Silages from legume–cereal mixtures as a factor of dairy cow milk quality

Authors

  • Oto Hanuš Dairy Research Institute Ltd., Ke Dvoru 12a, 160 00 Prague, Czech Republic
  • Igor Huňady Agriculture Research, Ltd., Zahradní 1, 664 41 Troubsko, Czech Republic
  • Josef Kučera Czech Moravia Breeders Corporation, Benešovská 123, 252 09 Hradištko, Czech Republic
  • Peter Roubal Dairy Research Institute Ltd., Ke Dvoru 12a, 160 00 Prague, Czech Republic
  • Jan Pozdíšek AgriResearch Rapotín Ltd., Rapotín, Výzkumníků 267, 788 13 Vikýřovice, Czech Republic
  • Marek Bjelka Breeders Cooperative Impuls, Bohdalec 122, 592 55 Bobrová, Czech Republic
  • Marcela Klimešová Dairy Research Institute Ltd., Ke Dvoru 12a, 160 00 Prague, Czech Republic
  • Irena Němečková Dairy Research Institute Ltd., Ke Dvoru 12a, 160 00 Prague, Czech Republic
  • Hana Nejeschlebová Dairy Research Institute Ltd., Ke Dvoru 12a, 160 00 Prague, Czech Republic
  • Lucie Rysová Department of Food Science, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague – Suchdol, Czech Republic

Keywords:

breed, protein, milk freezing point depression, milk thermostability, hygienic milk indicators

Abstract

Currently, the prices of dairy cows feed with protein concentrates are rising and the climate change is also manifesting itself with a growing drought in animal production. These are the reasons why there is an increasing interest in growing silage from legume–cereal mixtures (L-C-M) and in increasing their share in feed rations for dairy cows. Furthermore, the L-C-Ms improve the soil fertility during the crop rotation. The effect of these feeds on milk quality was evaluated by adding L-C-M silages into feeding rations. Czech Fleckvieh and Holstein breed dairy cows (8 herds; feeding periods without and with L-C-M silages) were included in the evaluation for 3 years. There were used 126 L-C-M (experimental) and 463 control (without L-C-M) bulk tank milk samples in this dairy analysis. Lactose content, solids non fat content and total count of mesophilic bacteria in milk of L-C-M group was increased as compared to control (zero hypothesis probability varied from P ≤ 0.05 to P ≤ 0.001). On the contrary, as new knowledge, milk freezing point depression and somatic cell counts were decreased in L-C-M group as compared to control (P ≤ 0.001 and P ≤ 0.05). Other milk indicators such as contents of fat, crude protein, milk urea and thermostability (P > 0.05) were not affected by evaluated factor. The residues of inhibitory substances in bulk tank milk in the L-C-M group were not indicated, but one case was in the control group. Feeding of dairy cows with an increased proportion of L-C-M silage in the roughage component a part of the feeding ration is a safe way to replace part of the protein concentrates in animal feeding, regarding milk quality.

Keywords: breed, protein, milk freezing point depression, milk thermostability, hygienic milk indicators

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Published

2022-03-31

Issue

Section

Animal Science