title: Milk yield, gross composition and fatty acid profile of dual-purpose Aosta Red Pied cows fed separate concentrate-forage versus total mixed ration.
abstract: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of two feeding methods on milk yield, composition and fatty acid (FA) profile obtained from dual-purpose cattle. Twenty-four Aosta Red Pied cows beyond peak of lactation were assigned to two groups and fed hay and concentrates in the proportions 0.69 and 0.31 on a dry matter basis for 10 weeks. Concentrates were offered separately from forages 6 times a day (separate ration, SR) or as a total mixed ration (TMR). The feeding method did not significantly influence dry matter intake (16.8 vs. 16.9 kg/head/day for SR- and TMR-fed cows, respectively), milk yield (17.4 vs. 17.5 kg/head/day), milk fat, protein and lactose contents (36.4 vs. 35.2, 33.5 vs. 32.8, and 47.3 vs. 47.4 g/kg) and yields (607.9 vs. 613.4, 567.4 vs. 572.7 and 805.5 vs. 829.7 g/head/day). The overall milk FA profile was very similar between groups. Milk concentrations of FA used as indirect markers of rumen function (C18:2 t10c12, odd- and branched-chain FA) and the extent of ruminal biohydrogenation were comparable (P > 0.05) between SR- and TMR-fed cows, suggesting that ruminal pH did not vary considerably as a consequence of the feeding strategy applied.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali e Alimentari, University of Torino, Grugliasco (TO), Italy.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Renna
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cornale
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lussiana
authors.forename: Luca Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Battaglini
authors.forename: Germano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Turille
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mimosi
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007774:Lactation; D007785:Lactose / Q000378:metabolism; D008892:Milk / Q000378:metabolism*; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012417:Rumen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D008894:Milk Proteins; D007785:Lactose
keywords: Aosta Red Pied cow; fatty acids; feeding method; milk composition; production performance