Feed Sorting: Effects of Feed Composition and Management
In a total mixed ration (TMR) feeding system, forage and concentrate feed components are combined into a single feed mixture. The objective of this feeding method is to deliver, to each cow, a well-balanced ration that is formulated to maintain health and maximize milk production.
However, despite our best efforts in formulating and delivering the ration to cows there are indications that the composition of what an individual cow consumes is not the same as what was initially delivered. Dairy cows have been shown to preferentially sort for the smaller grain particles and discriminate against longer forage components. This type of feeding behaviour can lead to cows consuming less fibre and more concentrate than expected. As result, these cows experience lower rumen pH, putting them at greater risk for sub acute ruminal acidosis (SARA).
We therefore set out to determine whether the forage concentration of a ration influences feed sorting by cows and whether the extent of this sorting changes as the cows adapt to a new ration.
Assessing Cow Comfort on Dairy Farms
One of the most important criteria for designing dairy barns is a comfortable place for cows to lie down. Producers spend millions of dollars renovating or building new facilities with cow comfort in mind, but what changes work and how can we evaluate them?
Previous UBC research has shown that if stalls are uncomfortable cows use them less, and instead they spend more time standing outside the stalls. Time standing on wet concrete increases the risk of lameness. These research studies measured lying times by video recording cows 24 h/d – an approach not practical on most commercial farms. So how can producers evaluate cow comfort on their farms?
Moving the Neck Rail Helps Lame Cows Recover
A recent Research Report showed how lame cows recover rapidly when provided access to pasture. Just 2 weeks on pasture led to improvements in gait of lame dairy cows. Cows that stayed in a free stall barn showed no improvement. Of course pasture access is not always possible, for example during the wet winter months here in British Columbia. Our next question was whether indoor housing could be modified to allow similar benefits? Specifically, can changes to freestall barns provide similar benefits for lame cows?
Lameness Workshop for Producers, Hoof-trimmers and Veterinarians
Lameness is a key issue for the dairy industry, and thus is a research focus at the UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre and abroad. To help keep producers and other professionals in the dairy industry updated on techniques to prevent lameness and properly treat those cows that do become lame, the UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre and Greenbelt Veterinary Services held a two-day lameness workshop this past November.
Dr. Gerard Cramer, an Ontario producer, hoof trimmer, veterinarian, and researcher working on hoof health, began the workshop by identifying the major risk factors for lameness and practical solutions that address these factors.
