FEEDING MILKING CATTLE

Differences between buffalo and

cows
Both are ruminants
Buffalo and local cows are adapted to hot/dry
conditions. Part of the adaptation is producing
lower milk yields
Cross bred cows are not so well adapted to
hot/dry conditions. They have a potential to
produce more milk which is not a good
adaptation to hot/dry conditions.
FOR THIS TRAINING BUFFALO AND COWS WILL
BE TREATED AS HAVING THE SAME
REQUIREMENTS.

The Potential of each breed type.

What are the components of Feed?

Type

Components

Examples

Energy

Starch, sugars, fats,

oils, etc.

Maize, wheat, rice,

brans, molasses,

Fiber

Cellulose, long chain

fatty acids

Forage, grass, fodder

trees, legumes

Protein

Rumen degradable,
bi-pass, amino acids

Oil cakes, Pulses,

Legume forages, urea

Micro ingredients

Trace elements,
vitamins, minerals
etc.

All feeds, fresh feeds

NB. Feeds are a mixture of all things, these are simple classifications.

What are the nutritional requirements

of lactating and dry cattle?
MAINTENANCE (M), the energy,
protein requirements to stay alive
and move about.
PREGNANCY AND GROWTH,
additional energy and protein
requirements
PRODUCTION, the energy and protein
requirements to produce milk

Summary of Requirements for a

400kg. cow producing 10lts. of milk
ENERGY (mj ME)

PROTEIN (gms DCP)

Maintenance

53

358

Production

53

850

106

1208

The Feeding Challenge

Calculating rations for ruminants has
become an increasingly complicated
science.
The basic rules are still valuable.
Feeding animals correctly is still critical to
the success of individual farmers and the
whole milk producing industry.
The challenge- Making farmers aware of how
important feeding is without confusing them
Rules of Thumb

Feeding Rules of Thumb

Get Maintenance from the forage part of the
ration by feeding 28kgs of good quality forage
or 20 kgs of very good quality forage and 3kgs
of good straw
Good feeding in early lactation is critical. Feed
good quality forage for maintenance and 1 kg
of concentrates for every 2.5lts milk.
Continue to increase feed until each extra 1kg
only gives 2lts milk.

APPETITE.What is it?

THE QUANTITY OF FOOD AN ANIMAL IS

CAPABLE OF EATING
For ruminants appetite is measured in
kilos of dry matter (DM)

Do these animals have the same

appetite?
Cross-bred cow in
Ilam

Buffalo in Kavre

Why is appetite important and how

is it calculated?

Why is appetite important and how

is it calculated?
The appetite will be the maximum a
cow can can eat. It is the potential of
the animal to convert food into milk.
How is appetite calculated?
2.5-3% of the body weight of the
animal
Example: 400kg cow can eat 10kgs
DM

APPETITE IS A FUNCTION OF BODY WEIGHT

What reduces/increases the

appetite?

What reduces/increases the

appetite?
Body weight
Stage in lactation, early lactation appetite can
be reduced by 50% due to stomach shrinkage
Health displaced abomasum
Food palatability and protein concentration.
Fibrous foods lower intake
Water availability
Ambient air temperature Heat stress
Comfort
Feeding routine - acidosis

CURRENT SITUATION empty feed

troughs very limited feed intake
Kavre

Makwanpur

CURRENT SITUATION same situation

on all scales of operation
Chitwan

Kavre

The appetite of the animals has not

changed.
The potential of the animals to eat large
amounts of forage is still present given
better conditions.
Feed intake is limited by poor feeding
practices such as long periods when feed
troughs are empty and/or there is no
drinking water.
Lower feed intakes results in lower milk
outputand often higher cost per litre.

Where is the lack of feed

worst?
On large syndicate owned farms which
often have no land
Often the only source of forage is straw
They are often managed by syndicate
members who have no farming
experience
Staff often have received no training.
The outcome is thin cows, that do not
get in calf. A unsustainable system.

Demonstrate how much a cow can eat given good

quality feed, good access and plenty of water

Weigh piles of forage

Pile 1 = 28kgs good quality forage =
M
Pile 2 = 28kgs good quality forage or
5.2 kgs concs. = 10lts milk
A 400kg cow has the appetite to eat

Appetite Key messages

Milk producing animals in Nepal, due to poor
feeding practices and lack feed do not have
their appetites filled.
This underfeeding causes shorter lactations,
with lower peak yields. Animals also take longer
to get in calf and will have longer dry periods.
Cross breeding cows can make the situation
worse.
Match animal numbers on the farm to feed
availability.

Buying forage from your

neighbour
Good quality forage like Berseem,
grasses and good quality fodder tree
leaves are worth 20% of the value of
Dana on a fresh weight basis.
Example: Dana costs 35nrs/kg, good
fresh forage is worth 7-8nrs/kg.
NB. Oat leaves and green maize
leaves are low value and are worth
less 5nrs/kg

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM OF A RUMINANT

Functions of the mouth

First stage in breaking down fiber by chewing
and cudding..up to 17 hours per day, whilst
lying down
Producing saliva that is swallowed and helps to
prevent the rumen becoming too acid
Chopping forages helps improve intakes of
fibrous feeds like straw but can reduce cudding
and cause acidosis when concentrate feeds are
fed only twice in liquid form
Acidosis reduces appetite and also reduces milk
fat%.

