scholarly journals Effects of Feeding either Red or White Grape Marc on Milk Production and Methane Emissions from Early-Lactation Dairy Cows

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Moate ◽  
Joe L. Jacobs ◽  
Josh L. Hixson ◽  
Matthew H. Deighton ◽  
Murray C. Hannah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Control Diet ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Partial Replacement ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Grape Marc ◽  
The Cost

Globally, annual production of grape marc (GM), the residue of skins, seeds and stems remaining after making wine, has been estimated to be approximately nine million tonnes. No previous studies have compared effects on milk production and methane emissions when GM from either red or white grapes was fed to dairy cows. This experiment examines the effects of partial replacement of a perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) based diet with GM from either red or white grapes on yield and composition of milk and methane emissions. Thirty-two Holstein dairy cows in early lactation were offered either a control diet containing 15.0 kg dry matter (DM) of freshly harvested perennial ryegrass and 5.2 kg of a concentrate mix, or a diet similar to the control diet but with 5 kg DM of ryegrass replaced with 5 kg DM of GM from red grapes (RGM), or a diet similar to the RGM diet except the GM was from white grapes (WGM). Individual cow feed intakes, milk yields, and methane emissions were measured. Both diets containing GM decreased milk yields by approximately 10% and methane emissions by 15%. When fed to dairy cows, GM reduces methane emissions but at the cost of decreased milk production.

scholarly journals Manipulation of the pre-partum diet of dairy cows to promote early adaptation to perennial ryegrass herbage

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.M. Russo ◽  
W.J. Wales ◽  
B.J. Leury ◽  
M.C. Hannah ◽  
E. Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Negative Energy ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Esterified Fatty Acids ◽  
Condition Score

The diet of dairy cows in Ireland traditionally changes abruptly from predominantly pasture silage before calving to grazed perennial ryegrass immediately after calving. This potentially leads to problems with adaptation of microbes in the rumen with consequences of reduced intake and ultimately lower milk production. This experiment aimed to determine if introducing first-lactation dairy cows to perennial ryegrass herbage in the final weeks of pregnancy, thus eliminating a major dietary change at calving, could improve the adaptation process, potentially increasing dry matter intake (DMI) and milk production in early lactation. Three weeks prior to their expected calving date, 14 spring calving dairy cows were assigned to one of two treatments (n = 7): pasture silage pre-partum and perennial ryegrass herbage post-partum, or perennial ryegrass herbage both pre- and post-partum. Treatment diets were fed for 11 (±7) d pre-partum and for 14 (±0) d post-partum. For both treatments, DMI increased post-partum, but there was no difference between treatments, pre- or post-partum (5.9 and 8.8 kg DM/cow per day, respectively). There were no differences in milk yield or composition between the treatments. Body condition score declined following parturition but there were no differences between treatments. Plasma non-esterified fatty acids, glucose and β-hydroxybutyrate were also unaffected by treatment but did indicate a state of negative energy balance in early lactation. The results of this experiment suggest that pre-partum adaptation to perennial ryegrass herbage would not benefit milk production in first-lactation dairy cows in early lactation in Irish dairy farms employing this system.

scholarly journals Economic Analysis of Offering Different Herbage Allowances to Dairy Cows Fed a Partial Mixed Ration

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1704
Author(s):  
Christie K. M. Ho ◽  
Martin J. Auldist ◽  
Marlie M. Wright ◽  
Leah C. Marett ◽  
Bill Malcolm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Dairy Cow ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Total Milk ◽  
Net Benefits ◽  
Grazing Dairy Cows ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Dairy Cow Nutrition ◽  
Feeding Systems

The economics of grazing dairy cows offered a range of herbage allowances and fed supplements as a partial mixed ration (PMR) were examined where profit was defined as the margin between total milk income and the cost of pasture plus PMR supplement. The analysis made use of milk production and feed intake data from two dairy cow nutrition experiments, one in early lactation and the other in late lactation. In early lactation and at a PMR intake of 6 kg DM/cow per day, the profit from the cows with access to a medium herbage allowance (25 kg DM/cow per day) was AUD 1.40/cow per day higher than that for cows on a low allowance (15 kg DM/cow per day). At a higher PMR intake of 14 kg DM/cow per day, the profit from the cows on a medium herbage allowance was AUD 0.45/cow per day higher than the cows on a low allowance; there was no additional profit from increasing the herbage allowance from medium to high (40 kg DM/cow per day). In late lactation, the profit from the cows fed a PMR with a medium herbage allowance (20 kg DM/cow per day) was only higher than the cows on a low allowance (12 kg DM/cow per day) when the PMR intake was between 6 and 12 kg DM/cow per day. There was also a difference of AUD +0.50/cow per day between the PMR with medium and high herbage allowance (32 kg DM/cow per day). It was concluded that farmers who feed a PMR to dairy cows should offer at least a medium herbage allowance to optimize profit. While feeding additional PMR increases milk production and profit, further gains would be available by offering a higher herbage allowance. These findings provide an estimate of the net benefits of different herbage allowances when feeding a PMR and will enable farmers to manage their feeding systems more profitably.

