Nutritional requirements for dairy cattle

Feed provides ruminants the nutrients they need to stay physical fit and upgrade milk yields.

Nutritional requirements of cows rely on body weight, age, sex, and milk production level. To meet the cow’s call for enough nutritional needs one should pick nutrimeal silage.

Diet of cows must have enough nutritional value to support dairy cattle.Below mentioned are some nutrients integral for dairy cattle performanceprovided by India’s largest silage provider.

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Energy

Dairy cattle need energy for milk production, growth, activity, maintenance and pregnancy.Therefore to meet out such requirements energy nutrients are important. Energy content is calculated in mega calories (MCAL), or mega joules (MJ).

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Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates can be classified into two types: Fibrous carbohydrates expressed in NDF and Non-Fibrous carbohydrates expressed in NCF. The carbohydrate fraction in the diet is the most important factor.

Balancing fractions of NDF, NCF and fibers is necessary to improve energy intake. Fiber from corn silage is more effective in storing salivation and cud chewing relatively fiber from other sources.

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Feed Intake

Feed factors also impacts the nutritional value required for dairy cows and growing dairy heifers. Feed consumption is mark as dry matter intake also known as DMI. To know the exact DMI intake animal factors like body size, milk production capacity, age, sex and feed factors like moisture, taste, fermentation process should be considered. Silage for cows is the best feed intake to provide sufficient nutritional value.

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Protein

Demand of protein in dairy cows is high especially in lactating cows. This is because they require amino acids for milk protein synthesis. Protein requirements are evaluated in digestible crude protein (DCP) which is the sum of rumen degradable protein and un-degradable dietary protein.

Early lactation period requires 16-18% DCP, mid lactation period requires 14-16% DCP and late lactation period requires 12-14% DCP. •

Calcium and Phosphorus

The crucial minerals requirement for dairy cattle are calcium and phosphorous. A disproportion of calcium phosphorous ratio can cause infertility. Due to uneven grazing habit deficiency of phosphorous, especially during lactation period can be frequently observed. All the required minerals can be successfully found in silage for animals.

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Water

Water is elixir to humans, so to dairy cattle. Water requirements for lactating dairy cows are 6070 liters per day. These requirements change according to the season, dry matter intake, humidity, ph level of water, and diet. High milk producing cows can require up to 180 liters water per day during summer season.

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Vitamin A, D, E

Most ruminants’ diet needs adequate supply of vitamins to fulfill deficiency. Any excess consumption of water-soluble vitamins doesn’t distress cattle.

Vitamin A is essential for growth and reproduction. Vitamin D helps to increase metabolism of calcium and prosperous. Around 1, 00,000 (IU) of Vitamin A and 50,000 (IU) is important for cows daily. But overdose of Vitamins A and D can lead to death.

Vitamin E is essential to maintain healthy immune system of cows. Lack of Vitamin E due to irregular feeding habits can cause problems at the time of reproduction. 1,000 (IU) is essential for cows daily.

These are the essential nutritional value needed for healthy maintenance of dairy cattle.

Although the correct requirements will vary to age, size, gender and milk producing capacity.

Generally, nutrients deficiency doesn’t occur if silages are the part of diet.