The cows had to go through the AMS to receive the fresh pasture allocation. The effect of concentrate level on robot visitation was calculated by summing milkings, refusals and failed milkings/cow per day. The impact on average daily milk yield and composition was also determined. The interaction between lactation number and month was used as an indicator of pasture availability. Concentrate allocation increased significantly robot visitations in HC (3.60±0.07 visitations/cow per day in HC and 3.10±0.07 visitations/cow per day in LC; P<0.001) while milkings/cow per day were similar in both groups (LC: 2.37±0.02/day and HC: 2.39±0.02/day; Ns). The average daily milk yield over the grazing period was enhanced in HC (22.39±0.22 kg/cow per day in HC and 21.33±0.22 kg/cow per day in LC; P<0.001). However the gain in milk due to higher concentrate supply was limited with regards to the amount of provided concentrates. Milking frequency in HC primiparous compared with LC was increased. In the context of this study, considering high concentrate levels as an incentive for robot visitation might be questioned, as it had no impact on milking frequency and limited impact on average milk yield and composition. By contrast, increased concentrate supply could be targeted specifically to primiparous cows.

Keywords

grazingdairy cowsconcentrateautomatic milking systemcow traffic
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 11 , Issue 11 , November 2017 , pp. 2061 - 2069
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

Auldist, MJ, Marett, LC, Greenwood, JS, Hannah, M, Jacobs, JL and Wales, WJ 2013. Effects of different strategies for feeding supplements on milk production responses in cows grazing a restricted pasture allowance. Journal of Dairy Science 96, 1218–1231.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ayadi, M, Caja, G, Such, X, Rovai, M and Albanell, E 2004. Effect of different milking intervals on the composition of cisternal and alveolar milk in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Research 71, 304–310.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bach, A, Iglesias, C, Calsamiglia, S and Devant, M 2007. Effect of amount of concentrate offered in automatic systems on milking frequency, feeding behaviour, and milk production of dairy cattle consuming high amounts of corn silage. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 5049–5055.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
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.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burow, E, Thomsen, PT, Sørensen, JT and Rousing, T 2011. The effect of grazing on cow mortality in Danish dairy herds. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 100, 237–241.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Boever, JL, Vanacker, JM, Fiems, LO and De Brabander, DL 2004. Rumen degradation characteristics and protein value of grassland products and their prediction by laboratory measurements and NIRS. Animal Feed Science Technology 116, 53–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Koning, CJ 2011. Automatic milking: common practice on over 10000 dairy farms worldwide. In Dairy research foundation symposium (ed. P Celi), volume 16, pp. 14–31. University Printing services Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.Google Scholar
Delaby, L, Peyraud, JL 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.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Delamaire, E and Guinard-Flament, J 2006. Increasing milking intervals decreases the mammary blood flow and mammary uptake of nutrients in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 3439–3446.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Olde, E, Oudshoorn, FW, Sørensen, CG, Bokkers, EAM and De Boer, IJM 2016. Assessing sustainability at farm-level: lessons learned from a comparison of tools in practice. Ecological Indicators 66, 391–404.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dieguez, F, Hornick, JL, De Behr, V, Istasse, L and Dufrasne, I 2001. Incidences phytotechniques et zootechniques d’une réduction ou d’une suppression de la fertilisation azotée sur des prairies pâturées par des vaches laitières. Animal Research 50, 299–314.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dillon, P, Roche, JR, Shalloo, L and Horan, B 2005. Optimising financial return from grazing in temperate pastures. In Proceedings of a satellite workshop of the 20th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation (ed. JJ Murphy), pp. 131–147. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, the Netherlands.Google Scholar
Dufrasne, I, Gielen, M, Limbourg, P, Korsak Koulagenko, N and Istasse, L 1996. Effets d’une augmentation de la fumure azotée ou de la distribution supplémentaire de concentré sur les performances et les teneurs en urée plasmatique de vaches laitières soumises au pâturage continu et en rotation. Annales de Zootechnie 45, 135–150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dufrasne, I, Robaye, V, Knapp, E, Istasse, L and Hornick, JL 2012. Effects of environmental factors on yield and milking number in dairy cows milked by an automatic system located in pasture. In Proceedings of the 23rd General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation, Grassland – a European resource, volume 17, pp. 231–233. Polish Grassland Society Publishers, Poznan, Poland.Google Scholar
