Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T20:08:29.308Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Milk compositional quality and the rôle of forages

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2018

C. Thomas
C. Thomas*
Affiliation:
Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 5LR
Get access

Extract

In most experiments in which the influence of forage to concentrate ratios on milk quality have been examined, the composition of the forage has been incidental to the purpose of the trial. Legumes have resulted in higher yields of milk than grasses of similar digestibility. However, these increases were a reflexion of higher outputs of protein and lactose, since the feeding of legumes resulted in lower contents of milk fat. Changes in the digestibility of forage have shown considerable variability in response, in terms of the concentration of milk solids. However, an increase in digestibility of forage has not resulted in decreases in the yield of fat and, further, the yield of protein has been increased.

There is no indication that there is a requirement for ‘long hay’ to maintain milk quality and that a reduction in the chop length of silage has any influence on milk composition. However, the fine grinding of grass, which was the sole forage component of the diet, has caused a marked decrease in milk fat content. This effect was not apparent when finely ground and pelleted dried grass was used as a supplement but only in ad libitum feeding regimes.

Attempts to increase the content of milk fat in May and June by the supplementation of grazed grass with small quantities of hay have had little influence on milk yield and fat content. A much greater effect was observed when grazing was restricted and silage offered ad libitum overnight. The increase in fat content may be overcome by a reduction in milk and protein yield.

In general, the changes in milk composition have been small and this is likely to be a result of the high proportion of forage in the diets examined. The quantification of response in yield and content of fat and protein to changes in forage composition requires a change in approach. More emphasis should be given to the examination of the interaction between level or type of concentrate and the composition of the forage. Further, these trials should be accompanied by experiments to examine the effects of the dietary changes on the end products of digestion.

Type
Research Article
Information
BSAP Occasional Publication , Volume 9: Milk Compositional Quality and Its Importance in Future Markets , 1984 , pp. 69 - 76
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Production 1984