Effects of feeding wheat or corn and of rumen fistulation on milk production and methane emissions of dairy cows

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 891 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Moate ◽  
S. R. O. Williams ◽  
M. H. Deighton ◽  
M. C. Hannah ◽  
B. E. Ribaux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Canola Meal ◽  
Ch4 Emissions

There has been little research that has quantified methane (CH4) yields when dairy cows consume diets containing wheat grain. Furthermore, although rumen-fistulated animals have been used in many experiments concerned with measuring CH4 emissions, no research has examined the effect of rumen fistulation on in vivo CH4 emissions and yield. This experiment examined the effects of including either wheat or corn grain in the diet and the effects of rumen fistulation on yields of milk and milk components, CH4 emissions, yields, and intensities. Eight rumen-fistulated and six non-fistulated Holstein dairy cows in late lactation were offered a wheat-based diet (WHT) and a corn-based diet (CRN) in a crossover design. For the WHT diet, cows were offered daily, 22.4 kg DM containing 45.5% lucerne hay, 8.9% canola meal, 0.5% mineral mix, 0.5% molasses powder and 44.6% rolled wheat. The CRN diet was similar to the WHT diet except that rolled corn replaced the wheat. There was no difference between the WHT and CRN diets on mean milk yields (27.8 vs 27.9 kg/day), but the WHT diet substantially reduced milk fat concentration (2.76 vs 4.23%) and milk fat yield (0.77 vs 1.18 kg/day). Methane emissions (218 vs 424 g/day), CH4 yield (11.1 vs 19.5 g/kg dry matter intake) and CH4 intensity (7.6 vs 15.7 g/kg milk) were all reduced ~45% by the WHT diet compared with the CRN diet. Rumen fistulation did not affect dry matter intake, milk production, milk composition or CH4 emissions, but decreased CH4 yield and intensity. Including wheat in the diet of dairy cows has the potential to be an effective strategy to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, rumen fistulation was associated with a small reduction in CH4 yield and intensity, and this should be considered when using rumen-fistulated cows in research concerned with CH4 emissions.

Hay supplements to overcome underfeeding of dairy cows. 1. Early lactation

1981 ◽  
Vol 21 (109) ◽  
pp. 148 ◽  
Author(s):  
CR Stockdale ◽  
KR King ◽  
IF Patterson ◽  
DT Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Economic Use

Seventy-seven cows of mixed breeds were allocated a range of pasture only or pasture/hay diets for the first 60 days of lactation. The variation in level of pasture intake was achieved by stripgrazing. The average in vitro dry matter digestibility and nitrogen content of the pasture offered was 72.0 and 3.11 % respectively, while those of the hay were 63.3 and 2.24%. The pasture alone treatments examined the effects of underfeeding on dairy cow productivity and the pasture/hay treatments established the extent to which these effects could be overcome by the use of hay as a supplement to limited pasture. After 60 days, all cows were grazed as one group at a stocking rate of 6.0 cows ha-1. Underfeeding in the first 60 days of lactation resulted in a loss of 68.3 kg milk/cow for each kg reduction in daily pasture intake, together with a decline in liveweight and body condition. When hay was offered as a supplement, it overcame the effects of underfeeding to a large extent although milk production still declined by 31.3 kg/cow for each kg reduction in daily pasture intake. There was a residual loss in milk production of 0.6 times the immediate loss for 60 days of underfeeding. The residual benefit gained from feeding hay at any level of underfeeding averaged 0.5 times the immediate benefit. Hay was unable to counteract completely the effects of underfeeding because its nutritive value for production was only half that of pasture, and the cows could not eat enough of it to overcome this. Some possible variations to these results are considered, taking into account the quality of the pasture and hay used. The economic use of hay as a supplement to limited pasture is discussed. Providing hay is used as a genuine supplement, the use of it will be economic as long as the cost of a kg of hay is less than the price paid for 0.049 kg butterfat. The limitations to this calculation are discussed.

scholarly journals An inhibitor persistently decreased enteric methane emission from dairy cows with no negative effect on milk production

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (34) ◽  
pp. 10663-10668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander N. Hristov ◽  
Joonpyo Oh ◽  
Fabio Giallongo ◽  
Tyler W. Frederick ◽  
Michael T. Harper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Methane Emission ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Body Weight Gain ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Enteric Methane

A quarter of all anthropogenic methane emissions in the United States are from enteric fermentation, primarily from ruminant livestock. This study was undertaken to test the effect of a methane inhibitor, 3-nitrooxypropanol (3NOP), on enteric methane emission in lactating Holstein cows. An experiment was conducted using 48 cows in a randomized block design with a 2-wk covariate period and a 12-wk data collection period. Feed intake, milk production, and fiber digestibility were not affected by the inhibitor. Milk protein and lactose yields were increased by 3NOP. Rumen methane emission was linearly decreased by 3NOP, averaging about 30% lower than the control. Methane emission per unit of feed dry matter intake or per unit of energy-corrected milk were also about 30% less for the 3NOP-treated cows. On average, the body weight gain of 3NOP-treated cows was 80% greater than control cows during the 12-wk experiment. The experiment demonstrated that the methane inhibitor 3NOP, applied at 40 to 80 mg/kg feed dry matter, decreased methane emissions from high-producing dairy cows by 30% and increased body weight gain without negatively affecting feed intake or milk production and composition. The inhibitory effect persisted over 12 wk of treatment, thus offering an effective methane mitigation practice for the livestock industries.

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