8/13/2012

Feeding Grazing Dairy Cows

Very Good Pasture vs. The Cow

Pasture 25 36 1.54 Avg. Cow 23 16 28-30 1.5

Intake, kg Protein,% NDF, % Energy, Mcal/kg

Bill Weiss Animal Sciences Wooster, OH

Holstein cow, 30 kg of milk

High Quality Pasture and Protein

Imbalance between RDP and Energy -Inefficient use of protein (lots of urine N loss) - Energy wasted making urea -Less milk protein ( $)

Milk protein = Microbial protein + RUP

With Pasture:
- Low microbial protein because of energy - Pasture has low proportion of RUP

Cant we just feed some bypass protein ?

Bypass protein (RUP)

Roasted soybeans Treated soybean meal Distillers grains Animal protein meals

Energy usually limits production for grazing cows

Higher NEL requirement (walking and eating) Lower NEL intake (fiber, digest, and chewing)

Pasture + RUP doesnt increase milk protein ENERGY!!!

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Grazing Work
Body weight (Bigger = more work) Distance walked (Farther = more work) Topography (Hilly = more work) Time spent eating (More = more work)

Activity Equations
Walking (Pasture to parlor)
NEL/day = 0.00045 x BW x km

Gathering pasture
NEL/day = 0.0012 x BW

BW=kg

Walking hilly ground (200 m vertical)

NEL/day = 0.006 x BW

NEL cost of grazing Distance = 1 km

8 7 6
NEL, Mcal/km

Milk energy cost of grazing Distance = 1 km

~10 Mcal/d
Milk Equivalent, kg/day
Flat Hilly

Maint. ~8 Mcal/d

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Jersey Holstein Flat Hilly

5 4 3 2 1 0

Jersey

Holstein

NRCMgmtEnvironmentInputScreen

Software bug for grazing Activity is 2X actual

DonotenteractualdataintoNRC LookinTable,findactualvaluesbutenter valuesfromtableinstead Energyrequirementsshownwillbe approximatelycorrect

Distancewalkedtoparlor Qualitativeadjuster

SeeTableinBook

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Supplemental Energy Sources

Starchy Corn grain Oats Wheat Fibrous Soyhulls Distiller/brewers Gluten feed Fat Starch+Fiber Wheat midds Corn silage Tallow Commercial fats Cottonseed Whole soybeans

Concentrate fed to grazing cows increases milk yield

80 70
Milkyield,lbs/day

Early lactation: 1 kg conc = 1 kg milk <90 DIM +1 kg conc = -0.5 kg past. DMI Late lactation: 1 kg = 0.7 kg milk >150 DIM
0 5 10 15 20 LbsofConcentrateFed/day 25 30

60 50 40 30 20 10

Bargo et al., 2003

Feeding concentrate to grazing cows increases milk protein

Protein % increase = 0.05 + 0.011 X kg conc. 1 kg conc = +0.1 units
3.5
Protein,%orkg/d

Type of Supplement (starch vs. fiber)

vs
Milk yield: Starch is a little better

3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 Protein% Proteinlbs

0 3.2 kg 6.4 kg

Milk fat%: Fiber is a little better Milk fat yield: Equal Milk protein%: Starch is better Milk protein yield: Starch is better

McEvoy et al., 2008

Type of Supplement (starch vs. fiber)

Supplemental Fat and Grazing Cows

- Expensive - Doesnt support rumen microbial growth - Inconsistent milk response - No or negative milk protein response - Usually increases milk fat % Save Money: Buy Corn

vs
Other Issues 1. Max. Starch-based: 2.5 -3.5 kg/feeding 2. Difficult to limit all group fed cows 3. Health concerns if too much is fed

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Supplemental Concentrate:
1. More milk (0.7 to 1 kg/kg conc.) 2. More money ($2 return/1$ spent) 3. More milk protein (+0.1 point) 4. Less pasture intake (0.5 kg/kg conc.) 5. Greater stocking rate 6. Better body condition 7. Decreases or no effect on milk fat 8. Increases cash costs

Supplemental Corn Silage for Grazing Cows

Corn Silage DM, % CP, % NDF, % NEL, Mcal/lb Starch, % Sugars, % 30 40 7-9 35 45 0.62 0.70 25 35 02 Pasture 12 22 20 30 30 45 0.65 0.75 05 5 - 15

CornSilageforGrazingCows at18or30kgpastureallowance andnoconcentrate

18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 0CS 7kg

Corn Silage and Grazing

-Grass pasture
35 0 2.5kg

-Conc. at 1 kg/4 kg milk

Kg/day

30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Milk PastureDMI

-130 DIM at start -0 or 2.5 kg Corn Sil DM -High PA

Holden et al., 1995 (PA)

18 kg

30 kg 18 kg
DMI

30 kg 18 kg
Milk

30 kg

Pasture DM

Perez-Prieto et al., 2011

Corn Silage and Grazing

-Grass pasture
3.7 0 3.6 3.5 3.4
%

Corn Silage and Grazing: review

2.5kg

When Pasture is Limited 1. Cow respond - DMI - Milk yield - Protein % and lbs. - Body condition

-Conc. at 1 kg/4kg milk -130 DIM at start -0 or 2.5 kg Corn Sil DM -High PA
Holden et al., 1995 (PA)

3.3 3.2 3.1 3 2.9 2.8 Milkfat Milkprotein

2. Response similar to concentrate at low inclusion rates (< 2.5 kg)

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Corn Silage and Grazing: review

When Pasture is NOT Limited 1. Dont expect production response 2. Reduces pasture DMI which allows increased stocking rate 3. More cows might mean more profits

Corn Silage: Other Issues

1. May improve grain use efficiency

Blend of silage + grain reduce acid risk Feed available in drought

2. Reduces risk (long term: more profit) 3. Must feed enough to keep fresh

Remove 6-8 per day

4. Must make the silage correctly

Good starch digest, no mold, no heat

Minerals-Grazing Cows
Magnesium
Bioavailability may be low (high K) K/(Mg+Ca) < 2.0

Guidelines
Must supplement energy
Do not use only starchy feeds Supplement at 1 kg/3 kg of milk when pasture quality not high Supplement at 1 kg/4 kg to 1/5 when pasture quality is high Corn silage can be useful

Copper
Bioavailability may be low (soil) Increase diet conc 1.25 to 1.5 X

Pasture CP >18%: No extra CP needed Pasture CP <18%: Balance to 15-16% CP