Dairy nutrition--Almeida pt. 1 Flashcards
percentage of dairy farms that are family owned
97%
Average size of a dairy herd?
179 cows
T/F: Milk production is increasing but the number of dairy cows is decreasing
True
T/F: Larger dairy farms have higher costs and higher profits
False: Larger dairy farms have lower costs and higher profits
Cattle breeds (7) specialized in milk production? Which is the most common?
Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein-Friesland (most common), Jersey, Milking shorthorn, red and white
Dairy cow production cycle?
1) Heifers/cows inseminated (AI)
2) Gestation period: 280 days
3) At calving, milking begins
4) Lactation takes 305 days, followed by 60 days of dry period
6) Animals are inseminated again 85 days after parturition and will calve at the end of the dry period
Female calves are kept on artificial milk, weaned at _____ days, and reared for another ____ days.
35-45; 420
T/F: Dairy farms only have births once a year and calves are all at the same stage in the birthing cycle
False: dairy farms have births year-round and cows are in different stages of the cycle
Dairy cows have a lifespan of how many years?
20
T/F: Dairy cows are only profitable for 3-5 lactations, because of lameness, mastitis, and infertility
True
When are dairy cows normally culled?
After 3-5 lactations
When is peak lactation?
Weeks 4-10, followed by decrease until drying off
Fat and protein content decreases until week ___ and then stabilizes
10
DMI increases with _____.
lactation
Body weight and BCS ____ during peak lactation, ____ afterwards (less milk but gestation)
decreases; increases
What do phases 1, 2, 3, and 4 represent during weeks of lactation?
Peak milk, peak DMI, restoration period, dry period (respectively)
Feed costs are about ___ of the total cost of producing milk
40-50%
What are balanced rations and when do milk production cows need to be fed them?
in intensive/commercial milk production cows have to be fed balanced rations = adequate to their productive state and milk production
milk production is always limited by the genetic and environmental components (%):
25% hereditary, 75% environment
What are nutrients used for in dairy cows?
1) Growth in the immature animal
2) Pregnancy (esp. last 3 mo)
3) Fattening/regaining normal weight lost during lactation
4) Maintenance
5) Lactation/milk production
A cow in lactation and fed correctly will use what nutrient proportions for feed and milk production?
1/2 feed for maintenance and 1/2 feed for milk production
A cow in lactation and inadequately fed will:
draw body reserves for maintenance needs and milk production will drop
T/F: Roughages are the cheapest and affordable source of nutrients
True (I know the sentence doesn’t make sense, that’s how it’s written in his notes) \_(--)__/
Because milk production is very demanding, dairy cattle have to be supplemented:
Concentrate feeding and grains
In cattle, 60-80% of the DM should come from _____ and the rest from ______.
roughages; concentrates and/or grain
Feeding value of hay depends on:
Kind of hay/botanical composition (graminae/legume), stage of maturity when cut, harvesting method
When is it ideal to produce hay?
mid Spring
Tell me everything about green chop (4 things)
1) forage harvested and chopped daily
2) fed in bunks
3) moisture content and nutritional value change considerably throughout year
4) as crop matures, cows will eat less of the green chop–less energy intake
Do silages have a higher or lower moisture content than dry roughages?
Higher
Corn silage–whatchu know bout it
1) One of the most popular roughages for dairy cattle
2) Made when kernels have reached the ‘dent’ stage
3) easily stored/handled
4) requires less labor
5) contains 50% grain in a DM basis
6) 8% DM is protein
7) low on minerals
6+7 = supplementation needed
Strawwwwww
1) non-grain part of crops (wheat/oats)
2) low in energy, protein, minerals, vitamins
3) little nutrient value (it kinda sucks)
4) mainly adds fiber = nicer pooping
5) when used, cows must be supplemented with concentrates
6) cheap alternative for feeding dry cows and older heifers (sucks for them)
Pasture
1) requires good management
2) reduces labor at feeding
3) reduces manure handling
4) ideal for dry cows/old heifers
When pasture is fed to lactating cows, it may cause what? (7 things)
drop in milk production drop in milk fat bloating flavors in milk (ew) reduced grain intake watery feces difficulty in getting cows into milking parlor (lol)
T/F: lactating cows get plenty of dry matter if pasture is the major source of roughage
FALSE–lactating cows rarely get enough DM if pasture is the major source of roughage
management practices for pastures to reduce problems
limit grazing time (1-2 hr/d)
feed dry forage before allowing cows on happy pasture
bring cows to barn several hours before feeding
feed silage/hay at this time
T/F: Pastures are to be used as supplementary roughages
true
T/F: Grains are included in dairy rations primarily for protein content
FALSE–primarily for ENERGY content
What is a limiting factor in milk production (if low)?
Energy content
grains contain ____% TDN
70-80
Grains that are ground too fine =
lower digestibility and % milk fat
finely ground grain may also lead to acidosis! :(
CORN
most commonly used grain in dairy rations
high energy
palatable
if grown on farm = cheaper supplement
corn and corn cob meal = 90% TDN
cows tend to feed better when corn is used in the ration
T/F: oats are a shitty feed for dairy cows
FALSE–oats are excellent for dairy cows, and also humans (FYI, no one really cares about humans)
Compared to corn, how do oats rack up in:
Energy content
Digestibility
Protein content
What do they add to the grain mix?
lower energy content than corn
lower digestibility than corn
higher protein content than corn
add fiber to the grain mix!
Oats should not replace more than ___ of corn in the ration
half
Whatchu know about barley
1) same overall energy value for dairy cattle as corn
2) higher in protein than corn
3) not more than 1/2 of the grain ration
Whatchu know ‘bout wheat?
high in energy and protein
diary cows like wheat
high price–not used in dairy rations
not more than 1/2 of the grain ration
What do protein supplements depend on?
amount and qulity of the forage
T/F: protein supplements are the cheap part of the ration
FALSE–expensive
T/F: the quantity of protein is more important than the quality
TRUE
What are the major protein supplements?
What protein supplements are not recommended for dairy cattle?
corn gluten meal distiller's dried grains soybean meal sunflower meal linseed meal cottonseed meal feed-grade urea
fish, meat, and blood meal NOT recommended
What is corn gluten meal?
What is the CP?
by-product of the wet milling of corn for starch and syrup
40-60% CP
T/F: corn gluten meal has a lower energy content than corn grain, has high palatability, and should be limited to 5 lbs/head/day
FALSE–has LOW palatability–everything else is true
Distiller’s dried grains–what are they and what is the protein content?
by-product of grain fermentation for alcohol production; 20-30% protein
Soybean meal–whatchu know ‘bout it (only 4 things)
1) by-product of soybean oil extraction
2) excellent source of protein (all ‘bout them gainz)
3) found in many supplements
4) highly palatable
Sunflower meal:
what is it?
what’s the protein %?
good source of what?
yummy?
by-product of sunflower oil extraction
28-45% protein
good source of protein and phosphorous
less palatable
linseed meal:
what is it?
protein?
adds what?
yummy, but?
by-product of oil extracted from flax seed
good protein supplement
adds shine to hair coat (sale/show animals, shampoo commercials probably)
palatable butttt laxative, so ew
cottonseed meal
what is it?
protein?
yummy?
made from hulled cotton seeds after oil extraction
high protein content
palatable but may cause constipation
T/F: feed-grade urea is an economic non-protein nitrogen (NPN) source for boosting protein levels in ruminant rations
TRUE
Feed-grade urea:
Taste? Toxic? Concentrate mix? Add to corn silage? Add all at once?
bitter taste, must be mixed w/ ration to be eaten
too much is toxic–>no more than 0.4 lb/head/day
concentrate mix–no more than 0.5% urea
if added to corn silage–>no more than 0.5%
gradually increase content so that ruminal bacteria may adapt
What are some by-products of the food industry?
alfalfa meal beet pulp citrus/tomato pulp whole cottonseed molasses
might need to know more details about each, but I’m not about that life right meow
Minerals and vitamins for dairy cattle?
a shit ton:
Ca, P, Mg, K, Na, Cl, S, I, Fe, Cu, Co, Mn, Zn, Se, molybdenum
vitamin A, D, E
salt–NaCl
T/F: well-balanced diets should include mineral and vitamin supplements
TRUE
Ca:P ratio?
1.2:1.0 to 2:1
T/F: dairy cows suffer more from lack of water than from lack of any other nutrient
TRUE
Milk is ___% water
85%
What is the environment of the rumen?
Nearly neutral–pH 6.5
anaerobic
What do microorganisms secrete in ruminants for the digestion of cellulose and hemicellulose (not in monogastrics)?
cellulase, hemicellulase
What are the 6 advantages of rumen microorganisms?
digest cellulose and hemicellulose–extract energy from indigestible feeds
these compounds are fermented by the microorganisms to VFAs
VFA (acetate, propionate, and butyrate) can be absorbed by the animal and used as sources of energy
microorganisms can convert inexpensive NPN sources into protein for animal use
microorganisms can also make their own B vitamins
microorganisms can breakdown some toxins–>ruminant less affected by some poisonous plants
What are the disadvantages of rumen microorganisms?
feed eaten by the animal gets digested by the microorganisms before being absorbed by the animal
sometimes microorganisms will decreases the quality of the feed before the animal uses it (esp. proteins)
Feeding lactating dairy cows:
Not more than ___% CP (DM) in early lactation
Gradually reduce to ___% CP in middle/late lactation
Total ration should contain ___% TDN = ___ Mcal net energy per pound of feed
18-19
13
60-70; 0.6-0.8
What is the basis of dairy feeding?
Forage
You should feed lactating dairy cows ___ pounds of forage (dry matter) per 100 pounds of live weight
1.5-2.8
about 3% of their body weight
What in the ration of lactating dairy cows is needed to maintain milkfat?
Fiber
Minimum of ___ crude fiber in the diet
early lactation–>
late lactation–>
15%
early lactation–>minimum 18% ADF in the DM
late lactation–>increase to 21%
Milk production and feed efficiency may be achieved by balancing what in the diet?
amount of NDF and soluble carbohydrates (sugars and starches)
High levels of soluble carbohydrates in lactating dairy cows will lead to what? What is the recommended level?
high levels will lead to acidosis and low milk fat
recommended level = 30-35%
What is the recommended NDF for lactating dairy cows?
minimum of 28%
What is the recommended ADF for lactating dairy cows?
19-21%
In lactating dairy cows, what should the concentrate mix contain?
0.5-1.0% salt and 1% should be Calcium-phosphorus supplement
What are the most expensive parts of the lactating dairy cow ration?
Grains and protein supplements
How should feed be purchased for lactating dairy cows?
at the least cost per unit of nutrient supplied
What are the 4 different phases for dairy cow feeding?
Phase 1: MOST CRITICAL occurs during the first 70 days of lactation; highest milk production
Phase 2: 70-140 days after calving; decreasing milk production, highest DM intake
Phase 3: 140-305 days after calving; continual decrease in milk production
Phase 4: dry period (40-60 days); beginning of new lactation period
During phase 1 of feeding, when is the maximum production?
around 4 weeks after calving
How much should grain be increased during the first 10 weeks of lactation?
1-1.5 lbs per day
What should the fiber level be kept at during phase 1?
above 15%–>keep rumen working
Grain level should be ___% total DM in the ration during phase 1 feeding
50-55%
T/F: During phase 1 of feeding, 19% of CP is needed: 1 lb of soybean meal/10 lbs of milk produced over 50 lbs recommended
TRUE–I have no idea what it means, but it’s true
What should be done to avoid weight loss during phase 1 of feeding?
add 1-1.5 lbs of fat (preferably animal)
T/F: During phase 2, maximum grain intake should be 1.5% BW and minimum forage should be 2.3% BW
FALSE–maximum grain intake should be 2.3% BW and minimum forage intake should be 1.5% BW (DM basis)
T/F: To keep the rumen functioning during phase 2 you should use feeds high on digestible fiber when grain is 50-60% of the ration (DM) and should feed several times a day
TRUE
What are the likely problems during phase 2?
low milk production, low fat test, ketosis
What occurs during phase 3?
