Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-g7rbq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-30T15:02:09.278Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Heat production and retained energy in lactating cows held under hot summer conditions with evaporative cooling and fed two rations differing in roughage content and in vitro digestibility

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 May 2008

J. Miron*
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, PO Box 6, Bet-Dagan, 50250, Israel
G. Adin
Affiliation:
Extension Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Israel
R. Solomon
Affiliation:
Extension Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Israel
M. Nikbachat
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, PO Box 6, Bet-Dagan, 50250, Israel
A. Zenou
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, PO Box 6, Bet-Dagan, 50250, Israel
A. Shamay
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, PO Box 6, Bet-Dagan, 50250, Israel
A. Brosh
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, PO Box 6, Bet-Dagan, 50250, Israel
S. Y. Mabjeesh
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Get access

Abstract

The objective of this study was to measure the effect of feeding two total mixed rations (TMRs), differing in their roughage content and in vitro dry matter (DM) digestibility, on the physiological response and energy balance of lactating cows. The partitioning of metabolizable energy intake (MEI) between heat production (HP) and retained energy (RE) of cows held under hot weather conditions and external evaporative cooling was measured. In all, 42 lactating cows were divided into two similar sub-groups, each of 21 animals, and were fed either a control (CON) ration containing 18% roughage neutral detergent fiber (NDF) or an experimental (EXP) TMR containing 12% roughage NDF and used soy hulls as partial wheat silage replacer. The in vitro DM digestibility of the CON and EXP TMR was 75.3% and 78.6%, respectively (P < 0.05). All cows were cooled by evaporative cooling for 2 adaptation weeks plus 6 experimental weeks under hot weather conditions. The EXP diet reduced rectal temperature and respiratory rate of the cows while increasing their DM intake (DMI) from 23.1 to 24.7 kg/cow per day, milk yield from 41.9 to 44.2 kg and yield of energy-corrected milk from 38.7 to 39.7 kg, as compared with the CON group. Cows fed the EXP TMR had increased RE in milk and body tissue, as compared with the CON group, but the diets had no effect on the measured HP that was maintained constant (130.4 v. 130.8 MJ/cow per day) in the two groups. The measured MEI (MEI = RE + HP) and the efficiency of MEI utilization for RE production were also similar in the two dietary groups.

Type
Full Paper
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aharoni, Y, Brosh, A, Kourilov, P, Arieli, A 2003. The variability of the ratio of oxygen consumption to heart rate in cattle and sheep at different hours of the day and under different heat load conditions. Livestock Production Science 79, 107117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Aharoni, Y, Brosh, A, Harari, Y 2005. Night feeding for high-yielding dairy cows in hot weather: effects on intake, milk yield and energy expenditures. Livestock Production Science 92, 207219.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Aharoni, Y, Brosh, A, Kafchuk, I 2006. The efficiency of utilization of metabolizable energy for milk production: a comparison of Holstein with F1 Montbeliarde 3 Holstein cows. Animal Science 82, 101109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
AOAC 2001. Official methods of analysis. Association of official analytical chemists, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Berman, A 2005. Estimates of heat stress relief needs for Holstein dairy cows. Journal of Animal Science 83, 13771384.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brosh, A 2007. Heart rate measurement as an index of energy expenditure and energy balance in ruminants: a review. Journal of Animal Science 85, 12131227.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eastridge, ML, Bucholtz, HF, Slate, AL, Hall, CS 1998. Nutrient requirements for dairy cattle of the National Research Council vs some commonly used software. Journal of Dairy Science 81, 30493062.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flamenbaum, I, Wolfenson, D, Maman, M, Berman, A 1986. Cooling dairy cattle by a combination of sprinkling and forced ventilation and its implementation in the shelter system. Journal of Dairy Science 69, 31403147.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Forbes, JM 1986. The voluntary food intake of farm animals. Butterworth & Co. (Publishers) Ltd, London, p. 47.Google Scholar
Halachmi, I, Maltz, E, Livshin, N, Antler, A, Ben-Ghedalia, D, Miron, J 2004. Effects of replacing roughage with soy hulls on feeding behavior and milk production of dairy cows under hot weather conditions. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 22302238.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miron, J, Yosef, E, Maltz, E, Halachmi, I 2003. Soybean hulls as a replacement of forage neutral detergent fiber in total mixed rations of lactating cows. Animal Feed Science and Technology 106, 2128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miron, J, Yosef, E, Nikbachat, M, Zenou, A, Maltz, E, Halachmi, I, Ben-Ghedalia, D 2004a. Feeding behavior and performance of dairy cows fed pelleted nonroughage fiber byproducts. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 13721379.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miron, J, Nikbachat, M, Zenou, A, Ben-Ghedalia, D, Solomon, R, Shoshani, E, Halachmi, I, Livshin, N, Antler, A, Maltz, E 2004b. Lactation performance and feeding behavior of dairy cows supplemented via automatic feeders with soy hulls or barley based pellets. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 38083815.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National Research Council 2001. Nutrient requirements of dairy cattle, 7th edition. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Nicol, AM, Young, BA 1990. Short-term thermal and metabolic responses of sheep to ruminal cooling: effects of level of cooling and physiological state. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 70, 833843.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SAS 1996. SAS/STAT software changes and enhancements. SAS Institute, Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Solomon, R, Adin, G, Mabjeesh, SJ, Nikbachat, M, Yosef, E, Ben-Ghedalia, D, Miron, J 2005. Digestibility in lactating cows of diets containing whole pima treated with sodium hydroxide versus Akala or Pima cottonseed. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 17451751.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tilley, JM, Terry, RM 1963. A two-stage technique for the in vitro digestion of forage crops. Journal of British Grassland Society 18, 104111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Soest, PJ 1994. Intake in Nutrition Ecology of the Ruminants, 2nd edition. Cornell University press, Ithaca, NY, pp. 337–353.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Soest, PJ, Robertson, JB, Lewis, BA 1991. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and nonstarch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science 74, 35833597.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
West, JW, Mullinix, BG, Bernard, JK 2003. Effects of hot, humid weather on milk temperature, dry matter intake, and milk yield of lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 232242.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed