Nutrition of the Contemporary Dairy Cow: Research into Practice

Nutrition of the Contemporary Dairy

Cow: Research into Practice

Liam A. Sinclair

Harper Adams University,

Edgmond, Shropshire, UK

Outline

• Factors influencing feed prices

• Concentrate feeding

• Protein nutrition

• Alternative forages & supplementation at grass

• Winter mineral feeding

World milk production trends

• World wide = 122 million dairy farmers

• Keep 363 million dairy cows and buffalo

• Average size of <3 cows/herd

• Yield 2100 kg/cow

• US = 115 cows and 9678 kgUK = 125 cows and 7445 kgNZ = 393 cows and 3716 kg

Where will world dairying be in 10 years?

Performance indicator 2023 Change vs 2012

Milk production 1,006 mill tonnes ECM +225 million tonnes+29%

Where will world dairying be in 10 years?

Performance indicator 2023 Change vs 2012

Milk production 1,006 mill tonnes ECM +225 million tonnes+29%

Per capita consumption 111 126 kg/capita/yr +13%

World population 8bn +14%

Where will world dairying be in 10 years?

Performance indicator 2023 Change vs 2012

Milk production 1,006 mill tonnes ECM +225 million tonnes+29%

Per capita consumption 111 126 kg/capita/yr +13%

World population 8bn +14%

Milking cattle 359 406 million +47 million+13%

Milk yield 2100 2400 kg ECM +300 kg ECM+14%

IFCN (2013)

• Increased milk production achieved by:

- using less human usable feeds

- using less land and water

- using less energy/fossil fuels

- less impact on the environment

- higher welfare standards

- less drugs/pesticides/herbicides

- higher quality: microbiology

safety

nutrition

The problem facing milk producers

Extra 80 million people next year

Feed costs and milk price

Supplementation

• In Western countries, 2 main systems of production:

a) High output

b) Grazing based

• Increase yield in many countries based on use of purchased concentrates

• Issues regarding feeding level and rate of degradability of starch

• Competition for human food and fuel

• Greater reliance on by-product feeds, and improving the nutritional value of feeds

• Price of by-products often shadow that of cereals

• By product feeds:

higher in fibre

lignified

anti-nutritional factors

Protein, kg/kg

product

Edible protein

kg/kg product

Poultry meat 3.0 2.1

Milk 5.6 0.7

Beef 15.5 1.6

g/kg DM of concentrate feeds

in the UK

Cereal grain 200

Cereal by-products 150

Soya bean meal 70

Rapeseed meal 350

Other by-products 220

Minerals/vitamins 10

Human edible portion 0.36

Wilkinson (2011)

Wilkinson (2011)

By-product/high fibre feeds

• Increased demand for cereals for food and

biofuel

• Approx., 120 mt (40%) maize used for

bioethanol in USA in 2013

• Main by-product (distillers grains) are of high

but variable quality

• e.g. protein of 312 g/kg DM, oil of 120 g/kg

DM, ME of 11.5-13.5 MJ/kg DM

• Milk quality issues only at high inclusion rates

• Accurate feed evaluation important

Paz et al. (2013)

15

20

25

30

35

0 0-10 10-20 20-30 30-40

Inta

ke

or

yie

ld (

kg

/d)

Inclusion rate (%DM)

Schingoethe et al. (2009)

Yield

Intake

Protein nutrition

• Considerable fluctuations in cost of soybean meal

• Only around 20-35% of dietary N is captured in milk

• Efficiency of N capture declines with dietary protein level

100

200

300

400

500

Co

st

£/t

3 fold increase

N utilisation

Soya bean meal

monthly index

Milk yield responses to level of

dietary protein

Problem: As dietary protein is reduced, so is milk yield

Dietary protein and stage of lactation

Reducing CP to around 160 g/kg DM – no major hit on yield (Sinclair et al., 2014)

Dietary CP < 160 g/kg DM can reduce yields

Early lactation most sensitive period

Reducing CP to 140 g/kg DM from mid lactation

Will reduce costs

Will increase efficiency of N use

144/144

114/114

114/144

144/173

Law et al. (2009)

