Digital Re-print July | August 2013

FEED FOCUS: Pelleted feed technology for dairy cows

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CATTLE
Pelleted feed technology
for dairy cows
by Amanda Zhou, Allance Machinery, China
ellet feed production technology was first introduced in China in the 1930s. Since then, pelleting has become one of the most common techniques in animal feed processing. Pellets had lots of advantages over crumbles, such as less dust, no grading, balanced animal nutrition, enhanced feed intake and easy storage and transportation.

Feed focus

The aim of dairy cow farming is to produce milk. Milk production and quality directly depends on daily feed nutrition absorption. This means that dairy cow feed should be formulated based on a scientific ratio to ensure the animal gets enough nutrients for its healthy growth and milk production. Table 1 presents six types of preliminary nutrients which should be contained in a daily cow ration. According to this table, the availability of good pasture, sufficient feed and water are crucial for sustainable milk production. Cows are a typical ruminant and farmers should ensure that rumen are not only well-nourished but also that feed materials are adapted to metabolism and digestion. Therefore, a complete nutrition ratio should be mixed into cow feed.

and contain a large amount of vegetative matter. Concentrated feed includes energy concentrated feed (such as corn, wheat, barley, oats, wheat bran, broken rice, grain powder, chaff, sweet potato) and protein concentrated feed which mainly refers to squeezed oil byproducts.

Daily rations for dairy cows

It is necessary to work out a reasonable daily ration according to cow breeding standards and meet the nutritional needs to guarantee sufficient feed absorption. The priorities of various nutrients are: fibre; energy; crude protein; non-degradable protein; major minerals; micro ingredients and vitamins. Crude fibre should be above 17 percent. In production, crude protein and amino acid requirements could be satisfied by cotton meal, rapeseed meal, corn protein powder and so on.

Feed types for dairy cows

Dairy cow feed is mainly divided into roughage and concentrated feed. Roughages are characterized by a higher fibre content

TMR feeding system

Table 1: Preliminary nutrients in a daily cow ration Ingredients included Water Crude ash Crude protein Crude fat Crude fibre Nitrogen free extract Active components
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Free water, bound water Major mineral elements, trace elements Protein, non protein nitrogen content Fat, lipid Cellulose, semicellulose, lignin, pectin Starch, monose, fructose Vitamins, enzymes

A total mixed ration (TMR) is composed of forages, commodities/byproducts (such as whole cottonseed), grains, protein Function supplement(s), minerals, and vitamins that have been mixed together to make a balanced Composing organism, solvent of nutrition ration in which the weight Bones composition, adjusting of each ingredient is known. metabolization This mixture is then offered to Cow organ composition, metabolization cows as their sole source of Energy storage feed. In view of comprehensive and balanced nutrition, the Energy source proportion of coarse material Energy supply is between 40-60 percent. Metabolization adjustment It is an advanced breeding
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CATTLE

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system of a mobile feedstuff mixer and free-roaming herds leisurely grazing. As for captive breeding dairy cows, all feedstocks need to be cut shortly, fully mixed and direct sent to manger. TMR is applied to large-scale dairy cow feeding, improving milk production, reducing labour requirements and decreasing feed costs.

Pelleted feed as a concentrate supplement

It is uneconomic for small-scale dairy farmer to adopt TMR. To ensure good health, high conception rates and optimum milk yields throughout the lactation period, an appropriate concentrate supplement available in either a pellet or meal form is essential. Pelleted feed is compounded with highly

digestible fibrous feed ingredients and supplemented with mineral, vitamins and protein. The protein and mineral components can be is pelleted for easy feeding and offers sufficient protein, energy and mineral to cattle during gestation and lactation. The recommended feed rate is 8-10 percent of the body weight of the animals. Pelleted feed is regarded as a concentrate supplement but not whole daily ration. For optimum performance, the balance of the dry matter requirement must be met by feeding roughages such as hay, cut grass or leaves like palm fronds.

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Controlling the moisture in the grain drying process to save energy and ensure quality Optimising the efficiency of expensive additives such as mould inhibitors Controlling moisture content during the pelleting process

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Table 2: Roughage and concentrated feed Cow Feed Main Species Properties Good palatability, easy digestible, large volume, high water content. High quality, low fibre, easy to store and transport Nutrition Feeding Value

Table 3: Common additives for dairy cows Cow feed additives Dosage (per day) Suitable growth period Prenatal 3 weeks (calves) Lactating dairy cow Lactating dairy cow Lactating dairy cow Lactating dairy cow Lactating dairy cow Dairy heifer, young cows Lactating dairy cow Prenatal 2 weeks, postnatal 16 weeks Prenatal 2 weeks, postnatal 8 weeks

Roughage

Grass, hay, crop straw, alfalfa, chaff species Corn, cottonseed meal, wheat bran, etc.

Rich in crude protein, carotene, vitamin D, inorganic salts Abundant in digestible energy and protein

Anionic salts Low Bentonite Baking soda Magnesium oxide Isomeric acids High Choline Monensin Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Niacin Yeast culture

200 g 300-500 g 110-225 g 50-90 g 50-80 g 30 g 50-200 mg 30 g 6-12 g 10-120 g

Concentrate

Pellet quality and productivity

Calves, breeding cattle and lactating cows have different nutritional requirements and will need different feed formulations. Raw materials have great effect on milk quality; for instance, rapeseed dregs, worse slag, fishmeal, and silkworm chrysalis powder should be strictly limited. Otherwise, it may make the milk with a peculiar smell. Conditioning is a key factor in pelleting for starch pasting and sterilization, improving the quality of grain, grain hardness and durability including material moisture content, retention time, and the temperature. Feed additives have an obvious effect on improve milk yield and milk composition and reduced milk production stress, but should

be strict control of the dosage. Table 3 lists common additives for dairy cows.

Conclusion

Since cattle eat primarily forBiogen 10-50 g Lactating dairy cow age, cow pellets are a concentrate. Feeding pellets to dairy Zinc methionine 5g Lactating dairy cow cows gives the ability to package Prenatal 1 week, Propylene glycol 0.25-0.5 kg minerals, buffers, rumen modifiers postnatal 2 weeks and other ingredients required in small quantities in a homogenous way. There is nothing inherently special about cow feed pelleting technology More InforMatIon: but particle size, mixing time, conditioning Email: info@pellet-machine.net degree, feed additives dosage should all be Website: www.pellet-machine.net considered.

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This digital Re-print is part of the July | August 2013 edition of Grain & Feed Milling Technology magazine. Content from the magazine is available to view free-of-charge, both as a full online magazine on our website, and as an archive of individual features on the docstoc website. Please click here to view our other publications on www.docstoc.com.
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