Protein and energy imbalances in ruminants

Question 0

What should the chopped length of fibre be?

Answer 0

2-4cm. To encourage rumen movement using the scratch factor

Question 1

What affects productivity? 5

Answer 1

Genetics
Diet
Environment
Management
Disease

Question 2

What is the ideal amount of time for a cow to spend lying a day?

Answer 2

14 hours a day - remember the time budget

Question 3

How much trough space should a cow have?

Answer 3

60cm per cow

Question 4

What are 4 most important points to assess when looking at water intake?

Answer 4

Access, cleanliness, TDS (total dissolved solids), cows like to go and drink in groups

Question 5

How should you determine DMI?

Answer 5

Measure it - feed companies can provide this information. estimates are often inaccurate.

Question 6

What is the formula to estimate DMI?

Answer 6

0.025BW + 0.1 milk yield but this is an estimate only

Question 7

What should you consider when making a diet assessment? 3

Answer 7

Accuracy, representative and when?

Question 8

What fibre length will cows sort for?

Answer 8

2cm is their ideal and they will eat this preferentially over longer lengths (e.g. 5-7cm)

Question 9

True or false - in a true TMR system, nothing is fed in the parlour

Answer 9

True

Question 10

What happens if silage is anaerobic? 2

Answer 10

Secondary fermentation, spoilage through heating and moulds can produce mycotoxins.

Question 11

When is it easy to over estimate the value of grazed grass?

Answer 11

Especially in long dry summer

Question 12

What is another term for Mg deficiency?

Answer 12

Grass staggers

Question 13

What is a ‘buffer feed’?

Answer 13

Something you can give before turning a cow out to grass each day if the grass quality isn’t good enough.

Question 14

What does the cow comfort index suggest?

Answer 14

That 1 hour before feeding, 85% cows should be lying down. It gives an indication as to the cubicle comfort.

Question 15

What should milk fat level be?

Answer 15

4.2%

Question 16

What is the main indicator of milk fat levels?

Answer 16

Concentrate : forage.

If this ratio is > 60: 40, the milk fat level will drop significantly as the acetate : propionate ratio is key

Question 17

What MAY low bulk milk fat indicate?

Answer 17

SARA. However different groups within herd may have very different milk fats so low milk fat mat be hidden in overall bulk level.

Question 18

What should milk protein level be?

Answer 18

3.4%

Question 19

When does milk protein level change?

Answer 19

Levels drop after a period of inadequate energy intake. Very difficult to correct quickly

Question 20

How should diet be investigated?

Answer 20

Looking, smelling, handling, asking more than one person, check ration and computer sheets etc.

Question 21

Outline the dung scoring system

Answer 21

Score of 1-5 with 1 being most loose and 5 being most solid. 3 is ideal and should make a slow hand clap once dung hits floor and shouldn’t stick to boots. Apparently this score means a rose should stand up unaided in it!

Question 22

When should you BCS cows?

Answer 22

At different phases of cow life cycle - dry cows, freshly call, 2-4 weeks post calving and late lactation. Ideal Score is 2.5-3

Question 23

When is the most critical time to be aware of a cows BCS?

Answer 23

6 weeks either side of calving

Question 24

What happens if a dry cow has a problem with her BCS?

Answer 24

Poor DMI after calving, metabolic diseases ( ketosis, fatty liver, fat cow syndrome, LDA), poor milk production, poor fertility

Question 25

What happens if a cow looses weight over dry period?

Answer 25

Causes excessive fat mobilisation and makes other metabolic problems more likely too.

Question 26

How should dry cows be divided?

Answer 26

1. ) from dry off until 14d before calving

2. ) from 14d before calving up until the day of calving

Question 27

What are metabolic profiles?

Answer 27

Planned regular blood tests that look at a number of metabolites in normal healthy cows in the herd and give an objective indication as to how well the cows are handling the diet. Needs to be done on a planned regular basis.

Question 28

When should metabolic profiles be done?

Answer 28

Normally about four times a year:

• soon after spring turn out to grass
• mid to late summer when pasture quality is highly variable
• soon after housing
• late in winter housing period

Question 29

When else should you do a metabolic profile?

Answer 29

After any major diet changes

Question 30

How long should you wait after any major change before taking a sample to do a metabolic profile?

Answer 30

Must wait at least 10 days

Question 31

Which cows should be sampled for metabolic profile?

Answer 31

Normal healthy cows that represent those on farm. Don’t include sick, unhealthy or poor doers.

Question 32

How many/which groups should you sample?

Answer 32

• early lactation ( 10-20 days after calving, not later than this)
• mid lactation (100-200 days after calving)
• dry cows (within 14 days of calving)

Sample 6 cows from each group

Question 33

What are common errors that are made with metabolic profiles?

Answer 33

• sampling cows that calves more than 20 days ago
• failure to include some lactation 1 cows in each group
• sampling immediately after a major management change, wait at least ten days
• including problem or poor cows