Root vegetables in the diet of cows will increase milk yield and milk fat content - Kostanay farmers
The prospects of this method are confirmed by real results obtained on farms such as the Sadovod farm. Already in 2020, supplies of carrots, beets and potatoes from Viktorovskoye LLP led to an increase in dairy products by 440 tons. The Sadchikovskoe farm also showed positive changes, increasing the fat content of milk by 1% and adding 2.5 liters to the milk yield for every 5 kilograms of carrots eaten by the cow.
Today, vegetable farming is ready to provide farmers with about 2.5 thousand tons of root vegetables, creating the opportunity to create a ready-to-eat vegetable mix. This product, in turn, represents a profitable solution for both vegetable growers and dairy farm owners.
An important component of the method is the use of scientific research in the field of rational nutrition of farm animals. Scientists emphasize that the successful increase in milk productivity of cows is associated with the reasonable use of feed, in particular root crops. Rich in vitamins and easily digestible carbohydrates, these vegetables have played a significant role in providing essential nutrients to cows.
Vegetable growers actively use powerful washers and crushers to process root crops, creating a finished product for farmers. This innovative method not only helps reduce supplement costs, but also provides farmers with a healthy crushed vegetable mix at an affordable price. In this way, vegetable growers can offset costs, and farmers receive a valuable vitamin supplement to the diet of their animals.
The experiments are also supported by scientific evidence highlighting the importance of root vegetables in feeding dairy cows. The sugar-protein ratio in the diets of lactating cows, including root vegetables, is maintained within optimal limits, ensuring stable metabolism and improved digestive processes. Vegetable growers and farm owners form a successful symbiosis together, creating a winning strategy for both sectors.
Recently, many commercial companies have been actively offering preparations of lactic acid bacteria. Starters ferment the sugar of the silage mass into lactic acid. Feeding overacidified food to animals causes acidification of the body, an increase in under-oxidized products in the blood (acidosis), and subclinical forms of metabolic disorders (ketosis). To provide animals with sugar, concentrates containing up to 40% sugars are used as a source of “fast” energy. But purchasing and feeding such additives negatively affects the cost of milk.
“Using root crops in feeding dairy cows will solve several problems at once. Firstly, an increase in milk yield due to the normalization of ruminal digestion to 10-12% (2-5 liters) per day per head. Secondly, carrots contain carotene - provitamin A, which ensures the normal condition of the mucous membranes, which increases the body's resistance to infectious diseases, and increases the reproductive function of the breeding stock. During the milking period, it is recommended to feed a cow from 4 kg to 12 kg of root vegetables per day,” scientists recommend.