173/173

173/144144/144

Protein quality

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

0 10 20 30 40 50

MP

re

qu

ire

me

nt,

g/d Total MP

Milk yield, kg/d

Microbial

By-pass

Protein degradability in forages and feeds

% crude

protein

% rumen

available

%

By-pass

Grass silage 14 80 20

Lucerne 20 83 17

Soya bean meal 54 67 33

• Lower producing animals: rumen microbes

can supply all of the protein requirements

• Higher producing animals have a greater

requirement for by-pass protein

• Fermented forages low in by-pass protein

• Requirement for higher protein forages

that are higher in by-pass protein

- plant breeding

- additives (e.g. tannins)

Alternative forages

Control L20 L40 L60

DM intake, kg/d 24.5b 24.9b 24.5b 23.4a

Milk yield, kg/d 42.2 40.7 40.2 40.5

Milk fat, g/kg 41.1 40.6 40.4 41.8

Live weight change, kg/d 0.21 0.23 0.13 0.05

Lucerne: • Grown on 30 million ha worldwide in 2009• Legume • High in protein• Drought tolerant• Functional fibre

Replacement of grass/maize silage with lucerne• Grass: Maize silage (40:60)• Grass: Lucerne: Maize (20:20:60)• Lucerne: Maize (40:60)• Lucerne: Maize (60:40)

Savings in feed costs

kg/d Control L60

Soyabean meal 2.3 1.7

Urea 0.12 0.0

Wheat 3.3 3.5

Sugar beet pulp 1.8 1.9

- 0.6 kg/d

- 0.12 kg/d

+ 0.2 kg/d

+ 0.1 kg/d

• Current purchased feed costs = max saving of 23 p/day (or £23/d for 100 cows)

• For L20 saving = 0.5 p/day

Grazing high yielding cows

• Farmer and public interest in continuous housing of dairy cows

• Previous studies at HAU have investigated cow preference to be at pasture or housed

• Other strategies?

Influence of grazing during the day without (DG) or with (DGT)

access to TMR in the field compared to housing (C)

C DGT DG Sign

Grass intake, kg DM/d --- 1.1 0.8 ns

Milk yield, kg/d 38.6 38.0 35.3 <0.01

Milk fat, g/kg 37.0 37.9 35.4 ns

Weight change, kg/d 1.1 0.45 -0.11 <0.01

Grazing high yielding cows

• Farmer and public interest in continuous housing of dairy cows

• Previous studies at HAU have investigated cow preference to be at pasture or housed

• Other strategies?

Influence of grazing during the day without (DG) or with (DGT)

access to TMR in the field compared to housing (C)

C DGT DG Sign

Grass intake, kg DM/d --- 1.1 0.8 ns

Milk yield, kg/d 38.6 38.0 35.3 <0.01

Milk fat, g/kg 37.0 37.9 35.4 ns

Weight change, kg/d 1.1 0.45 -0.11 <0.01

Methane, g/kg milk 14.6 12.8 12.7 <0.05

Typical mineral feeding levels in UK

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

% o

f N

RC

(2

00

1)

req

uir

emen

ts

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

% o

f N

RC

(2

00

1)

req

uir

emen

ts

All herds

Organic herds

Phosphorus

• Much debate regarding P supply

• Traditionally fed at high levels particularly to benefit

intake, milk production and reproduction

• Issues relating to cost and environmental impact

• Recent studies long term (4 yr) studies do not

justify high levels of P

4.4 g/kg DM 3.6 g/kg DM s.e.m.

Yield, kg (year 4) 9002 8976 394.0

Fat, g/kg 39.9 40.7 1.26

Protein, g/kg 32.7 33.2 0.56

Depth of rib, mm 12.0 11.4 0.36

Faecal P output, g/d 75.0 41.2 1.31

CI, d (av. 4 lactn) 383 392 ns

Ferris et al. (2010a,b)

Conclusions

• Continuing worldwide increase in demand for dairy products

• Continuing increase in cow numbers and milk yield

• Traditionally increase in yield through supplementation

• Reduction in traditional feeds/introduction of new feeds and forages

• Improvements in rumen function and monitoring

• Plant breeding for nutritive value (e.g. high EPA/DHA Camelina)

• Increased reliance of nutrition on: cow health & welfare

fertility

environment

milk quality

• More accurate nutrient requirements and supply

Thank you for listening!

Part of the DairyCo Research Partnerships