Halachmi, I 2004. Designing the automatic milking farm in a hot climate. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 764–775.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Halachmi, I, Ofir, S and Miron, J 2005. Comparing two concentrate allowances in an automatic milking system. Animal Science 80, 339–343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hongerholt, DD, Muller, LD and Buckmaster, DR 1997. Evaluation of a mobile computerized grain feeder for lactating cows grazing grass pasture. Journal of Dairy Science 80, 3271–3282.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jacobs, JA, Ananyeva, K and Siegford, JM 2012. Dairy cow behavior affects the availability of an automatic milking system. Journal of Dairy Science 95 (suppl. 4), 2186–2194.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.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
John, AJ, Clark, CEF, Freeman, MJ, Kerrisk, KL, Garcia, SC and Halachmi, I 2016. Review: milking robot utilization, a successful precision livestock farming evolution. Animal 7, 1–9.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.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ketelaar-de Lauwere, CC, Devir, S and Metz, JHM 1996. The influence of social hierarchy on the time budget of cows and their visits to an automatic milking system. Applied Animal Behavior Science 49 (suppl. 2), 199–211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ketelaar-de Lauwere, CC, Hendriks, MMWB, Metz, JHM, Schouten, WGP 1998. Behaviour of dairy cows under free or forced cow traffic in a simulated automatic milking system environment. Applied Animal Behavior Science 49 (suppl. 2), 199–211.Google Scholar
Ketelaar-de Lauwere, CC, Ipema, AH, Lokhorst, C, Metz, JHM, Noordhuizen, JPTM, Schouten, WGP and Smits, AC 2000. Effect of sward height and distance between pasture and barn on cows’ visits to an automatic milking system and other behaviour. Livestock Production Science 65 (suppl. 1–2), 131–142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ketelaar-de Lauwere, CC, Ipema, AH, van Ouwerkerk, ENJ, Hendriks, MMWB, Metz, JHM, Noordhuizen, JPTM and Schouten, WGP 1999. Voluntary automatic milking in combination with grazing of dairy cows. Applied Animal Behavior Science 64 (suppl. 2), 91–109.CrossRefGoogle 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.CrossRefGoogle 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
Lyons, NA, Kerrisk, KL, Dhand, NK, Scott, VE and Garcia, SC 2014. Animal behavior and pasture depletion in a pasture-based automatic milking system. Animal 8 (suppl. 9), 1506–1515.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
Pérez-Prieto, LA, Peyraud, JL and Delagarde, R 2011. Substitution rate and milk yield response to corn silage supplementation of late-lactation dairy cows grazing low-mass pastures at 2 daily allowances in autumn. Journal of Dairy Science 94, 3592–3604.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peyraud, JL and Delaby, L 2001. Ideal concentrate feeds for grazing dairy cows-response to concentrates in interaction with grazing management and grass quality. In Recent advances in animal nutrition (ed. PG Garnsworthy and J Wiseman), pp. 203–220. University of Nottingham University Press, Nottingham, UK.Google Scholar
Peyraud, JL and Delagarde, R 2013. Managing variations in dairy cow nutrient supply under grazing. Animal 7 (suppl. 1), 57–67.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reis, RB and Combs, DK 2000. Effects of increasing levels of grain supplementation on rumen environment and lactation performance of dairy cows grazing grass-legume pasture. Journal of Dairy Science 83, 2888–2898.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
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, 14981–1490.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spörndly, E and Wredle, E 2005. Automatic milking and grazing – effects of location of drinking water on water intake, milk yield, and cow behavior. Journal of Dairy Science 88 (suppl. 5), 1711–1722.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stockdale, CR, Walker, GP, Wales, WJ, Dalley, DE, Birkett, A, Shen, Z and Doyle, PT 2003. Influence of pasture and concentrates in the diet of grazing dairy cows on the fatty acid composition of milk. Journal of Dairy Research 70, 267–276.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Dooren, HJCE, Spörndly, E and Wiktorsson, H 2002. Automatic milking and grazing. Applied grazing strategies. Deliverable D25, EU project ‘Implications of the introduction of automatic milking on dairy farms’ (QLK5-2000-31006). Retrieved on 29 April 2014 from http://www.automaticmilking.nl Google Scholar
Wales, WJ, Kolver, ES, Egan, AR and Roche, R 2009. Effects of strain of Holstein-Friesian and concentrate supplementation on the fatty acid composition of milk fat of dairy cows grazing pasture in early lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 247–255.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed