principles of feeding the dairy cow

Question 1

how much will a lactating cow need to eat in a day

Answer 1

• target range ~20-25 kg dry matter per day (40-50kg/day of a 50% DM ration)
• higher in larger/higher producing cows

Question 2

how much will a dry cow eat in a day

Answer 2

• target ~12-16kg DM/day
• generally falls in late dry period especially pre calving

Question 3

list common feeding systems for dairy cows

Answer 3

individual feeding
- more precise/more scope to tailor ration to specific cow
- can mean most/all of concentrate feed is in 2 large meals

no individual feeding
- usually need cows in more groups (unless seasonal calving)
- can mix concentrate in which forage so each bite is the same
- also called TMR feeding
- all concentrate feed is mixed with forage and fed with ad lib access
- all cows in same group get exactly the same ach day

Question 4

negative energy balance leads to:

Answer 4

• reduced milk quality
• decreased fertility
• impaired immune function
• role in other diseases (LDA)

Question 5

how do you prevent rumen acidosis

Answer 5

• good feed intake to supply energy (rather than high energy density)
• avoid large concentrate heavy meals
• sufficient lon fibre