Tag Archives: milk quality

1246-1253 A. Nolberga-Trupa, D. Ruska and G. Grandbergs
Effect of new biologically active feed ingredient – potassium humate on productivity and milk quality of dairy cows
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Effect of new biologically active feed ingredient – potassium humate on productivity and milk quality of dairy cows

A. Nolberga-Trupa¹*, D. Ruska² and G. Grandbergs³

¹²Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Faculty of Agriculture,
Institute of Animal Sciences, 2 Liela Street, LV-3001 Jelgava, Latvia
³Peasant facility ‘Dukati’, Vitinu Parish, LV-3708 Auces Municipality, Latvia
*Correspondence: aiga.trupa@lbtu.lv

Abstract:

In animal feeding, the use of effective bioactive feed additives of natural origin, which have a stimulatory effect on the digestive and metabolic processes in an animal organism, while maximally maintaining the conditions for a healthy rumen environment, in combination with an environmentally friendly and economically beneficial agricultural production process, is being studied. Humates can play an important role in addressing this problem. Therefore, a study with Holstein-Friesian Black-and-White cows was carried out on the farm ‘Dukati’, Vitinu Parish, Auce Municipality, to understand the effect of potassium humate on the productivity and milk quality of dairy cows. Animals were selected for the research and assigned by the analogy principle to two treatment groups: trial and control; each group consisted of 15 dairy cows. The dairy cows were kept in free stall barns. The animals were provided with all welfare requirements according to the guidelines. During the trial, a decrease in productivity in both groups of cows was observed, but this decrease was slower in the trial group – by 6 kg ECM, compared to the beginning of the trial. During the trial, the milk composition, according to its fat and lactose content, was similar for cows of both groups. The protein content in the milk of the cows of both groups differed (P < 0.05). In the trial cow group, the protein content in milk increased by 0.15%, but the urea content in the milk decreased by 0.96 mg dL-1, and somatic cell count by
180 thsd mL-1 compared to the beginning of the trial.

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2026–2038 B. Osmane, I.H. Konosonoka, A. Trupa and L. Proskina
Peas and beans as a protein feed for dairy cows
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Peas and beans as a protein feed for dairy cows

B. Osmane*, I.H. Konosonoka, A. Trupa and L. Proskina

Latvia University of Agriculture, Svetes street 18, LV-3001 Jelgava, Latvia
*Correspondence: baiba.osmane@arei.lv

Abstract:

The need for alternative protein sources to soybean meal, partially or fully substituted in the diets of dairy cows, is an urgent problem in farming nowadays. Soybean meal is the most common protein source included in feed concentrate for dairy cows in Latvia and in other European countries as well. Among possible alternatives, grain legumes seem interesting for dairy cow diets because of their rapid degradation in the rumen and readily available energy. Peas and beans will be an important source of proteins in feed. Biochemical tests were done on eight samples of domestically grown dried peas of average size, 11 samples of dried beans of average size and some samples of soybean meal to examine the chemical composition of the peas and beans. Peas and beans were included in the feed ration during a feeding trial on dairy cows. Milk yields and milk quality parameters were examined in the trial. The digestibility of peas of most varieties and breeding lines examined was considerably higher than that of soybean meal, while the digestibility of beans of all the varieties and breeding lines examined and of soybean meal was the same. The peas contained more reducing sugars, starches and had a higher value of NEL than the tested beans, which meant the peas had a higher nutritional value. The diets comprising beans and peas fed to the dairy cows increased the fat and protein contents of milk, compared with the control group and the beginning of the trial. The total amount of amino acids increased in the bulk milk samples of all the trial groups during the feeding trial.

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369–375 L. Cielava,, D. Jonkus and L. Paura
Lifetime milk productivity and quality in farms with different housing and feeding systems
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Lifetime milk productivity and quality in farms with different housing and feeding systems

L. Cielava¹,*, D. Jonkus¹ and L. Paura²

¹ Latvia University of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Institute of Agrobiotechnologies, Lielā 2, LV-3001 Jelgava, Latvia
² Latvia University of Agriculture, Faculty of Information Technologies, Department of Control systems, Lielā 2, LV-3001 Jelgava, Latvia
*Correspondence: lasma.cielava@llu.lv

Abstract:

Housing and feeding systems in farms are main factors that affects cow milk productivity and its quality. The largest proportion of Latvian farms are small farms with tie stall housing system and grazing in summer. The aim of our study was to determine to what extent different housing and feeding systems affect the milk productivity, quality and cow longevity characterizing traits of Latvian dairy cows. In study we analysed 3,179 Holstein Black and White (HBW) and Latvian Brown (LB) breed cows from which 2,383 were located in 2 farms with loose housing system and TMR feeding and 796 cows were located in 8 small farms with tie stall housing system and different feed in summer and winter periods. The average daily milk yield significantly higher (p < 0.05) were in farms with loose housing system – 23.53 kg ECM, but in farms with Tie stall housing system was obtained 18.46 kg ECM per day. HBW breed cows characterized with lower somatic cell count in milk than Latvian brown in both housing systems. The highest somatic cell count in milk was obtained from third lactation LB breed cows in Tie stall housing system (249.11 thous. in 1mL-1 milk) and the lowest from HBW cows in loose housing system (127.57 thous. in 1mL-1 milk). Cows in smaller farms characterized with longer lifespan – 2,098.7 and 1,890 days for large farms, but lifetime milk productivity was significantly higher in farms with loose housing system where was obtained 21,315.9 kg ECM whereas in Tie stall system farms average life productivity was 19,740.2 kg ECM.

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479-488 P. Stypinski
The Effect of Grassland-based Forages on Milk Quality and Quantity
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The Effect of Grassland-based Forages on Milk Quality and Quantity

P. Stypinski

Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Department of Agronomy Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland,
piotr_stypinski@sggw.pl

Abstract:

Grassland is the first land use in the agricultural areas (AA) of Europe, covering, with rangeland, 56 million ha (33% of AA in EU). Grasslands are characterized by multiple functions and values but one of the most important is forage production for ruminants. In the “grassland region” milk production is connected with grassland management and proper utilisation, whereas in other parts of Europe milk production is based on maize and concentrates. Unfortunately, grassland, particularly grazing, seems to be less important than in the past. Milk quality depends on animal feed. Milk and meat produced from grassland, particularly from botanically diverse pastures, have higher concentrations of those fatty acids and antioxidants which are considered to be of benefit to human health.

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241-247 A. Laurs and J. Priekulis
Robotic milking of dairy cows
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Robotic milking of dairy cows

A. Laurs and J. Priekulis

Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Latvia University of Agriculture,J. Čakstes bulv.5, LV3001, Jelgava, Latvia; e-mail: armins.laurs@promedia.lv

Abstract:

In countries with developed dairy farming milking robots are gaining wide popularity. The first milking equipment of this kind was installed in Latvia in 2007 and found interest among partitioning animal breeders and among scientists. The main feature of the milking robots is that cows can be milked independently, without human assistance and “on demand”. The aim of our research was to state how often the cows visited the robots, and to compare the load (capacity) and quality of the obtained milk to traditional milking equipment. In our experiments, the cows visited the robots 2.9 times a day, on average. Two robots that served a group of 73 cows were loaded to 65%. Therefore, the capacity can be enlarged to 110 cows. With the use of robots, milk quality indices were higher than milking with stall-type equipment with parallel location of animals.

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