Week 5 - 08/10/2024 Flashcards
outline the factors of a low input dairy system
- Max utilisation of least cost feed
o Grass - Competitive resilience
o As costs increase due to inflation how do are you resilient if milk price drops. - But may be suboptimal in periods of higher milk prices
- Farm expansion reliant on high animal numbers
o More cows and more land
o Farms that have grown a lot are based on low input
outline the factors of a high input dairy system
- TMR, confinement
- High output
o Labour costs - Scalable
- Reliance on purchased feed
o Grow good silage - Risky (ability to cope with volatility)?
- Complexity
o Could be many different diets
Fresh cows
Stale cows
Diets for younger animals
o Work life balance not even
o Need to have good workers - Cost control issues
o If multiple diets, straights - they are more complex
outline the factors of a “middle ground” dairy system
- High solids per cow and per ha
- Maintain grass focus
- Moderate use of purchased feed
- Fertility and output goals
features of a low input system
- Matching stocking rate to grass growth rates
- Max utilisation of least cost feed
- Competitive resilience
- May be suboptimal in times of higher milk price
- Farm expansion reliant of high animal numbers
if you have a 600 kg cow how much T of DM should it be consuming
6T
if you are growing 12T of grass, what % of grass should they be utilising
85%
Features of TMR/high input system
- TMR, confinement
- High output
- Scalable
- Reliance on purchased feed
- Risky (ability to cope with volatility)?
- Complexity
- Cost control issues – low margin high volume
what does TMR stand for
total mixed ration
northern ireland systems comparison data
2015 Ferris Three year comparison
a confined system type
calving Oct-Apr,
total Confinement calving to 180days
35% forage and 65% concentrate,
then 40% concentrate 60% forage
Conventional system types
- Autumn calving Oct-Apr, - - Confined calving until turnout,
- then rotational grazing with 5kg feed per cow per day
spring calving system
Holstein Friesian confined until turnout
OR
Jersey cross confined until turnout
feed budget NI dairy system Research (Ferris et al 2015)
DM intake (T/COW/LACTATION)
- Confinement
concentrates: 3.08
grass silage: 2.53
maize silage: 0.67
feed budget NI dairy system Research (Ferris et al 2015)
DM intake (T/COW/LACTATION)
- Conventional
concentrates: 2.18
grass silage: 1.16
maize silage: 0.4
grazed grass: 2.04
feed budget NI dairy system Research (Ferris et al 2015)
DM intake (T/COW/LACTATION)
- spring calving
Holstein
concentrates: 0.74
grass silage: 1.05
grazed grass: 2.79
Jersey
concentrates: 0.74
grass silage: 1.07
grazed grass: 2.69
what is Teagasc 2027 sectoral roadmap do
measures efficiencies
e-Profit Monitor (3)
- Physical performance measures
- Financials – variable and fixed costs
- Compare spring vs winter (milk output, number of farms, drives of cost/profit between the two systems)
what are the measures of profitability (3)
Net margin/cow
Net margin/litre
Net margin/ha
what is the profitability per ha - Teagasc
o 2,500 euro per ha - Teagasc
what does net margin represent
a residual to provide return to the factors of production
i.e labour, capital, invested and land
how much does own labour costs average
6 c/litre
what are not included as costs
provision for taxation and capital repayments are not included as costs
is the profit monito representative of the national average?
