If you are trying to increase milk production in your cows, there are a number of things that you need to do. One of these is to push up the feeds that they are eating. Another thing that you may want to consider is treating them with a soybean meal treatment. Finally, you can also try to manage their rumens.
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Treating soybean meal
If you’re looking to increase milk production in your dairy cows, you may want to consider treating soybean meal. Soybean meal is a source of protein and energy that can be included in your ration. There are several studies that have looked at the effectiveness of various treatments.
In these trials, cows were fed diets containing canola meal, roasted soybean meal, or heat-treated soybean meal. Canola meal had a small but significant advantage in terms of daily milk yield.
Heat-treated canola meal performed about as well as canola meal alone. However, the results showed that a 50-50 mixture of canola meal and soybean meal did better than canola meal alone.
Roasted soybeans showed a stronger response than unheated soybeans in increasing milk production. Heat-treated soybeans generally have a moisture content of 12%.
Forages
In some western irrigated areas, dairy cows are fed only alfalfa hay. This can result in poor feeding and a decrease in milk production. To avoid such a situation, it is advisable to feed the best quality grain ration with a limited amount of suspect forage.
Research shows that good forages have a large impact on the performance of bovine animals. These green and leafy forages contain vitamins and minerals that contribute to the quality of the milk produced by the cattle. They can be a good substitute for concentrates and are also a cheap source of nutrients.
In the United States, forages account for more than 50% of the diet of dairy cattle. The main reason for this is that forages are the cheapest sources of nutrients for the dairy cow during the winter feeding season. As a result, producers need to conserve forages and produce them in a way that will allow them to be used for a long time.
Concentrates
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of two different concentrate-feeding strategies on milk production and the associated biochemical markers. Cows were randomly assigned to each treatment. Each treatment included both a high and a low level of concentrate. Interestingly, the difference in the proportions of concentrate consumed was not statistically significant.
The results showed that increasing the level of concentrate increased the amount of milk produced per cow. This was due to the increase in the amount of DM intake, a decrease in the total dry matter consumption (TDMI), and an increase in the amount of energy intake.
The concentration of the free fatty acids (FFA) and the rumen volatile fatty acids (VFA) was higher in the fibrous concentrates. However, the concentration of NDF was above the animal’s requirements in both diets.
Managing the rumen
There are several key factors that need to be considered when managing the rumen to increase milk production in cows. Among them are the number of microbial species, the composition of the rumen, pH, and the microbial population. Each factor can affect the health of the rumen and consequently the milk production of the cow.
The rumen contains microorganisms that feed on proteins, soluble carbohydrates, and fiber. Some of these microorganisms use ammonia as their nitrogen source. Rumen bacteria are divided into eight different groups. They include the fungi, protozoa, and eight species of bacteria. These bacteria can be classified by size, shape, and substrate fermented.
Rumen microbes are sensitive to the presence of nitrogen-containing materials, such as ammonia and urea. As a result, it is important to provide adequate degradable protein to meet their needs.
Pushing up feed to stimulate intake
The effect of pushing up feed to stimulate intake on milk production has not been well studied. However, it is expected that this practice can affect the composition and quality of the milk produced. This study compared two feed delivery frequencies (three times per day and five times per day) to determine the effects on dairy cows.
Milk fat content was not significantly influenced by the frequency of feeding. On the other hand, milk protein content was positively correlated with daily lying time.
Particle size analysis indicated that long particles accounted for the majority of the ration. Sorting against short particles had little influence on yield.
Lying time was similarly associated with both the frequency of feed push-up and the amount of feed delivered. For instance, for every 10 percent increase in sorting against long particles, the milk protein content decreased by 0.04 percentage points.
