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The choice of forage sources for lactating dairy
cows is not easy. Forage quality, cost, availabillity, nutrient content
and amount needed in the diet all have to be considered. The bottom
line for all dairy producers is the net return after all expenses are
accounted for. Since feed usually accounts for the largest cost of
production, feed costs are of utmost importance.
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Forages, key feed ingredients
A significant portion of a dairy cow’s diet must be forage.
In addition to the nutrients they contribute, forages provide rumen
buffering and improve the fermentation efficiency of starchy grains.
With higher producing cows, more forage means less production while
insufficient forage leads to acidosis, inefficient rumen fermentation
and a reduced productive life of the cows. High quality forages combine
high nutrient intake potential with the beneficial effects of fibre on
health.
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Reduce feed costs per unit of milk produced
Higher levels of milk production generally result in higher
net returns. And the cost of obtaining those higher yields can often be
reduced by offering alternative feeds which provide the necessary
nutrients at lower cost and/or promote higher nutrient intakes.
Table 1 compares nutrient levels in processed alfalfa
products with those in other common dairy feeds.
Improved production responses from the replacement of
alfalfa hay by dehydrated alfalfa pellets are demonstrated in table 2.
Similar improvements are shown in table 3 where long hay was replaced
by dehydrated alfalfa cubes. Table 4 summarizes results of a trial
conducted in Taiwan
comparing long alfalfa hay with both cubes and pellets.
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Crude
Protein
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TDN
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ADF
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NDF
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Crude
Fibre
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---------------------------------
% ---------------------------------
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Dehy alfalfa pellets
Suncured alfalfa pellets
Dehy alfalfa cubes
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18.5
17.0
17.0
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65.0
57.5
57.0
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35.0
36.0
36.0
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43.0
44.0
44.5
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25.0
28.0
28.0
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Wheat bran
Beet pulp
Corn grain
Barley grain
Canola meal
Soybean meal
Sorghum sudangrass
Timothy hay
Corn silage
Oat hay
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16.5
9.7
9.8
12.8
40.6
51.7
8.8
9.0
8.4
26.9
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70.0
74.0
88.0
82.2
75.5
86.6
56.5
58.0
68.0
60.0
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15.0
33.0
3.0
7.0
20.6
6.7
42.0
36.0
30.0
36.6
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50.0
54.0
9.0
19.0
28.0
16.0
68.0
67.0
53.0
58.0
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11.0
19.8
2.6
5.6
12.2
3.8
32.0
31.0
26.9
30.5
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Table
1 : Protein, energy and fibre content of processed alfalfa products
compared to other feedstuffs (100% dry matter basis). Source: United
States - Canada
Tables of Feed Compostion, Canadian Research Data and 1989 NRC Nutrient
Requirements of Dairy Cattle.
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2 kg Hay
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2 kg Dehy
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4 kg Hay
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4 kg Dehy
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Milk yield (kg/day)
Milk fat (%)
Milk protein (%)
Alfalfa DM intake (kg/day)
Total DM intake (kg/day)
DMI/100 kg of 3.5% FCM
Bodyweight change (g/day)
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30.8
3.61
2.97
1.9
20.0
64.0
+152
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31.1
3.52
3.04
1.9
19.9
64.8
+214
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31.1
3.62
3.03
3.7
20.3
66.6
+98
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32.5
3.47
3.07
3.5
20.6
65.4
+232
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Table
2 : Alfalfa hay and dehy alfalfa pellet comparison. Source: Christensen,
D.A. and Cochran, M. 1994 University
of Saskatchewan Greenbrae
Report.
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Forages fed
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Dry matter
Intake
(kg/d)
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Total milk
Production
(kg/d)
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Milk
Fat
(%)
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4% Fat
Corrected
Milk (kg/d)
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Mature cows:
Barley silage + 5.6 kg alfalfa hay
Barley silage + 5.7 kg alfalfa cubes
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20.2
21.0
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24.0
24.7
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3.58
3.39
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22.4
22.1
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Heifers:
Barley silage + 4.0 kg alfalfa hay
Barley silage + 4.8 kg alfalfa cubes
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17.6
19.5
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26.0
26.4
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3.51
3.64
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24.1
24.9
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Table
3 : Summary of feeding trials using alfalfa cubes for lactating cows and
heifers. Source: Christensen and Cochran, 1990, University
of Saskatchewan, Greenbrae
Dairy Herd Report.
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Alfalfa
Hay
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-----
Dehydrated Alfalfa -----
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Cubes
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Pellets
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Average milk production (kg/day)
Average milk fat %
Specific gravity
Unit price/kg (summer price, ˘)
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19.2 ± 1.49
4.05 ± 0.1
1.0327 ± 0.001
20.63
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20.1 ± 2.03
3.96 ± 0.12
1.0323 ± 0.001
20.63
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20.27 ± 1.63
3.91 ± 0.21
1.0324 ± 0.001
20.44
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Return/cow ($)
Concentrate (kg)
Corn silage (kg)
Alfalfa (kg)
Cost of concentrate/cow/day ($)
Cost of corn silage ($)
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396.1
7.7
19.58
4.32
57.8
33.3
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414.7
8.0
19.5
5.0
60.0
33.2
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414.3
8.1
22.8
3.0
60.8
38.8
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Alfalfa cost ($)
Total feed cost ($)
Net returns over feed cost ($)
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31.5
122.6
273.5
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24.0
117.2
297.5
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15.0
114.6
299.7
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Table
4. Costs and returns - Taiwanese research trial. Corn silage = 1.7
NT$/kg: Concentrate = 7.5 NT$/kg; Alfalfa hay = 7.3 NT$/kg; Alfalfa cubes
= 4.8 NT$/kg; Dehy alfalfa pellets = 5.0 NT$/kg (NT$ : New Taiwanese
dollars).
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Alternate
forage sources
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Relative
Value
grass hay=100
(% as fed)
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Practical
limits
in lactating
cattle diets
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Practical
limits
in growing
cattle diets
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Grass hay
Alfalfa hay
Alfalfa cubes
Dehy alfalfa pellets
Suncured alfalfa pellets
Oat hay
Sorghum sudangrass
Timothy hay
Rice straw
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100.0
119.0
119.0
126.0
119.0
105.0
104.0
106.5
69.5
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---
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6-8 kg/cow/day
3.5 kg/cow/day
3.5 kg/cow/day
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---
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2.5 kg/cow/day
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---
---
---
max 40% of diet
max 40% of diet
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---
---
---
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Table
5 : Relative value of forage sources based on protein, energy, calcium
and phosphorus content.
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prepared by:
V.J. Racz
Feed Resource Centre
Animal and Poultry Science
University
of Saskatchewan
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