Milk production and composition were measured for 49 days in early lactation in 40 Holstein-Friesian cows fed 8 kg/day (fresh weight) of 1:1 mixtures of either rolled barley-lupin grain (Lupinus angustifolius L. cv. Gungurru) or barley-common vetch grain (Vicia sativa L. cv. Blanche Fleur). All cows were fed 1 kg/day of a pelleted concentrate containing minerals and vitamins, and wilted perennial ryegrass-subterranean clover pasture silage was available ad libitum with restricted grazing of perennial ryegrass-subterranean clover pasture. Cows ate all of the barley-lupin grain and barley-vetch grain mixtures. Mean daily dry matter intakes of silage (kg/cow.day) were 9.9 and 9.8 for cows fed the barley-lupin grain and barley-vetch grain mixtures respectively. Estimated pasture DM intake was 3.0 kg/cow.day. Mean daily yields of milk (L), fat (kg) and protein (kg) were significantly (P<0.001) greater for cows fed the barley-lupin grain mixture (30.3, 1.30 and 0.92 respectively) than for those fed the barley-vetch grain mixture (27.7, 1.23 and 0.87 respectively). Cows fed the barley-vetch grain mixture gained 0.2 kg/day more liveweight than those fed the barley-lupin grain mixture. Although both common vetch grain and lupin grain were readily eaten by dairy cows, when fed as protein supplements to a high quality silage and pasture-based diet in early lactation, cows fed the vetch grain produced less milk and milk components. This may be related to the greater partitioning of nutrients to liveweight gain rather than to toxicity problems in the cows fed vetch grain.
Milk production and composition was determined in Holstein-Friesian cows fed either 3.5 or 7.0 kg dry matter (DM) daily of lupin grain, pea grain, faba bean grain or barley grain with or without 1.5% added urea, as supplements to an oaten hay based diet. All the grains were hammermilled. Daily yields of milk (L), fat (kg) and protein (kg) were significantly (P<0.05) higher for cows fed lupin (20.0, 0.81, 0.57), pea (18.9, 0.80, 0.56) and faba bean (18.9, 0.79,0.55) grains compared with those of cows fed barley grain with (17.8, 0.73, 0.51) or without (18.0, 0.71, 0.52) urea. Yields of milk (L), fat (kg) and protein (kg) and milk protein content (g/kg) were significantly (P<0.05) higher when 7.0 kg DM (19.5, 0.80, 0.57, 29.6) compared with 3.5 kg DM (18.0,0.73,0.51,29.0) of grain was fed. There were no significant differences between treatments in hay DM intake by cows fed 3.5 kg DM of grain daily. A significantly (P<0.05) higher milk fat production per unit DM intake was recorded for cows fed legume compared with barley grain. There were generally higher returns above grain cost for cows fed legume compared with barley grain and for cows fed 4 kg compared to 8 kg daily of grain. It was concluded that it was more economical to feed 3.5 kg DM of legume grain compared with 3.5 kg DM of barley grain, with or without urea, as supplements for cows offered cereal hay in early lactation. However, the economics of feeding 7.0 kg DM of legume grain compared with 7.0 kg DM of barley grain and 7.0 kg DM compared with 3.5 kg DM of grain will depend on the costs of relative changes in hay intake associated with these practices.
Two groups of 90 Holstein-Friesian heifers were grown at 0.60 kg/day liveweight gain up to 110 kg liveweight and then grown at either 0.18, 0.62 or 0.94 kg/day for 15 weeks commencing at about 4 months of age. All heifers were then grown at 0.59 kg/day, except for a period of 15 weeks commencing at 4.5 months of pregnancy when the heifers grown at 0.62 kg/day from 110 kg liveweight were grown at either 0.22, 0.59 or 1.06 kg/day. Groups of heifers were milked or slaughtered either at mating (300 kg liveweight) or 2 weeks after calving and the chemical and histological composition of the udders determined. Mean daily yields (kg) of milk fat and solids not fat (SNF) during the first 10 weeks of the first lactation were significantly (P< 0.05) higher for heifers grown at 0.18 (0.70, 1.58) and 0.62 kg/day (0.61, 1.42) than for those grown at 0.94 kg/day (0.49, 1.19) before mating. During the complete first lactation, there was a trend for higher milk fat yield (kg) and concentration (g/kg) of heifers grown at 0.18 kg/day (122, 44) compared with those grown at 0.62 (119, 41) and 0.94 kg/day (114, 41) before mating. During the first 10 weeks of the second lactation, the mean daily yield (kg) of milk fat was significantly (P < 0.05) higher for the heifers grown at 0.18 kg/day (0.79) than for those grown at 0.62 (0.68) and 0.94 kg/day (0.74) before first mating. Rate of liveweight gain of the heifers during pregnancy had no significant effect on the production of milk or milk components. There were generally no significant differences in the composition of the udders from heifers grown at different rates of liveweight gain before mating or during pregnancy. It was concluded that, although there were no detrimental effects of rearing heifers at 0.18 kg/day before mating on production during the first lactation, the economic implications of at least a 6-month delay in commencement of lactation compared with heifers reared at a rate of liveweight gain of 0.62 kg/day must be considered.
Seven Friesian cows in each of four treatment groups consumed hay and a rolled barley concentrate in the ratios of 100:0, 80:20, 60:40 and 37:63 respectively. Cows fed on only hay consumed less dry matter than cows fed on barley and hay and produced less milk, fat, solids not fat, protein and casein. Solids not fat, protein, casein, β-lactoglobulin and α-lactalbumin percentages were generally higher when the ration contained a higher proportion of concentrate, although milk fat percentages were similar for all treatments. Casein, β-lactoglobulin and α-lactalbumin concentrations relative to the concentration of total protein were similar for all treatments. Milk fat from cows fed on hay only was generally lower in C10, C12, C18:2 fatty acids and higher in C18:1 and C18:3 fatty acids than milk fat from cows fed on hay and concentrate. The rennet curd firmness of the milk increased as the proportion of concentrate in the diet increased. The mean maximum heat stability of the skimmed milk from individual cows generally decreased as the proportion of concentrate in the diet increased.
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