FEEDING MANAGEMENT OF DAIRY ANIMALS

1. FEEDING MANAGEMENT OF DAIRY ANIMALS

2. Goals of a Successful Feeding Programme • Optimize milk yield • Feed costs represent largest input cost (60-70%) • Feeding high producing cows • – a continues challenge

3. Nutrient Requirements • Maintenance/Health • Growth • Milk Production • Reproduction • Vary with the stage of lactation and gestation • Activity

4. Feeding Phases • Early lactation—0 to 70 days • Peak DM intake(Second 10 Weeks Postpartum) • Mid- and late lactation—140 to 305 days (declining milk production) • Dry period—60 to 14 days before the next lactation. • Transition or close-up period—14 days before to parturition.

5. Phase 1 Early Lactation—0 to 70 Days Postpartum • Feed top quality forage. • Make sure the diet contains adequate amounts of CP, DIP and UIP. • Increase grain intakeat a constant rate after calving. • Consider adding fat (0.5 to 0.75 kg /cow/day) to diets. • Allow constant access to feed. • Minimize stress conditions.

6. Phase 2 Peak DM intake(Second 10 Weeks Postpartum) • Feed forages and grain several times a day. • Feed the highest quality feeds available. • Continue to minimize stress conditions.

7. Phase 3 Mid- to late lactation(140 to 305 days postpartum) • Easiest to manage • Milk production is declining • The cow is pregnant, and nutrient intake will easily meet or exceed requirements • Grain feeding should be at a level to meet milk production requirements • Lactating cows require less feed to replace a pound of body tissue than dry cows.

8. Phase 4. Dry period(60 to 14 days before parturition) • Observe body condition of dry cows and adjust energy feeding as necessary. • Meet nutrient requirements and avoid excessive feeding. • Change to a transition ration starting 2 weeks before calving. • Avoid excess calcium and phosphorus intakes. • Limit salt to 25-30 g and limit other sodium-based minerals in the dry cow ration to reduce udder edema problems.

9. Phase 5. Transition period(14 days before to parturition) • Provide 3 to 5 kg of grain • Increase protein in the ration to between 14 and 15 percent of the ration DM • Limit fat in the ration to 100 g. High fat feeding will depress DM intake • Maintain 3 to 5 kg hay in the ration to stimulate rumination • Remove salt from the ration if edema is a problem

10. Feeding Management

11. Nutrients demand for peak milk yield is high Can not eat to full capacity during early phase Uses body reserves as energy source Rapidly looses body weight Events During Different Phases of Lactation

12. Increasing Peak Milk Yield Improve Lactation Performance

13. Feeding Total Mixed Ration • Each bite is nutritionally balance. • The roughage-to-concentrate can be varied to regulate nutrient intake. • TMR regulates rumen pH and enhance microbial protein synthesis. • Minimize feed selection. • Increase feed intake. • Less labor and feeding operations are readily mechanized.

14. Do not starve profit out of a good cow Do not feed profit to a poor cow Flat Rate Concentrate Feeding

16. Start from Pregnancy to End of Lactation Period (Peak, mid, late lactation) Feeding Management

17. Rapid growing foetus Develop body reserves for use in subsequent lactation How; Give rest if in milk (forced drying) Feed concentrate 2 kg/day + good quality fodder, restrict straw Feeding in Pregnancy (Last 2 months)

18. Most critical period Period of peak milk yield Higher the peak yield more will be the milk yield throughout lactation until drying off. Early lactation (First 60 days)

19. Selection of Concentrate Feeds • Nutrient composition (Protein, energy, minerals) • Protein • Contents (Quantity) • Digestibility • Amino acids profile • Matching with the forages fed

20. Cost • Price per Kg • Price per Kg protein contents

21. Feed Specifications Dry matter, % 87~90 Crude protein, % 17~18 TDN, % 65~75 ME (M.cal/kg) 2.5~2.6

22. Ration Preparation

23. Feeding System

24. Feeding System

25. CALF FEEDING RATION

26. Calf Nutrition • Colostrum should be fed to calves as soon after birth as possible • (ideally within 30 minutes and certainly within 4 hours) • Early feeding of colostrum at 4 to 5 percent of birth weight is necessary because:

27. Newborn calves have no antibodies until they receive Colostrum • Calves' ability to absorb immunoglobulin is substantially reduced after 24­36 hours. • Calves may become infected with highly pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria immediately after birth. • Colostrum is a concentrated source of ready available nutrients.