Milk production is dropping
Nutrient needs are lower
Takes less feed to recover a cow at this stage than when they are dry
If have very thin cows–>feed more grain
T/F: Younger cows need extra amounts of nutrients for growth and lactation
TRUE
How many more nutrients do 2 and 3 year olds need?
2 yrs old: 20% more nutrients
3 yrs old: 10% more nutrients
What are the nutrients essentially needed for in dry cows?
the developing calf and to replace losses in body weight (and maintenance)
Why is it important not to overfeed the cow?
increase in BW and fat cows
T/F: it is not important to limit the amount of corn silage
FALSE–it is important
What should the DMI be in dry cows?
2% BW (1% roughage)
What should be increased towards the end of the dry period?
grain–gradually increased so that the animal may be ready for calving and lactation
What are the 4 methods of feeding dairy cows?
traditional, challenge/lead feeding, total mixed rations, automatic concentrate feeders
T/F: In traditional feeding, roughages and concentrates are generally fed ad libitum but fed separately OR concentrates may be fed to cows individually according to milk production
TRUE
How are roughages fed in traditional feeding?
in feed bunks to the entire herd or in mangers in stanchion barns
How is concentrate mix fed in traditional feeding?
individually in mangers in the stanchions or in the milking parlour during milking
What are the 4 major advantages of traditional feeding?
Less specialized equipment
In theory, ea. cow feeds according to individual needs based on production
Allows adjusting concentrate feeding to the stage of lactation
Allows individual feeding for each cow
What are the major disadvantages of traditional feeding (11)
1) Low-producing cows are frequently overfed on concentrates
2) high-producing cows are frequently underfed on concentrates
3) grain feeding equipment and facilities needed t milking parlour
4) dust in milking parlour increases–>hygiene issues
5) cleanup of uneaten grain in the milking parlour is needed
6) milking may be delayed because animals are still eating
7) cows are restless during milking
8) more labor
9) higher costs of equipment
10) less control over the total feeding program
11) careful records of indiv. production and continuous adjustment of concentrate to match production levels are needed
What is the practice in challenge/lead feeding?
feeding higher levels of concentrate to challenge the cow to reach maximum potential milk production
How much concentrate should dry cows be fed in lead feeding?
1/2 pound of concentrate per 100 lbs weight
T/F: In challenge/lead feeding concentrate is gradually increased 2-3 weeks before calving until 1.5 lbs concentrate per 100 lbs of weight is reached
TRUE
T/F: In lead feeding, 4 weeks after calving concentrate is fed 4 lbs per 100 lbs of weight
FALSE: 2 lbs
When should concentrate feeding be constant in challenge/lead feeding?
at maximum milk production
Challenge/lead feeding is used in very ___ operations, in ___-producing dairy farms, is ___-intensive and ___-intensive, requires good ___, and requires daily ___. Cows that do not respond to challenging should be ___.
small high labor time record-keeping milk weighing culled
What does TMR contain?
roughages and concentrates combined to meet the energy, protein, mineral, vitamin and crude fiber needs of the animals
Wheen feeding TMR ad libitum, no ____ are fed on the milking parlor
concentrates
What are some advantages of TMR?
Less labor during feeding Reduced problems with low milk fat Possible to use less palatable feeds masked with the silage Cows stand quietly in the milking parlor Less waste concentrate
What are some disadvantages of TMR feeding?
Special equipment
Cows may not want to enter the parlor if no feed is there
Hay is hard to include in TMR (works better with silage)
If hay is fed separately, may not be balanced for some cows
Fat cows
Complex management