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

Andersen, P. E. and Niemann-Sørensen, A. 1970. The place of artificially dried forages in cow rations. Study Commns Anim. Nutr. Cattle Prod., Eur. Ass. Anim. Prod., Gödöllö.Google Scholar
Aston, K., Thomas, C. and Bertilsson, J. 1984. A. Rep. Grasld Res. Inst., 1983. In press.Google Scholar
Balch, C. C. 1972. Milk composition. In Hanbuch der Tierernährung (ed. Lenkeit, W., Breirem, K. and Crasemann, E.), Vol. 2, pp. 259–291. Parey, Hamburg.Google Scholar
Balch, C. C., Broster, W. H., Rook, J. A. F. and Tuck, Valerie J. 1965. The effect on growth rate and on milk yield and composition of finely grinding the hay and cooking (flaking) the maize in mixed diets for growing and for milking heifers. J. Dairy Res. 32: 1–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baxter, H. D., Owen, J. R. and Waldo, D. R. 1966. Effect of laceration of chopped forage on preservation and feeding value of alfalfa-orchardgrass silage. J. Dairy Sci. 49: 1441–1445.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bertilsson, J. 1983. Effects of conservation method and stage of maturity upon the feeding value of forages to dairy cows. Rep. Swed. Univ. Agric. Sci., 104.Google Scholar
Bertilsson, J. and Burstedt, E. 1983. Effects of conservation method and stage of maturity upon the feeding value of forages to dairy cows. 1. Forage intake and effects of concentrate/forage ratio. Swed. J. Agric. Res. 13: 189–200.Google Scholar
Campling, R. C. and Milne, J. A. 1972. The nutritive value of processed roughages for milking cattle. Proc. Br. Soc. Anim. Prod., pp. 53–60.Google Scholar
Castlf, M. E., Drysdale, A. D. and Watson, J. N. 1960. The effect of feed supplements on the yield and composition of milk from cows grazing good pasture. J. Dairy Res. 27: 419–426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Castle, M. E., Retter, W. C. and Watson, J. N. 1979. Silage and milk production: comparisons between grass silages of three different chop lengths. Grass & Forage Sci. 34: 293–301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Combellas, J. and Hodgson, J. 1979. Herbage intake and milk production by grazing dairy cows. 1. The effects of variation in herbage mass and daily herbage allowance in a short-term trial. Grass & Forage Sci. 34: 209–214.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Connell, J. and Foot, A. S. 1968. Production and feeding of dried grass wafers to dairy cows. Bienn. Rev. natn. Inst. Res. Dairy., pp. 52–64.Google Scholar
Dulphy, J. P. and Demarquilly, C. 1975. [Influence of the type of forage harvester on the silage intake level and the performances of dairy cows.] Annls Zootech. 24: 363–371.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ekern, A. and Vik-Mo, L. 1979. Conserved forages as feeds for dairy cows. In Feeding Strategy for the High Yielding Dairy Cow (ed. Broster, W. H. and Swan, H.), pp. 322–373. Granada Publishing, London.Google Scholar
Evans, R. E. 1960. Rations for livestock. Bull. Minist. Agric. Fish. Fd, Lond., No. 48.Google Scholar
Gordon, F. J. 1980. The effect of interval between harvests and wilting on silage for milk production. Anim. Prod. 31: 35–41.Google Scholar
Gordon, F. J. and Murdoch, J. C. 1978. An evaluation of a high-quality grass silage for milk production. J. Br. Grassld Soc. 33: 5–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenhalgh, J. F. D., Reid, G. W. and Aitken, J. N. 1967. The effects of grazing intensity on herbage consumption and animal production. II. Longer-term effects in strip-grazed dairy cows. J. agric. Sci., Comb. 69: 217–223.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenhalgh, J. F. D., Reid, G. W., Aitken, J. N. and Florence, E. 1966. The effects of grazing intensity on herbage consumption and animal production. I. Short-term effects in strip-grazed dairy cows. J. agric. Sci., Comb. 67: 13–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huber, J. T., Sandy, R. A., Miller, C. N. and Polan, C. E. 1966. Recut corn silage for dairy cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 25: 914 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Hutton, J. B. and Parker, O. F. 1966. The effect of grazing time and supplementary feeding of hay on production per cow in early lactation. Proc. N.Z. Soc. Anim. Prod. 26: 71–85.Google Scholar
Le Du, Y. L. P., Combellas, J., Hodgson, J. and Baker, R. D. 1979. Herbage intake and milk production by grazing dairy cows. 2. The effects of level of winter feeding and daily herbage allowance. Grass & Forage Sci. 34: 249–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Losada, H. R. 1983. The digestion and nutrient supply of fresh perennial ryegrass and white clover fed to growing cattle. Ph.D. Thesis, Univ. Reading.Google Scholar
Marsh, R. 1978. A review of the effects of mechanical treatment of forages on fermentation in the silo and on the feeding value of silages. N.Z. J. Exp. Agric. 6: 271–278.Google Scholar
Milne, J. A., Thomson, E. F. and Campling, R. C. 1972. Value for milk production of artificially dried forages as cobs and pellets. Anim. Prod. 14: 69–75.Google Scholar
Moisey, F. R. and Leaver, J. D. 1979. A comparison of a three- with a two-cut silage system for dairy cattle. Anim. Prod. 28: 422 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Murdoch, J. C. 1965. The effect of silage made from grass at different stages of maturity on the yield and composition of milk. J. Dairy Res. 32: 219–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murdoch, J. C. and Rook, J. A. F. 1963. A comparison of hay and silage for milk production. J. Dairy Res. 30: 391–397.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phillips, C. J. C. and Leaver, J. D. 1982. The effect of offering hay to set-stocked dairy cows. Anim. Prod. 34: 362 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Phillips, C. J. C. and Leaver, J. D. 1983. The effect of offering silage to set-stocked dairy cows. Anim. Prod. 36: 507 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Prescott, J. H. D. 1970. The role of dried grass and barley in milk production. In Dairy Nutrition, pp. 11–26. US Feed Grains Council, London.Google Scholar
Retter, W. C. and Castle, M. E. 1982. Silage and milk production: comparisons between hays of different digestibilities as silage supplements. Grass & Forage Sci. 37: 129–137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rook, J. A. F. 1976. Nutritional influences on milk quality. In Principles of Cattle Production (ed. Swan, H. and Broster, W. H.), pp. 221–236. Butterworth, London.Google Scholar
Rook, J. A. F., Line, C. and Rowland, S. J. 1960. The effect of the plane of energy nutrition of the cow during the late winter-feeding period on the changes in the solids-not-fat content of milk during the spring-grazing period. J. Dairy Res. 27: 427–433.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steen, R. W. J. and Gordon, F. J. 1980. The effect of type of silage and level of concentrate supplementation offered during early lactation on total lactation performance of January/February calving cows. Anim. Prod. 30: 341–354.Google Scholar
Sutton, J. D. 1980. Influence of nutritional factors on the yield and content of milk fat: dietary components other than fat. In Factors Affecting the Yields and Contents of Milk Constituents of Commercial Importance, Bull. int. Dairy Fed., Docum. 125, pp. 126–134.Google Scholar
Tayler, J. C. and Aston, K. 1976a. Milk production from diets of silage and dried forage. 1. Effects of methods of processing dried grass and of including barley in the supplementation of grass silage given ad libitum . Anim. Prod. 23: 197–209.Google Scholar
Tayler, J. C. and Aston, K. 1976b. Milk production from diets of silage and dried forage. 2. Effect of ensiling ryegrass cut at two levels of digestibility and given ad libitum with supplements of dried grass pellets. Anim. Prod. 23: 211–221.Google Scholar
Thomas, C. 1980. Conserved forages. In Feeding Strategies for Dairy Cows (ed. Broster, W. H., Johnson, C. L. and Tayler, J. C.), pp. 8.1-8.14. Agricultural Research Council, London.Google Scholar
Thomas, P. C. 1983. Milk protein. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 42: 407–418.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thomas, C., Aston, K., Daley, S. R. and Hughes, P. M. 1982. A comparison of red clover with grass silage for milk production. Anim. Prod. 34: 361 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Thomas, C., Daley, S. R., Aston, K. and Hughes, P. M. 1981. Milk production from silage. 2. The influence of the digestibility of silage made from the primary growth of perennial ryegrass. Anim. Prod. 33: 7–13.Google Scholar
Thomson, D. J., Beever, D. E., Austin, A. R., Siddons, R. C., Cammell, S. B., Haines, M. J., Evans, R. T. and Dhanoa, M. S. 1983. The nutrient supply to, and the milk yield and composition of, lactating cows grazing perennial rye-grass or white clover. Anim. Prod. 36: 502 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Waite, R., Castle, M. E. and Watson, J. N. 1959. The effect on milk composition of feeding spring grass to cows. J. Dairy Res. 26: 173–181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waite, R., White, J. C. D. and Robertson, A. 1956. Variations in the chemical composition of milk with particular reference to the solids-not-fat. I. The effect of stage of lactation, season of year and age of cow. J. Dairy Res. 23: 65–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood, P. D. P. 1976. Algebraic models of the lactation curves for milk, fat and protein production, with estimates of seasonal variation. Anim. Prod. 22: 35–40.Google Scholar
Wright, J. A., Rook, J. A. F. and Wood, P. D. P. 1974. The responses in milk solids-not-fat and protein contents to improved feeding of cows receiving winter-stall diets and underfed for varying periods. J. Dairy Res. 41: 155–164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar