CONSUMPTION OF CONCENTRATED FEED FOR MILK COWS IN CONDITIONS OF ROBOTIZED TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

The research was performed on the milk farm Lgotnes of the Latvia University of Agriculture research and training farm Vecauce where robotized milking is introduced. On the farm concentrated feed was fed in three places: at the feeding table, i.e., together with the feed mix, in the milking stand and at feeding stations. In the research the amount of concentrated feed that the cows received at every feeding place was stated. For this purpose the cows were divided in four milk yield groups with 10-20, 20-30, 30-40 and more than 40 kg of milk per day. It was stated that the consumption of concentrated feed varies proportionally to the milk yield but its proportion for lower productivity cows is too high according to physiological requirements, but for cows with the milk yield 30-40 kg and more it can be insufficient. Several versions of concentrated feed consumption control are described. Nevertheless, together with the successful solutions of introduction of the new technologies also several problems arise. For instance, in feeding cows there are difficulties with ensuring the nutrients in compliance with the normative requirements. It is very topical in the conditions of application of the modern technologies when the cows have free access to the basic feed mixture and get concentrated feed from the distribution automatic machines or feeding stations. Then it becomes possible that the less productive animals get more nutrients and energy than they should causing fatness and metabolic disturbance. Therefore, the farms are forced to reject these animals as defective too soon. If, in turn, there are unsounded limits for consumption of feed the potentially more productive animals will not receive adequate amount of nutrients and energy appropriate to their genetic productivity. Their milk yield will be inadequately low. In the result the amount of milk will reduce and the farm will incur losses. Therefore, it is important to have the content of the basic feed that is fed to cows in the conditions of loose handling and robotized milking suitable for animals of all productivity levels but concentrated feed should be correctly limited adequate for the milk yield of every cow. Materials and methods For the research the milk farm Lgotnes of the Latvia University of Agriculture research and training farm Vecauce where loose handling of cows is introduced was chosen. A group of cows milked in robotized stands with using the management system for serving the animals was used in the research. In this group 80-100 cows with the average live weight 600 kg and the average milk yield 6500 kg were included. The basic feed (feed mix) was fed at the feeding table, but concentrated feed - in the milking stands and feeding stations. The basic feed included 83 % of silage, 5.5 % hay, 11 % concentrated feed mixture prepared on the farm and 0.5 % vitamins and mineral admix. Concentrated feed was purchased and prepared in a shape of granules. The research was carried out from January, 2009 to March, 2010. The herd during this period was varying as the cows with the milk yield less than 10 kg per day were periodically moved to the breeding room or rejected. Therefore, the cows were divided in four milk yield level groups: with 10- 20 kg, 20-30 kg, 30-40 kg and more than 40 kg per day.