who does it represent
-no
- it represents the most cost and profit focused farmers
compared to spring milk producers, how much more tonnes of grass was utilised by the top 25% in the grass utilisation and profit
2.3 tonnes more grass per hectare
overall, farm net profit was £*** higher per hectare on the top grass use farms
£616
Gross output of the top quartile was £**/ha greater than the average spring milk producer spring milk producer as a result
£1266/ha
overall net profit was £* higher per cow and £* hectare (64% higher) than the average spring milk producer who completed the profit monitor
£300
£992
overall net profit was £* higher per cow and £* hectare (57% higher) than the average winter milk producer who completed the profit monitor
£306
£981
regional analysis - spring milk dairy farm 2017
what country has the highest gross output per hectare
cork
- £5460 per hectare
regional analysis - spring milk dairy farm 2017
what country had the lowest variable yield costs per hectare
north west
- £ 1378
regional analysis - spring milk dairy farm 2017
what did the average spring milk producer generate a net profit of per hectare
the average spring milk producer generate a net profit of 2,189 per hectare with cork region generating a £336 higher net profit per hectare
what was the average milk c/litre in 2024
40 c/litre
teagasc national farm survey 2023
what sector had the highest average farm income
and which had the lowest
dairy - £49,400
cattle rearing - 7,400
teagasc national farm survey 2023
% change in FFI 2023 vs 2022
dairy - 69%
sheep- 22%
cattle rearing - 15%
tillage - 71%
cattle other - 19%
teagasc national farm survey 2023
farm viability 2023
sustainable - 41%
vulnerable - 31%
viable - 26%
when is the final Teagasc national farm survey issues
july 2024
what does the teagasc national farm survey 2023 show
what was the average FFI in £
did it increase or decrease since 2022
its the average FFI across all systems
£19925 in 2023
57% decrease on 2022
why was there a drop in the average FFI
due to the sharp reduction in Dairy and Tillage farm incomes
what was the average
1. milk produced in 2023
2. milk sold in 2023
- 12,000 litres
- 11,500 litres
what was the average dairy stocking rate in2023
2.15
the digestive tract of a cow (8)
- mouth
- oesophagus
- rumen
- reticulum
- omasum
- abomasum
- small intestine
- large intestine
know diagram of digestive tract - slide 42
how much digestive material can the rumen contain
100-120 kg
where is the rumen located in the cow
left hand side of the cow
what is the ph of the rumen
5.5-6.5
optimum is 6.2
5.5 rumen is acidic (lead to acidosis)
what temperature is the rumen
38-42 degrees Celsius
what is the rumen made up of
Strong muscular pillars that partially divide it into several sacs
Tongue-like projections called papillae – underlain by an extensive capillary system
what does the rumen act as
a large fermentation vat
what does a vat conatin
milli0ons of bacteria, fungi and protozoa
what does the rumen of all ruminants do
extract and absorb nutrients from fibrous plant material
what are by- products of digestion (2)
VFA’s - acetic, propionic and butyric acids
gases: carbon dioxide and methane
what % of total energy and protein does the rumen supply
60-80%
what is the retention time for fibre particles and why?
Fibre particles remain in the rumen from 20 to 48 hours because bacterial fermentation of fibre is a slow process
do particles such as starch stay in the rumen for a longer or shorter period of time?
why?
shorter
- particles can be digested faster
what do papillae do?
absorb nutrient and increase the absorbing capacity
what is the function of the rumen
maintain stable ph
what does the reticulum act as
a filter- particles that leave the rumen are sorted
what is the surface of the reticulum like
honeycomb surface
what size particles can move onto the third chamber
particles that are small is size (< 1-2 mm) and dense (> 1.2 g/ml)
what happens in the reticulum
cud is rechewed and returned
definition of cud
cud - mass of regurgitated ingesta: bolus
def of ruminat5ion
the regurgitation of rechewing and reswallowing of ingested food
process of rumination (4)
- regurgitate bolus from rumen
- rechew and reinsalivate
- reswallow
- repeat with another bolus
the appearance of the omasum
A spherical-shaped organ containing various-sized leaves
what do the leaves in the omasum prevent
The leaves prevent large particles from leaving the rumen and entering the abomasum
what are the roles of the layers of tissue in the omasum
Lots of layers of tissue which absorb some of the fluid and act as filters so that the food can go on to the final stage of digestion in the abomasum
what is the capacity of the omasum
10 litres
what is the ph of the omasum
6.5
what is the abomasum also known as
true stomach or glandular stomach
what does the abomasum act like
It acts like a regular stomach where acid is secreted and many digestive enzymes
what is th eph of the abomasum
2 - acidic
what size is the small intestine
130 foot long, 2 inch wide tube
what does the ph in the SI increase to
2.5 to between 7-8
what happens in the SI
Feed mixes with secretions from the pancreas and liver – pH increased from 2.5 to between 7 and 8 – necessary for enzymes to work
what sort of digestion occurs in the SI
Enzymatic digestion
what increases the surface area for absorption
villi
what doe muscular contractions do?
