ANFS251 Lecture 24: Dairy Cattle - Part 2
28 Feb 2018
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Document Summary
Relationships between milk production, dry matter intake and body weight changes typically observed during normal lactation/gestation cycle. Protein-to-energy ratio needed for weight gain is less than the ratio needed for milk production. Challenge is to get cows to consume sufficient amounts of energy, Npn sources may be well utilized, where bypass proteins will be less cost effective than in earlier lactation, when production was higher. Challenge is to get cows to consume sufficient amounts of energy, especially during early lactation. Energy density can be increased by replacing portions of the carbohydrates in the diet with fat. One kg of fat contains approximately 2. 25x as much energy as 1 kg of carbohydrates. Fat can be increased to 5-7% of total dry matter. More than 8-10% fat may reduce feed intake, fiber digestibility, and cause digestive upsets. Not all sources of fat are suitable feeds for milking cows.
