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Nutritional depletion of total mixed rations by red-winged blackbirds and projected impacts on dairy cow performance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 August 2018

James C. Carlson ,
Randal S. Stahl ,
John J. Wagner ,
Terry E. Engle ,
Shelagh T. DeLiberto ,
Dustin A. Reid  and
Scott J. Werner
James C. Carlson
Affiliation:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
Randal S. Stahl
Affiliation:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
John J. Wagner
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Colorado State University, College of Agricultural Sciences, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
Terry E. Engle
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Colorado State University, College of Agricultural Sciences, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
Shelagh T. DeLiberto
Affiliation:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
Dustin A. Reid
Affiliation:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
Scott J. Werner*
Affiliation:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
*
*For correspondence; e-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

This Research Communication describes an investigation of the nutritional depletion of total mixed rations (TMR) by pest birds. We hypothesized that species-specific bird depredation of TMR can alter the nutritional composition of the ration and that these changes can negatively impact the performance of dairy cows. Blackbirds selected the high energy fraction of the TMR (i.e., flaked corn) and reduced starch, crude fat and total digestible nutrients during controlled feeding experiments. For Holsteins producing 37·1 kg of milk/d, dairy production modeling illustrated that total required net energy intake (NEI) was 35·8 Mcal/d. For the reference TMR unexposed to blackbirds and the blackbird-consumed TMR, NEI supplied was 41·2 and 37·8 Mcal/d, and the resulting energy balance was 5·4 and 2·0 Mcal/d, respectively. Thus, Holsteins fed the reference and blackbird-consumed TMR were estimated to gain one body condition score in 96 and 254 d, and experience daily weight change due to reserves of 1·1 and 0·4 kg/d, respectively. We discuss these results in context of an integrated pest management program for mitigating the depredation caused by pest birds at commercial dairies.

Keywords

Agelaius phoeniceusdairy productionbird damage managementnutrition
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 85 , Issue 3 , August 2018 , pp. 273 - 276
Copyright
Copyright © Hannah Dairy Research Foundation 2018 

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