Milk fat content is seen to decrease in cross bred cows, particularly in some individuals. What may be the plausible reasons and how we can overcome this?
Most of the milk fat depression’s solutions are a suitable ration, optimum environment and nursling process. Cow’s genetic affects milk fat, but it is improvable.
Milk fat comes mainly from acetate produced by fermentation of feed in the rumen. The rumen output of acetate can be increased by appropriate supplementation with highly digestible fibre and/or moderate amounts of grain. Obviously the response will be within the limits of the genetic potential of the cow.
The ration balancing program at every farm level seems to be the most ideal approach to address/improve milk components, as there are multiple macro and micronutrient deficiencies exist in Indian crossbred cows.
In my field observations, maintaining adequate rumen health—nitrogen adequacy, using sodium bicarbonate + MgO buffers, starch level (>20%) plus digestible NDF are certain commonly observed key factors governing milk fat concentration in cows.
please review the ration as the net energy for lactation should be around 1.7 .the fiber concentrate ratio in the ration should be adjusted . acidosis also may lead to decreased fat percent . or may be individual reason to mastitis or other disease
Acidosis is not the only factor. corn, fatty acid and lack energy can do the same effect
Holstein is the most commonly used exotic breed in India to create cross-bred animals. It's well known for producing milk with less fat. How can we expect higher fat from Holstein crosses? Nutrition is important as long as the genetic potential exists for the milk fat improvement. But it's difficult to get more fat from Holstein cow's milk.
Dear all, thank you for your answers. Kindly answer what to do in practical conditions. In jersey crossbreds also it is being observed. And in Odisha conditions the diet lacks adequate green fodder along with good quality concentrate mixture. In a typical case a CB jersey cow yielding about 4.2 % fat now yielding 1.8-2.2% fat in the next lactation. Only variation is place change and certain less green fodder intake. How it can be monitored or managed???
Heat is usually another cause of fat depression in milk. This is caused by less intake of food.
I believe you need to look at physical effective fiber in the deit as well as the stressors.
It appears that one or all the following events are taking place in the lactating herd.
1. Fermentation pattern of the rumen has changed and pH of the liquor has gone down (Acidic). It has drastically affected the digestion of fibers in the rumen.
2. The production of acetic and butyric acid is at the lowest level where as the production of propionic acid has gone up which has contributed to the decreased fat in milk.
3. There is increased production of lactic acid and glucose which has contributed to the higher production of insulin. Less quantity of fat is being mobilized from adipose tissues which could be utilized in the production of high fat milk.
There is a need to change the strategy so as to produce more acetic acid in the rumen. Feed fiber rich diet specially neutral detergent fibers. You may supplement with bypass fat also if the animals are in initial lactation. Avoid excessive feeding of soluble carbohydrates. You may formulate a suitable ration in such a way so that the conditions explained above do not arise.
Milk fat depression (MFD) has plagued dairy herds for years, and has become an emerging problem with the increased
availability of dry distillers grains (DDG). As a result, we now have a better understanding of MFD.
The biohydrogenation (BH) theory appears to address the
many dimensions of MFD. Scientists1 demonstrated that certain dietary conditions alter rumen BH pathways, producing unique fatty acid intermediates that inhibit milk fat synthesis. Their work shows that trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), produced by ruminal BH of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), is inhibitory in very minute quantities: As little as 3 grams formed daily in the rumen are sufficient to reduce milk fat by 25 percent or more.
MFD requires 1) altered rumen fermentation and 2) presence of PUFA in the rumen.5 When developing nutritional strategies to minimize effects on milk fat production, consider the following risk factors:
Altered Rumen Fermentation:
1-Low rumen pH
2-Small feed particle size
3-Low physically effective fiber
4-High starch (NSC)
5-Rumensin®
6-Feeding pattern
Supply of PUFA:
1-Amount and availability PUFA (esp. C18:3)
2-Proportion of PUFA to SFA (saturated fatty acids)
3-Feeding pattern
4-Variation in fat content and fatty acid composition of feed
ingredients.
regards
- Badges
- Science method