mix the digesta and move it to large intestine
what is the large intestine made up of
caecum, colon, rectum
functions of the LI (3)
- Absorb water
- Microbial activity
- Waste storage
what is the primary purpose of the LI
to absorb water from the digesta
what works at digesting feed that escaped earlier
what % does this contribute to
hind gut bacteria
- 15%
what % of dry weight of faeces can be of microbial origin
50%
digestive enzymes : saliva (3)
- no enzymes
- important as a lubricant and a source of buffers
- a 600kg cow on a forage diet – 170 litres
digestive enzymes : rumen(2)
- no enzymes
- bacteria, fungi and protozoa
digestive enzymes : abomasum wall (2)
- hydrochloric acid
- pepsinogen (pepsin once activated)
digestive enzymes : small intestine
- liver – bile – emulsifies fat
- pancreas – lipases and proteases
is a calf born with a developed stomach
no it is undeveloped
what is a calf stomach made up of
70% abomasum
30% rumen
are there microbes present in the rumen
no microbes
what happens as the calf grows
calf grows the rumen grows in size and also the microbes become fully functional
what is the reticular/ esophageal groove
a fold of muscle in the undeveloped rumen wall
what causes the reflex closure of the ‘Reticular Groove
suckling action
what does the reticular groove allow?
Milk, colostrum or milk replacer bypasses reticulo-rumen and enters abomasum directly for digestion
what is the formation of the reticular groove controlled by
neural stimulation from suckling (bottle or bucket) and milk proteins
what is the caasein of milk clotted by
Casein of milk clotted by action of rennin and acidity in the abomasum
what is papillae development stimulated by
the end products of microbial fermentation
- specifically butyric acid
- to a lesser extent, propionic acid
how long does it take for the calf ’s rumen begins to develop a population of microbes.
a few days after brith
what does the environment, bedding and hair provide
provide microorganisms that inoculate the calf ’s rumen
Fermentation of Fiber =
higher acetic acid
Fermentation of Starch =
higher propionic and butyric**
what is fresh water essential for
rumen microbes to grow properly and ferment feedstuffs
how long does it take for a rumen to fully develop
8 weeks
% of Total Stomach Capacity - rumen
newborn: 25%
3-4 month 65%
mature: 80%
% of total stomach capacity: reticulum
newborn: 5%
3-4 month 5%
mature: 5%
% of total stomach capacity- omasum
newborn: 10%
3-4 month10%
mature:7-8%
% of total stomach capacity - abomasum
newborn: 60%
3-4 month: 20%
mature: 7-8%
what do microbes require for optimum rumen function (4)
Symbiotic relationship*
Microbes require:
1. Feeds balanced for energy protein, fibre etc.
2. Environment free from oxygen,
3. pH > 6
4. Plentiful supply of water
what does the rumen supply so microbes can grow and reproduce
a suitable environment with generous food supply
The absence of ???????? in the rumen favours the growth of some particular species of bacteria
air (oxygen)
what bacteria favour the absence of air/oxygen
Among them are those that can degrade plant cell walls (cellulose) into simple sugars (glucose)
name the 3 main microflora that exist in a cows rumen
bacteria
protozoa
fungi
what size is
bacteria
protozoa
fungi
archaea
viruses
bacteria - 10^10 to 10^11
protozoa - 10^5 to 10^6
fungi - 10^3 to 10^4
archaea - 10^ 8 to 10^9
viruses
microbial population
a) free in rumen fluid;
b) those associated with feed particles and
c) those associated with the rumen wall
what does the type of organism present depend on:
the type of feed being consumed and level of intake
high forage =
high in cellulose and hemicellulose.
