Nutrition Management Of High Milk Producing Dairy Cows
Nutrition play an important role in the production of animals and when it comes to high milk producing animals, then our little negligence can lead to bigger economic losses because the high lactating cows are highly sensitive to nutrition as well as environment. Our dairy farmers who are working with imported animals hopes to nurture their dairy herd till they can produce above 30-40 litres of milk per a day, they also work hard for the management of these cows providing them comfortable environment. However, it should be noted that apart from the extra effort put by the farmer, there are many other factors that come into play to determine the actual volume of milk a single dairy cow can produce. Along with nutrition there are many other factors that influence the milk production like, the breed of the cow, stress levels, climate, health of the animal, age, lactation stage etc. Some of the variables can be controlled while others are inherent in the animal or the environment and as such cannot be changed
Always remember that high lactating dairy cows need high maintenance especially in terms of feed and nutrition. They are also susceptible to certain diseases if great care is not taken. But overall the high yielding dairy cows are superior in terms of turning profits. For a healthy and productive cow, ensure it feeds on a balanced diet. The ration should bear the right amounts and quality of concentrates, protein, minerals and vitamins. A dairy cow ration should contain 70% energy source, 30% protein source and the required
Fresh fodders are mainly green forages such as Clover & Alfalfa normally contain a lot of water. Freshly cut fodder should not be fed to the dairy animals. Cut fresh fodder and leave in a dark place for a day to wilt, then chop into 2 inch (5cm) pieces to make it easy for your cow to eat. This will avoid feed wastage. A dairy cow consumes 15-20 kg of chopped forage per day; preferably, it should be in two splits i.e. one in the morning and the other in the evening. However, availability of silage is considered best in terms of quality and nutrition. Dasan Silage is one of the premium silage available in Pakistan.
High milk producing cow should consume 1 kilogram of Dasan Dairy Feed for every 2 L of milk produced. Dasan dairy feed is a complete blend of ingredient required for the animal to perform all body functions.
For lactating cows, give concentrates after milking. When steaming up heifers, give concentrates daily for 2 months before calving. You need 2 kg /day /heifer. This is extra feed of high quality concentrates like Dasan feed, which is given to in-calf cows and heifers at 2-4 kg per cow per day for two months before calving. However, it can vary depending on the condition of the animal. Particularly, growing heifers will need more.
For lactating cows, give concentrates after milking. When steaming up heifers, give concentrates daily for 2 months before calving. You need 2 kg /day /heifer. This is extra feed of high quality concentrates like Dasan feed, which is given to in-calf cows and heifers at 2-4 kg per cow per day for two months before calving. However, it can vary depending on the condition of the animal. Particularly, growing heifers will need more.
High milk producing animals need more minerals, as milk is full of minerals and vitamins and it continuously discharging from the body. Minerals and vitamins account a very small amount in daily dry matter intake of cattle diets and can sometimes be miss or neglected in cattle daily nutritional program. Although vitamins or minerals are needed in a very small proportion in daily diet but they have a very crucial role in the stability of animal’s health and daily life activities like muscle contractions, proper functioning of immune system, nervous system functions and bone development. Cattle reproduction, growth and milk production can be compromised if their nutritional program is not in place.
During lactation, the nutritional requirement of cow gets increased as more nutrients are required for the production of milk and milk components. Meeting these requirements efficiently especially for energy and protein are challenging for farmers. Their diet must have sufficient nutrients to maintain the health and other metabolic functions of the cattle.
Cows need protein for their different metabolic
many more. Animal’s whole body functions are highly dependent on protein either directly or indirectly. The protein content in dairy feed is mostly measure as crude protein (CP) but it is not a direct measure of protein content in the diet rather it is an estimates based on the content of nitrogen in it. Protein contains 16% Nitrogen, so crude protein content gets multiplied by 6.25 to get the actual amount of the dietary protein.
Fats is an essential part of animal nutrition. Fats is a part of diet nutrition just like carbohydrates and protein and a major source of energy as well. They are usually made up of fatty acids either saturated or unsaturated. Addition of fats to the daily diet of dairy cows can be beneficial to the in many ways like it improves energy balance, fertility, milk production, reduction of heat stress and many other biological functions. We maintain the integrity of all our Dasan dairy feeds / Dasan Wanda, by only using premium quality raw materials that fulfills all nutrition requirements of high yielding cows.