Hannah Research Institute

The four ”C”s of nutritional management: The four ”C”s of nutritional management: Creating Consistency, Coping with ChallengeCreating Consistency, Coping with Challenge

Chris Knight

chkn@life.ku.dk

Hannah Research Institute

Nutritional Consistency and ChallengeNutritional Consistency and Challenge

Challenge: seasonal Challenge: seasonal food supplyfood supplyCoping: migrationCoping: migrationChallenge: crossing Challenge: crossing oceans/desertsoceans/desertsCoping: create energy Coping: create energy reservesreservesChallenge: weight Challenge: weight compromises flightcompromises flightCoping: timingCoping: timing

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Challenges facing the dairy cowChallenges facing the dairy cow

Reproduction

Heterospecifics

HealthEnvironmental

Conspecifics

Production

Composition

Parturition

Nutritional

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Why now?Why now?

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ChallengesChallengesBiologicalBiological

•• Surviving infancySurviving infancy•• Seasonal food supplySeasonal food supply•• Water conservationWater conservation•• Temperature extremesTemperature extremes•• GrowthGrowth•• CompetitionCompetition•• DiseaseDisease

•• ReproductionReproduction

•• PredationPredation

ArtificialArtificial

•• Excessive productionExcessive production•• Management transitionsManagement transitions•• Poor housingPoor housing•• Economic decision makingEconomic decision making•• Specialist productsSpecialist products

Negative effectof selection

Positive effectof selection

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ConsistencyConsistency

NutritionalDay to day

Time of year

Within day

National

Herd

Lactation cycle

Cow

Lifetime

Reproduction

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National instabilityNational instability

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ConsistencyConsistency

NutritionalDay to day

Time of year

Within day

National

Herd

Lactation cycle

Cow

Lifetime

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Nutrition, genetics, growth & development: Nutrition, genetics, growth & development: beyond “production”beyond “production”

Barker:

Fetal undernutritionprogrammes adult metabolic disease

Healthybaby LGA

“Best” Healthygrowth

Long-termhealth

SGA

Overfeeding

Overweight

Disease

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ConsistencyConsistency

NutritionalDay to day

Time of year

Within day

National

Herd

Lactation cycle

Cow

Lifetime

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Challenges facing the dairy farmerChallenges facing the dairy farmer

Preparing the cowfor lactation

Feeding thelactating cowNutritional

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The transition periodThe transition period

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Transition periodTransition period

Far-offClose-up

NEB

High yield

Transition period

Calving

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Transition period, in transition!Transition period, in transition!

Far-offClose-up

NEB

High yield

Transition period

Calving

High fibre

Fertility

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Reproduction dietsReproduction diets

Far-offClose-up

NEB

High yield

Transition period

Calving

Fertility

Insulinogenic

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Nutrition/endocrine interactionsNutrition/endocrine interactions

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Transition periodsTransition periods

Far-offClose-up

NEB

High yield

Calving

High yieldTransition period

Transit

ion pe

riod

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Continuous lactationContinuous lactation

Far-offClose-up

NEB

High yield

Calving

Lactation dietHigh yieldTransition period

High yield

Transit

ion pe

riod

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((Dis)continuousDis)continuous lactationlactation

High yield

Calving

Lactation dietDepressed yield

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Seasonal breeding and food supplySeasonal breeding and food supplyBronson, FH (1985) Biol. Reprod. 32 1-26

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The cows view of transition?The cows view of transition?

Unreliable food supplyClose-up

NEB

High energy

Transition period

Calving

Far-off

Mobilizationis desirable

Reproductionis a luxury

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Cows are programmed to mobilizeCows are programmed to mobilize

M3 M6 SU30

40

50

60

70

Peak

milk

yie

ld (k

g/d)

M3 M6 SU16

18

20

22

24

DM

I (kg

/d)

M3 M6 SU0

-20

-40

-60

-80

Bod

y w

eigh

t los

s (k

g)

Milk yield Feed intake Weight loss

Intro 7

Bar-Peled et al (1995) J Dairy Sci 78 2726-2736

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Seasonal breeding and food supplySeasonal breeding and food supplyBronson, FH (1985) Biol. Reprod. 32 1-26

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Food intake patternsFood intake patterns

-24 -18 -12 -6 0 6 12 18 24

Week relative to parturition

4

8

12

16

Dry

mat

ter i

ntak

e, k

g/d

0

10

20

30

Food

inta

ke (g

/d)

0 5 10 15

Pregnancy day

50 10 15

Lactation day

Heifers

DepositionMobilisation

Hyperphagia Hyperphagia

Mice(Data from Ingvarsten)

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So how long is So how long is biologicalbiological transition?transition?

