"For cost effective and sustainable production, dairy cows should produce as much of their milk as possible from a basic ration." This statement lays down the principles of feeding dairy cattle.
Ruminants are able to digest cellulose, plant cell wall components that are actually indigestible for vertebrates, as a result of symbiosis with microorganisms in their digestive tract. In the course of evolution, their digestive system has become specialised precisely for this purpose, which is why they need the corresponding feed, i.e. basic ration, in order to function properly.
Regardless of whether your cattle yield 20 litres a day, or 40 litres a day - high-quality and clean basic ration is the basis for healthy, productive animals and forms the foundation for the success of your business.
Various microbes live in the rumen of every ruminant, which, as a result of the forage fermenting, providing the animal with energy in the form of volatile fatty acids, vitamins and high-quality protein.
These microorganisms have a pH optimum of around 6 to 6.5. The fatty acids that form during the process, however, naturally cause a continuous lowering of the pH value. This would cause the microbes to perish from their own fermentation products. The drop in pH value is counteracted by the buffering effect of saliva in ruminant-friendly feeding. This is because if ruminants eat sufficient quantities of basic ration, the physical structure of the forage causes natural rumination, which produces with sufficient levels of salivation. The pH value in the rumen adjusts to an optimal level.
If the proportion of concentrate in the ration is too high, this self-regulation no longer functions due to the lack of structure in the feed. This leads to acidosis, the over-acidity of the rumen, with long-term health consequences and a reduction in yield.
In addition to rumen physiological reasons and the health of the animals, it is also in the business interests of farm management to produce a large proportion of the milk from the basic ration.
On dairy farms, feed (forage production and purchase) accounts for the largest part of the value chain, accounting for almost 50% of production costs per litre of milk1. So there is enormous potential here.
The more milk that can be produced from the farm's own forage, the lower the proportion of expensive concentrate that needs to be added to achieve high yield targets.
The annual milk reports2 of the Bavarian Research Centre for Agriculture, among others, show that profits on dairy farms also increase in line with higher basic ration consumption. However, whether the animals actually consume the basic ration in sufficient quantities depends to a large extent on the quality of the forage provided.
1Dorfner, G. und Hofmann, G. (2008): Hohe Grundfutterleistung – ein Schlüssel für den erfolgreichen Milchviehhalter.
2 LfL (2021): Milchreport Bayern 2020. Ergebnisse der Betriebszweigabrechnung Milchproduktion 2019/20
Ruminants are fussy about their forage. The quality of their basic ration will determine whether your animals consume the forage in high quantities, or not.
With dairy cows, approx. 50% of forage consumption is influenced by animal-related factors such as live weight, milk yield and lactation day, with the other 50% depending on the forage itself.3 Ultimately, it is the energy density of the basic ration that is decisive.
Many years of research results involving over 2,200 Holstein, Fleckvieh and Braunvieh dairy cattle have gone into the DLG forage intake estimation equation: If the energy content of the basic ration increases by 1 MJ NEL / kg DM, the total forage intake increases by approx. 1 kg DM per day.3
It is therefore worthwhile actively improving the quality of the basic forage as far as possible on all levels.
3Gruber, L.; Pries, M.; Schwarz, F-J.; Spiekers, L. und Staudacher, W. (2006): Schätzung der Futteraufnahme bei der Milchkuh. DLG-Information 1/2006.