Grains of energy to Ruminants
Forum: Avoiding Grains to minimal level to Ruminants
Grains are the main source of energy to Ruminants as practiced today. But anatomically and physiologically ruminants are designed to digest roughages and fibrous feed to produce VFA's to meet out the major (70%) component of maintenance energy requirements. With the expectation of extra energy supplement for lactation, grains are being fed. But during the process, we create a challenge for animal to forcibly draw energy through grains. Grains are rich in starch and help in elevating and creating an environment to produce lactic acid. With the production of Lactic acid, own production of VFA's is reduced considerably. Reduction of Ruminal pH further affects the immune status adversely. See, wild animals who do not access to grains, hardly suffer with immune related diseases like FMD and others.
Can we utilize this experience to design a nutrition with minimal use of grains yet managing the energy requirements for production?
Since I am solely managing a large non-organised farm having cattle heads of 22000-odd at Mataji Gosala at Barsana, u p as well as we are using very little amount of grains and maximal amount of fiber to the milch cows only during the lactating period [in the non-lactating period no grain is provided ] quantum of prevalence of diseases is minimal. Discussion by Dr M Sharma may help the milk producing farm to enhance their margin of profitability by using more fiber based feed as a source calorie need of the animal concerned.
Feeding of grains can never be avoided in today's dairy animals which have been genetically engineered to produce more and more milk as compared to cows of earlier days. Excessive feeding of grains in the absence of roughage's only adds to health issues due to acidosis (SARA) and related ailments like laminitis and reproductive failures. As the author as well as many commentators has pointed out, energy deficiency and also non availability of quality roughage's are the main constraints in proper Dairy feeding affecting Dairy farming economics adversely.
Some farmers have tried/and are feeding brewery waste which is a good energy source though. However, in the long run this affects the health condition of the cows badly. Many farmers have discontinued feeding this to their animals.
We have come out with a feed that provides both the required energy, protein needs of the animals as well as quality roughage's. Designed for cows yielding around 20 litres a day, this feed can also help sustain 25-30 liter production if a specific protein meal is fed extra, which we are currently supplying to farmers across S.India.
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In most countries the good quality roughage is not available and therefore they feed grains.
It is quite right that if you can feed only good roughage in terms of quality and quantity it will better for the health of the animal and even if some decrease in the milk production occurs, this will be compensated by the longevity and sustainability of the life and production.
The most interesting take-home feeling I gathered from these comments, is the role that health and well-being of the cows play for most of the participants.
It is important to realize that dairying in those countries where it is a major industry; explotedit is a business and as such, is driven by profits. Cows are bred to be pushed and make milk, regardless of their own wellbeing, the expected life span of a commercial dairy cow is of 2 1/2 lactations, and these facts are not probably going to be improved ever. These cows are kept and handled exactly the same than other domestic animals we consume, as in a factory.
I think that those of you who still have dairy cows and others animals, exploited the traditional way, should feel privileged and enjoy it while it lasts.
E.S.E. & INTEC
North American Renderers Association (NARA)
Reducing carbon footprint in dairy cow farmings
North American Renderers Association (NARA)
