Livestock Production Science 66 2000 13–23 www.elsevier.com locate livprodsci
Production responses of tropical crossbred cattle to supplementary feeding and to different milking and restricted
suckling regimes
a b
b ,
C.A. Sandoval-Castro , S. Anderson , J.D. Leaver
a
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science , University of Yucatan, Apdo. 4-116 Itzimna, Merida, Yucatan 97100, Mexico
b
Wye College , University of London, Ashford, Kent TN25 5AH, UK
Received 17 September 1999; received in revised form 17 January 2000; accepted 17 January 2000
Abstract
The relationships between cow nutrition, restricted suckling and milking patterns and their effect on milk yield, milk composition and calf growth were examined under tropical conditions in south east Mexico. Eleven Bos indicus 3 Bos
taurus cows, 14 days postpartum, with calves weighing on average 37 kg were used in a change-over experimental design. All cows were fed Cynodon nlemfuensis hay ad libitum, and either 4.0 kg Leucaena leucocephala, 2.0 kg sorghum grain and
0.25 kg sugar-cane molasses on a fresh weight basis L1, or twice this amount of the same supplement L2. The calves were offered the same hay ad libitum in addition to suckling milk. The milking restricted suckling treatments were:
twice-daily milking with suckling after morning milking 2 3 AM, and once-daily milking in the morning with afternoon suckling 1 3 PM. The two regimes were examined at L1 and L2 feeding levels. A suckling time of 30 min was allowed at
each suckling occasion. For 2 3 AML1, 2 3 AML2, 1 3 PML1 and 1 3 PML2, respectively saleable milk yields SMYs kg day were 5.43, 5.99, 3.47, 4.09 S.E.M. 0.174; calf suckled milk CSM kg day 1.36, 1.46, 3.14, 3.43 S.E.M.
0.160; and total milk yield kg day 6.79, 7.46, 6.62, 7.53 S.E.M. 0.226. For SMYs, fat contents g kg were 30.0, 29.4, 29.0, 28.7 S.E.M. 1.11, respectively, and for CSM 59.6, 63.4, 38.8, 42.4 S.E.M. 2.46. Protein contents g kg for SMYs
were 27.5, 29.1, 29.3, 30.4 S.E.M. 0.67 and for CSM 27.9, 28.4, 29.1, 30.3 S.E.M. 0.81. Total food intakes of cows were 10.84, 12.12, 10.99, 12.16 S.E.M. 0.331 kg DM day. Calf growth rates were, respectively, 0.17, 0.20, 0.41, 0.52 S.E.M.
0.029 kg day, and hay DM intake 0.58, 0.49, 0.41, 0.34 S.E.M. 0.040 kg day. It was concluded that level of supplementation and restricted suckling and milking regimes could both be used to manipulate TMY, SMY and calf
performance.
2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords : Cattle; Feed supplements; Tropical feeds; Milk production; Suckling
1. Introduction
Dual purpose DP cattle systems contribute a
Corresponding author. Tel.: 144-1233-812-401; fax: 144-
significant proportion of the total milk and meat
1233-812-855. E-mail address
: d.leaverwye.ac.uk J.D. Leaver.
produced in the tropics, and are characterised by
0301-6226 00 – see front matter
2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. P I I : S 0 3 0 1 - 6 2 2 6 0 0 0 0 1 6 4 - 0
14 C
.A. Sandoval-Castro et al. Livestock Production Science 66 2000 13 –23
cows being both milked and allowed to suckle their 2.2. Animals
calves Wadsworth, 1995. The cows are either of Bos indicus or Bos indicus 3 Bos taurus breeds, and
Eleven Bos indicus 3 Bos taurus Brown Swiss 3 when milked by hand or by machine, require the
Zebu cows were used with a mean parity of 3.6 presence of the calf for milk ejection to occur
range 1–7, initial saleable milk yield SMY 6.9 Preston and Vaccaro, 1989. A variety of milking
4.3–10.5 kg day, liveweight LW 435 350–540 and partial suckling regimes are practised according
kg and on average 14 10–17 days postpartum. The to the market demand for milk and meat.. These
calves were bred by a Zebu Brahman bull and had regimes can influence milk yield Leon and Vaccaro,
a mean initial LW of 36.6 29.8–44.8 kg. 1984, milk quality Boden and Leaver, 1994, and
calf growth Day et al., 1987. 2.3. Feeds and feeding
In a previous study, Sandoval-Castro et al. 1999 examined the milk production and calf growth
Cows were housed individually in pens and of- responses to four different milking and suckling
fered star grass hay Cynodon nlemfuensis SG ad patterns under both temperate and tropical condi-
libitum after morning milking, following the removal tions. They showed that twice daily milking com-
of refused hay from the previous day. A sorghum bined with once daily suckling produced the highest
grain ration was offered in two halves after the a.m. saleable milk production, and that once daily milking
and p.m.
milking. Leucaena
Leucaena in the morning combined with once daily suckling in
leucocephala leaves and branches stem , 5 mm the afternoon gave the highest calf growth rate.
diameter were chopped and served in one feed at The availability and quality of locally-produced
10.00 h. The leucaena was mixed with a small feeds in tropical DP systems are extremely variable
quantity of sugar-cane molasses to ensure total and consequently very influential on the level of milk
consumption. It was cut every day and served fresh and meat output achieved. Improved nutrition of the
except for Sunday, when the fodder from the previ- cow is likely to benefit both saleable milk production
ous day’s supply was fed. and the amount of milk suckled by the calf. The
The calves, which were housed in groups of two interactions of milking and restricted suckling re-
or three according to treatment, were allowed to gimes with nutrition under tropical conditions are
suckle every day for one or two periods of 30 min however, poorly understood. The objective of this
according to the experimental design. SG hay was study was to evaluate the effect on cow and calf
provided ad libitum. At suckling times, the calves performance, of two milking and restricted suckling
were put into the pen occupied by their dam. During regimes which were known to produce different
the third week of each period, calves were kept saleable milk and calf growth responses, at two feed
neck-tied when not suckling in order to record supplementation levels for the cow using locally
individual hay intakes. Calves were reallocated to produced feeds.
new pens at the start of each period. Water was freely available to cows and calves.
2. Material and methods
