Maaeluvõrgustiku teenistus

GOOD PROJECT EXAMPLE: Development of the Feeding Strategy of the Non-lactating Period for the Dairy Cattle of High Breeding Value

The problem to be solved

In Estonia, great attention has been paid to animal breeding. In the last decades, much consideration has also been given to the feeding of cattle. The feeding programmes are informed and targeted and the quality of the main feeds (particularly silage) has been improved. An increasing number of parameters are taken into consideration in the in-depth formulation of precise feed rations of lactating cows to ensure the provision of dairy cattle of high breeding value with comprehensive nutrition factors, good health, performance and longevity.

Previous research has mostly focused on the feeding of cows during the lactating period. However, the issues concerning the feeding of non-lactating cows have been neglected. At the same time, the end of the previous lactating period and the non-lactating period are the preparation stages of the next lactating period and feeding should contribute to successful calving and smooth transition to lactating. Consequently, the terms of the project were specified to provide Torma Ltd. with a feeding strategy developed for dairy cattle in the non-lactating phase, based on contemporary viewpoints and suitability to Estonian conditions. The expected outcome was to improve health, welfare and productivity of dairy cattle. 

"No doubt that carrying out the project and cooperation with the Estonian University of Life Sciences has been beneficial for Torma Ltd. The gained knowledge can be used in practice to ensure smart feeding of non-lactating cows." Toomas Kulu, the project leader

Project outcomes

It has been established that the amount of metabolizable energy from feed per cow in the non-lactating period affected neither the concentration of metabolites in blood plasma (except glucose) nor the content of fatty acids and the ratio of fatty acids in milk fat in the postpartum period. At the same time, it was established that the nutrition of cows assessed in the periparturient period had a significant impact on postpartum metabolism. Consequently, nutrition of cows in the periparturient period should be channelled in the desired direction by means of feeding.

Therefore, it is important to ensure that the nutritional condition of cows in the periparturient period is as close to the recommended nutritional condition (nutrition rate 3,25–3,50) of the parturition period as possible. The aim of feeding in the dry period should contribute to retaining suitable nutritional conditions for calving. The daily amount of metabolizable energy of 85 MJ retains insufficient nutritional condition (3,24), whereas 100 MJ retains suitable nutritional condition (3,44) and 115 MJ retains excessive (3,89) nutritional condition.

Comparison tests on excessive forage intake have shown, that the impact of prepartum feeding on milk production, birth weight of calves, the quality of colostrum, the concentration of metabolites in blood plasma – which characterizes the metabolism of the animal – and on the fatty acid profile of milk, was insignificant. According to the results of the research, the value of received metabolizable energy in case of a herd of high genetic potential fed with one ration in the non-lactating period could approximately be 100 MJ a day.