28. Rearing the calf from 12 weeks to 1 year • During this period of the herd replacement's life, free-choice forage and limited grain can be fed • Trace mineralized salt and a calcium-phosphorus supplement can be offered free-choice • All calves must have access to clean, fresh water.

29. Avoid overfeeding grain and allowing calves to become fat • Over-conditioned heifers produce less milk in later life • If protein content of forage is good, little protein supplement will be required in the grain mix

30. Feeding program for heifers 1 to 2 years of age • If good quality forage is available, this may be the only feed required for heifers over 1 year of age • Trace mineral salt and a calcium-phosphorus supplement are recommended on a free-choice basis • Heifers should gain 0.6 to 0.8 kg per day • If growth is not satisfactory, some grain should be supplied;

31. Heifers deficient in energy, phosphorus, or vitamin A will not exhibit estrus • Heifers fed high planes of nutrition will show estrus at an earlier age than heifers grown at recommended rates, but underfeeding of heifers will delay estrus • Over-conditioned or fat heifers require more services per conception than heifers of normal size and weight

32. Two months before calving to calving • Feeding during this period can affect milk production during first lactation • Good quality forage should be feed along with grains as a source of energy • A thumb rule would be to feed grain at 1 percent of body weight starting about 6 weeks before calving

33. Ration Formulation

34. The objective in formulating rations is to provide animals with a consumable quantity of feed stuffs that will supply all required nutrients

35. For Lactating Cows • Dry matter intake • Forage DM minimum is 40 percent of the total DM intake or approximately 1.5 percent of body weight • Maximum grain DM is 60 percent of total DM intake, or not more than 2 percent of body weight.

36. Lactating Cows • Protein needs to meet requirements (17 to 19% in early lactation rations) • Maximum total fat in rations is 7 percent of the DM • Salt should be included in the grain mix at 1 percent

37. Lactating Cows • A calcium-phosphorus mineral source should be included in the grain mix at 1 to 2 percent • Supplement vitamins (A, D, and E) and trace minerals in the ration to meet requirements.

38. Ensure all storage areas (silos, bins) are cleaned out between batches of feed • Ensure all feed delivery equipment is cleaned out between deliveries • Do not use manure-handling equipment to handle feed • High pressure washers with or without steam should be used on feed bunks, storage areas, silos, mixing and delivery equipment and feeding areas along with proper disinfectants.

39. Examine all feedstuffs closely for manure, mold, foreign materials and uniformity. When feeding from silos and commodity storage facilities inspect for mold and other spoiled material. Do not feed this material.

40. When mold growth and spoilage are a problem, reevaluate design and feedout procedures. • Rotate inventory to minimize pathogens in stored feeds. • Feed bunks should be cleaned out daily. Feed refusals should not be stored more than 24 hours to prevent spoilage. If feed refusals are fed, they should be fed to the oldest heifers, to minimize disease transmission.

41. Feeding Plans, Records and Labeling • Have a feed plan for each production class (calves, heifers and milk cows), establish goals for performance and disease control. • Record feed intake as a tool to help monitor animal health and feed quality. • Routinely test all feeds and record analyses

42. Grain, Proteins, Forage and Moisture • An often-overlooked source of bacterial and fungal (mold and yeast) disease is silage and hay. Proper growth, harvest and feedout can reduce the risk of disease. • Protect feeds and feeding areas including baling and ensiling of feed or storing feed from exposure to animal carcasses and manure • Prevent access to feeds and feed bunks by dogs, cats, wild life, birds, rodents and other animals.

43. Toxin Production In Feed • Mycotoxins are toxic substances produced by fungi (molds) growing on crops in the field or in storage. Only a few mold species produce mycotoxins out of the thousands of molds that grow on stored grains and forages

44. The growth parameters of molds vary in that some proliferate while the crop is growing in the field while others propagate during storage. • high humidity (>70%) and temperatures that fluctuate between hot days and cool nights contribute to fungal growth.

45. Aflatoxin • Aflatoxin is a potent liver toxin and known to cause cancer in animals • Mature corn that remains in the field or corn that is stored without proper drying can be subject to Aspergillus growth and aflatoxin production. • Fungus growth is very low below 55 degrees F but, if the grain is moist enough, toxins can still be produced

46. Simply reducing the moisture content to 12 to 13 percent will stop fungus growth; however, this will not kill the fungus and does not influence the levels of toxins that may have already been produced • If moisture levels rise again above 13 percent anytime during storage and temperatures are high enough, then mold growth and toxin production will resume.