Fiber digestion
Feeds are composed of fiber, starch, protein, fats,
minerals, vitamins and water.
Microbes in the rumen (flora and fauna) breakdown
the fiber.
Ruminants digest the microbes and products of
rumen fermentation (acids and amino acids) when
they pass into the true stomach.
The rumen requires digestible protein and energy to
function properly
Most diets in Nepal are deficient in these.
Urea as a source of nitrogen in the rumen to improve
fiber digestion. (Urea/molasses block)

Chopping forage

Why do farmers chop

forages?

Is chopping forage the right option?

Short chopped forage will increase the speed of
feed intake.
Rapid intakes of concentrates is already achieved
by mixing them with water.
Both of these can result in a rapid rise in rumen
acidity and possible chronic acidosis.
Very poor quality forages such as Broom grass and
maize stover need chopping to improve intakes.
When total forage quantities are limited chopping
will result in rapid intakes, followed by long periods
of no intake. This can cause poor fiber digestion.

Key Messages for digestion

Do not chop forages too short. Some fiber
the length of the muzzle width must be fed
to promote chewing.
When oily/waxy forage like Broom Grass is
fed long fiber must be also fed to prevent
low milk fats. Feeding concentrates as
liquids, twice per day will make matters
worse.
Do not chop highly digestible fibers like
legumes and young grass.

CHECKING DIGESTION
HOW?

Feeding not enough proteinwhat

happens
Dung looks ok not too firm which
is a sign of insufficient protein

On closer examination undigested

feed is passing through the animals

Sieving Dung Test

Collect a fresh sample of dung in a kitchen sieve
Rinse any fine out of the sample with excess
clean water
Examine the contents of the sieve
Look for undigested fiber and pieces of other
feeds
Undigested feeds could show that the diet is
deficient in protein, rumen degradable energy,
or long fiber to slow the speed of passage of
digestion.

Key messages for digestion

Feed a balanced diet of 60% forage and 40%
concentrate on a dry matter basis.
Feed the best quality forage available and lots of it
Do not chop forages too short
Feed a good source of digestible protein and energy.
Dana is often an important source of protein. Find out
what type of protein it contains and the crude protein
percentage.(make manufacturers declare protein
source and percentage)
Urea is potentially a good feed in low protein high fiber
diets but feeding must be done with care and good
advice

Save resources stop cooking feeds

for ruminants
Cooking wastes fuel, time and
destroys proteins and vitamins

Cooking is carried out even

on a large scale.

How important is Water?

Water is the forgotten part of the diet.

Inadequate water quantity results in

reduced appetite, reduced milk output,
reduced oestrus and many other things
Poor water quality, eg. Saline water
results in the same poor performance

Water the forgotten Factor

Water requirements of lactating

animals
The dry cow requires 50lts per day
1litre of milk requires 4lts extra
Example. Animal giving 10lts milk
requires 90lts of water
More if the weather is hot.

Skin Tent Test

Between the index finger and thumb gather up
some loose skin over the ribs of the animal.
The skin when released should immediately
return to its normal position.
If it remains in a tent position it shows that
the animal is dehydrated.
The consequence of dehydration is decreased
performance.
The solution to dehydration is to offer
more/adlib clean water.

Key messages - Water

In Nepal not enough water is fed.
Feed at least the water requirements
Water should be fed ad-lib
Do not add salt to water
SAVE RESOURCES NO NEED TO HEAT WATER
FOR DRINKING

Research from the DIA/CNCAN survey 2015, Top table high yielding herds lower
Lowest yielding herds

Key findings from the DIA/CDCAN

research
Farmers who were managing to
produce more milk were feeding
more forage and less concentrates
per liter. They were filling the
appetite of their cows better.
They were feeding more water
They were not cooking feeds for
cattle.
They were not heating drinking water

FEEDING FOR LACTATION PEAK,

PERSISTANCY AND PREGNANCY
THE PEAK MILK YIELD AT 8-10 WEEKS WILL DETERMINE
THE LACTATION YIELD

FEEDING FOR MILK , LACTATION PERSISTANCE AND PREGNANCY

Lactation Curves
Poorly fed cattle in early lactation will have
shorter, lower yielding lactations and
longer calving intervals
Early lactation cattle loosing body weight
will become anestrus and not get pregnant
until mid to late lactation.
This situation is made worse if higher
genetic bulls are used to bred cross-bred
cows which have extreme weight loss in
early lactation

Body Condition 3 ribs rule of

thumb
3 ribs visible good
condition

5-6 ribs visible too

thin

Summary of key Feeding

messages
Poorly fed cattle in early lactation will have shorter, lower yielding
lactations and longer calving intervals
Appetite = 2.5-3% of body weight in Dry Matter
Feed a balanced diet of 60% forage and 40% concentrate on a dry
matter basis.
Feed the best quality forage available and lots of it
The rumen requires digestible protein and energy to function properly
Feed at least the water requirements
Good feeding in early lactation is critical. Feed good quality forage for
maintenance and 1 kg of concentrates for every 2.5lts milk.
Only 3 ribs of the cow should be visible, more and she is too thin, less
and she is getting fat.
Cross bred cattle are at higher risk of poor feeding practices.
Match cattle numbers and forage availability.

REMEMBER!
SAVE WOMENS TIME AND SAVE
RESOUCES, NO NEED TO COOK CATTLE
FOOD AND HEAT DRINKING WATER
MAKE CHANGES SLOWLY.
THE BIGGEST RESPONSES TO CHANGE
WILL HAPPEN AT THE START OF LACTATION