Improving feed

IMPROVING FEED FOR FRESH COWS IN AUTOMATIC MILKING SYSTEMS

By Luciana Prates CONTRIBUTOR

Dairy producers are continually adapting to advances in technology to maximize yield and profit. Automation in dairy farming has contributed to better herd management, milk production, feed distribution, environmental control and animal health and behaviour. The introduction of automatic milking systems (AMS) is one such technological advancement. This machine was first introduced in Europe where the majority of robots are currently located. Despite this, Canada has about a nine per cent share of these units worldwide.

The AMS brought several benefits to dairy farming practices, such as increased milk production, improved cow comfort and cow health, more flexible lifestyle for producers, reduced milkling labour and fewer routine activities for producers. Moreover, an AMS enhances feeding precision by allowing a specific portion of a cow’s nutritional diet to be individually delivered during milking. The remaining diet, consisting of a partial mixed

Milk Taxi 4.0

ration (PMR), is supplied in the feed bunk. Initially, the AMS was designed to offer a large amount of concentrate feed in the milking unit to attract cows to the robot. However, several recent studies have pointed out a lower feeding rate, usually around four to six kilograms per day, contributes to optimal feed efficiency by precisely meeting each individual cow’s nutrient requirements. It was also found feed presented as a hard pellet showed greater acceptability by cows as opposed to mesh feed.

Although an AMS contributes to refined diets for dairy cows, most of them are equipped with only one feed bin for the entire herd. In this case, the amount delivered per cow is determined only by days in milk (DIM) and milk yield. However, most of the time, pellets show a nutritional composition closer to a dairy total ration, which may contribute to better animal health and performance. It is possible, nutrient requirements for fresh cows are not fully supplied by the pellet delivered to them. Some dairy farms, especially ones expanding their herd or building new facilities, have a pen available for fresh cows only. However, in many cases, there are barns without a fresh cows’ pen where the AMS provides a diet that more accurately fulfils the fresh cows’ needs through the milking unit. On the other hand, some farms may opt for an AMS with two feeding lines and-or a liquid feed line.

Dairy cows face diverse challenges during the transition period. Precise nutritional management in this phase positively affects cow health, production and performance during and after lactation. After calving, cows reduce their dry matter intake (DMI) while their input for nutrients to support production increases. This imbalance between DMI and animal requirements results in a negative energy balance, which can compromise cow performance and peak lactation.

Overall, fresh cows’ diets are focused on increasing dietary energy density, the source of fermentable carbohydrates, and altering the availability of glucogenic nutrients. In this case, a simpler alternative for increasing energy density in the diet is to elevate starch content; however, rapidly increasing dietary starch poses a greater risk of sub-acute rumen acidosis (SARA) and milk fat depression syndrome. Another option is increasing fat content in fresh cows’ diets. Keep in mind, using dietary fat can lead to fibre digestion

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depression and can reduce DMI and milk fat depression. Given these factors, there are some clear limits and boundaries to navigate but there are also opportunities to improve diet formulation, which can be balanced for individual production.

ADDING LIQUID SUGAR

When the AMS is equipped with a liquid feed line, farmers can feed liquid sugars, such as molasses and glycerol, to fresh cows. Sugars yield faster ruminal fermentation than starch or fiber without necessarily reducing rumen pH levels. Some studies have shown fresh cows fed low-starch, high-sugar diets presented greater DMI and milk fat yield than fresh cows fed high-starch, low-sugar diets. Although using sugar will contribute to increased energy density without increasing the risk of rumen acidosis, the low DMI during this period limits fresh cows from obtaining all their nutrients required from the PMR. A second bin for feed would help ensure proper nutrients during this critical stage. In this case, the addition of a second pellet for fresh cows could contribute to a higher energy density in the diet and increase nutrient density. Fresh cows could be given an extra feed containing more sugar, some rumen inert fat and effective rumen buffer ingredients, plus greater levels of rumen-protected amino acids, vitamins and yeast products. Although most dairy cow diets already contain some or all these ingredients, increasing their quantities for the whole herd makes the diet economically feasible.

In barns without a fresh cow pen and when top dressing the PMR is not an option, using a second pellet in the AMS will optimize DMI, energy and micro-nutrient intake. It will also help mitigate body fat mobilization and SARA to maximize lactation and reproductive performance for early lactation cows. Further, using a second pellet in the milking unit will allow your nutritionist to formulate a more refined diet and ensure feed is delivered to each fresh cow individually.

The AMS is a powerful tool that enables precision dairy nutrition and simultaneously enhances a dairy farm’s economic, social and environmental position.

Luciana Prates

is a ruminant nutritionist at Proveta Nutrition Ltd.

Incorporating calf health into herd health, cont’d from page 24

taking blood and colostrum samples, assessing equipment cleanliness and reviewing your calf feeding protocols. They can even support you in staff training.

Is growth performance your goal? By measuring average daily gain and making comparisons at key age intervals, such as birth to seven days, seven days to weaning, and weaning to breeding, your veterinarian can help you optimize performance. They can also help interpret data from calf feeders and troubleshoot other growth issues.

Is reducing morbidity and mortality your goal? Your vet can support you in routine calf health scoring for issues, such as diarrhea and pneumonia, or can do this for you. They can help you track and interpret data on calf health and strive for common calf health targets.

From routine monitoring to lab testing, assessing calf housing and benchmarking health and performance—your vet is there to help you. The key is to start the conversation about your herd’s need and the value of getting your vet involved. Stay focused and start with a few key activities and-or objectives, and then build from there.

TAKE-HOME MESSAGES

The time is right and for many farms, improving calf health is both a need and an opportunity. You already have a trusted relationship with an animal health expert. Next time your vet visits your farm for herd health, take a few minutes to chat about what opportunities might exist to start adding calf health into the mix—you’ll be glad you did.

For more information, visit www.calfcare.ca to access calf health information for producers and a veterinarian portal, which summarizes the science on calf health and welfare veterinarians can put into practice.

This project was funded by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year federalprovincial-territorial initiative.

ACER Consulting

specializes in animal health research and scientific education.

Calf Care Corner delivers the latest information and ideas to help you improve the way calves are raised on your farm. If you have any comments or questions about Calf Care Corner, send an email to info@calfcare.ca. Follow Calf Care Corner on Facebook and Twitter @ CalfCareCorner, and sign up for monthly e-blasts at www. calfcare.ca.

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