-24 -18 -12 -6 0 6 12 18 24

Week relative to parturition

4

8

12

16

Dry

mat

ter i

ntak

e, k

g/d

Transition period

Transisition

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Challenges facing the dairy farmerChallenges facing the dairy farmer

Preparing the cowfor lactation

Feeding thelactating cowNutritional

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Lactations will get longer!Lactations will get longer!

50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

Lactation day

-200

-100

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Reb

reed

ing

valu

e $

Heifers

Cows

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In Europe, farmers may lead the wayIn Europe, farmers may lead the way

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Extended lactationExtended lactationConventional lactation:3 risk periods

Extended lactation:2 risk periods

Milk

yie

ld

Autumn Autumn Autumn Autumn

Milk

yie

ld

Autumn Autumn Autumn Autumn

Increased persistency!

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0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Week of lactation

0

5

10

15

20

Hal

f-udd

er m

ilk y

ield

(kg/

d)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Lactation week

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

SCC

AMS can enable extended lactation

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Extended lactation will require better Extended lactation will require better nutritional managementnutritional management

Can sudden yield Can sudden yield depressions be depressions be avoided?avoided?

Can they be Can they be reversed?reversed?

Which is more Which is more important, energy important, energy or protein?or protein?

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65

standardised lactation week

0

5

10

15

20

Hal

f-udd

er m

ilk y

ield

(kg/

d)

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Experimental manipulation of protein Experimental manipulation of protein supplysupply

Experimental diet deficient in histidine, methionine and lysine

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Recovery from amino acid deficiencyRecovery from amino acid deficiency

In early lactation amino In early lactation amino acid deficiency acid deficiency compromised milk yieldcompromised milk yieldThere was complete There was complete recovery when recovery when deficiency endeddeficiency endedThe responses were The responses were independent of stage of independent of stage of lactationlactation

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Experimental stimulation of Experimental stimulation of mobilizationmobilization

Frequent Frequent milking does milking does not stimulate not stimulate mobilization of mobilization of body proteinbody protein

2X 3X 2X 3X 2X 3X20

22

24

26

28

Milk

yie

ld (k

g/d)

Deficient Adequate Adequate + ME

n.s. n.s.

P<0.05

P<0.05

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Mobilization of protein is possible, Mobilization of protein is possible, but strong stimulus requiredbut strong stimulus required

Frequent Frequent milking milking effective only effective only with adequate with adequate dietdiet

BST effective BST effective irrespective of irrespective of dietdiet

2X 3X 2X 3X 2X 3X 2X 3X8

10

12

14

16

Milk

yie

ld (k

g/d/

half

udde

r) Deficient Adequate

n.s.

+BST +BST

n.s.

n.s.

P<0.05

P<0.05

P<0.05 P<0.05

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SummarySummary

ShortShort--term lactation inhibition caused term lactation inhibition caused by protein inadequacy is reversibleby protein inadequacy is reversiblePerhaps not surprisingly therefore, the Perhaps not surprisingly therefore, the cow is reluctant to mobilize proteincow is reluctant to mobilize protein

Is the same true for energy?Is the same true for energy?

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The Hannah Research The Hannah Research InstituteInstitute

Evolution

Institute becomes Trust.Research contractor becomes research funder.

www. hannahresearch.org.uk In 2006the Hannah

closedwww.strath.ac.uk

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Creating Consistency, Coping with ChallengeCreating Consistency, Coping with Challenge

Actually, Consistency can become too much Actually, Consistency can become too much of a good thing,of a good thing,

and Challenge can be rather stimulatingand Challenge can be rather stimulating

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Copenhagen is

wonderful!