high cereal =
high starch
- Organisms that digest starch will grow
how much does cellulolytic bacteria activity account for
for the majority of fibre digestion in the rumen
what does amylolytic bacteria digest
starch and sugars
rumen bacteria classification
Fibre digesters
Starch and sugar digesters
Lactate using bacteria
Hydrogen-using bacteria
how much does bacteria account for living organisms
Bacteria make up about half of the living organisms but do more than half of the rumen’s digestive work
name the 4 rumen bacteria
- cellulolytic (fibre digesting bacteria)
- amylolytic (starch and sugar digesting bacteria)
- lactate using bacteria
- hydrogen using (or methane) bacteria
cellulolytic - fibre digesting bacteria (dont need to know)
- Fibre digesting bacteria produce Acetate
- They are very sensitive to acid and fat
- High levels of rumen available fat (generally over 5% of the diet) reduce the growth of the fibre-digesters
- Growth Requirements: Cellulose, Hemicellulose, Pectin
amylolytic - starch and sugar digesting bacteria
not important
- Starch and sugar-digesters make up a significant part of the rumen’s bacterial population
- high-producing dairy cows are fed diets containing approx. 23% starches and sugars
lactate using bacteria
not important
- Streptococcus bovis, produce a strong acid called lactic acid.
- Megasphaera elsdenii and Selenomanas ruminantium uses lactic acid to grow.
- This helps to clean up the rumen and raise rumen pH, aiding the growth of the acid-intolerant fibre-digesters
Hydrogen using (or methane) bacteria
not important
- Under normal rumen conditions, hydrogen (H2) does not accumulate in the rumen because it’s used by hydrogen-using bacteria
- Growth Requirements: Carbon dioxide and hydrogen
- Fermentation products: Methane
how does methane bacteria commonly produce methane (equation)
4H2 + CO2 ——-> CH4 + 2H20
What size are protozoa compared to bacteria
40 times the size
what % of microbial mass in the rumen can be made up of protozoa
50%
what are protozoa to the bacteria in the rumen
The protozoa are predators to the bacteria in the rumen - survive by digesting rumen bacteria
what does protozoa produce
fermentation end-products similar those made by the bacteria, particularly acetate, butyrate and hydrogen
where are protozoa found
fibre mat of the rumen
what are most protozoa in the rumen
Most protozoa in the rumen are ciliates, with a few flagellate species
where do rumen methane bacteria live
on the surface of rumen protozoa for immediate access to hydrogen
where do fungi exist
in the rumen
- they attach to particles
- found in cows that are fed very poorly digestible sub- tropical forages
what is commonly absorbed across the rumen wall as microbial fermentation occurs
As microbial fermentation occurs, VFA and ammonia etc are continually being absorbed across the rumen wall – maintains ideal environment
what are included in dairy production to achieve high production levels
cereal grains
lush spring grass
when are fibre- degrading bacteria inhibited
when the ph drops below 6.0
what does excess rapidly fermented CHO on the rumen microbes and environment
acidosis
in addition to cellulose fermentation, what does the functional rumen produce
large amount of bacterial protein that can be digested and absorbed by the ruminant
what does the bacterial protein in the rumen contain and provide?
large amounts of essential amino acids and is an excellent source of protein for the cow
They provide the majority of the amino acids that the host animal requires for tissue maintenance, growth and production
signs of poor rumen function (10)
- Loose dung/diarrhoea
- Gas bubbles in the dung (acidosis)
- Reduced feed intake
- Changes in milk composition
- Weight loss
- Lethargy
- Rapid breathing
- Poor rumination rates/cud rates
- Undigested fibre/grains in the dung
- Tail swishing in the absences of flies
factors affecting rumen function (9)
- Stress
-Abrupt pen movements
-Rapid diet transition
-Rapid increase in feed intakes
-Running out of feed
-High starch and sugars
-Low levels of fibre/NDF
-Insufficient head feed space
-Inconsistent feed mixing (TMR)
in ruminants, what is dietary protein degraded into by the rumen microbes
- amino acids
- ammonia
what do microorganism’s in the rumen use the ammonia as
a nitrogen source to synthesise cell protein
what do cows convert microbial protein to
amino acids
