She is weaned! Now what? Fernando Soberon, PhD Technical Service Manager Shur-Gain U.S.A.

Transcription

1 She is weaned! Now what? Fernando Soberon, PhD Technical Service Manager Shur-Gain U.S.A.

2 Where did I come from? 2

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6 2.3 services per conception $40.00 per straw of semen 50% female pregnancies 6

7 4.6 * $40.00 = $

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9 I heard the message!!! 4 liters of colostrum within the first 2 hours Disinfect the nipple 2 more liters of colostrum within 12 hours Cost = labor that had to be done anyway 9

10 What can I expect? 2 L colostrum 4 L colostrum 2 L 4 L n ADG, kg * Age at conception, (months) ns Survival through 2nd lact., (%) * Milk yield through 2nd lact., (kg) 16,015 17,042 * *P<0.05; ns P>0.1 (Faber et al., 2005) 10

11 I heard the message!!! Double birth weight by weaning ADG > 0.8 kg Mortality < 5% Morbidity < 20% Investment = $180 in milk or milk replacer 11

12 What can I expect? Study Milk yield difference, kg Foldager and Krohn, ** Foldager et al., * Bar-Peled et al., * Ballard et al., ** Shamay et al., ** Drackley et al., ** Raith-Knight et al., ns Terre et al., ns Morrison et al., ns Moallem et al., ** Davis-Rincker et al., ns Soberon et al., ** **P<0.05 *P<0.1 ns P>0.1 12

13 Good sire selection = 135 kg more milk 4 liters of colostrum = 1,000 kg more milk 0.8 kg ADG during first 53 days = 700 kg more milk New generation to produce 1,800 kg more milk 13

14 I m set, ready for the harvest! 14

15 I don t believe it 15

16 What about the next 18 months? 16

17 What do we want to accomplish? Uneventful calving Healthy lactating cow No metabolic problems No mastitis High milk production Breeds back within 2 to 3 months Healthy calf 17

18 What do we know of BW and calving Impact of insufficient BW at calving incidence of calving problems DMI, milk yield, morbidity, mortality Excessive BW at calving can be detrimental if it is associated with over conditioning incidence of calving problems DMI, milk yield, morbidity, mortality 18

19 How do we want our heifers to grow? Need to be systematic, need to consider: Age at First Calving Facilities and management Herd growth needs/wants Age at first calving is a conscious management decision Should be made in early life Should be based on optimum performance under herd management conditions Younger is more profitable on a lifetime basis Growth rates should reflect AFC goals 19

20 AFC and milk production Average 305 Milk for first lactation by AFC y = -459,06x Lb of 305 milk AFC, months Source: NYS DHI records 11,000 animals 20

21 Which heifer do you prefer to calve? 21

22 Early Research, 1960 Journal of Dairy Science March 1960 Volume 43, Issue 3, Pages

23 What do we know about calving fat cattle? Garnsworthy and Topps, 1982 Ingvartsen and Andersen, 2000 Douglas et al., 2006 Allen et al., 2009 Overton, 2011 They all concluded that increased BCS at calving has a negative effect on DMI and milk production 23

24 The effects of rapid growth pre-puberty 24

25 Let s redefine some concepts Growing fast is not the same as fattening ADG pre-weaning does not have the same effect as ADG during pregnancy A 300 lb calf is not the same as a 300 lb calf Pre-calving factors that affect milk production of multiparous cows also affect freshening heifers 25

26 Understanding Mature Body Weight At a given weight do you believe they have the same requirements for growth? 26

27 How are their nutrient requirements different? Similar composition similar % of mature size 1,800 lb mature weight 1,400 lb mature weight Same weight different % of mature size Composition of Animal 27

28 We are talking about Holsteins Have used ~ 570 kg post partum as a Rule of Thumb for post calving weight Should be a function of the herd mature body weight: Is a herd or region specific variable due to breeding and management decisions Unofficial measured range in NY state for Holsteins: 625 to 820 kg mature body weight 28

29 To better understand this We know how to calculate the composition of the gain according to: Stage of growth Rate of growth Mature size Dairy NRC, 2001 Van Amburgh and Drackley, 2005 Fox, et al., 1999 Beef NRC, 1996 ((F%*EBW)+(((0.122*((0.0635*((Mean EBW*(478/MSBW))^0.75)*(EBG^1.097))/EWG))-0.146)*EBWG))/FEBW 29

30 Remember these three heifers? Mature body weight, kg ADG from 90 to 350 kg, kg/d Calculated body fat, % Calculated body protein, % % 18.0% % 17.7% % 17.4% % 16.9% % 16.5% % 16.1% 30

31 Let s quantify the value of increased fat % Considering there is a 3% body fat difference, the calculated BCS difference is 0.75 units (e.g vs. 4.5) Post-partum intake differences? Post-partum risk for sub-clinical ketosis? Milk yield effects of additional BCS at calving? Cattle grown at 0.8 kg/d with estimated body fat of 25% produced ~2.0 kg/d less milk (250 d) Would 0.75 points of BCS explain 2 kg/d of milk? 31

32 Your goals will determine the growth targets and expected AFC Pre-pubertal ADG AFC Body fat % 0.7 kg 26 mo 23% 17% 0.8 kg 24 mo 23% 17% 1.0 kg 22 mo 23% 17% Body protein % Mature BW = 750 kg; weaning weight 85 kg; breeding weight 412 kg (55%); calving weight 615 kg (82%) 32

33 You invested in them pre-weaning, develop your investment Moallem et al., 2010 L-C L-P H-C H-P Milk, kg/d 30.4 b 29.4 b 30.7 b 33.9 a Fat, % 3.56 ab 3.61 a 3.61 a 3.44 b 0.04 Protein, % 3.06 b 3.18 a 3.14 a 2.95 c Fat, kg/d 1.11 b 1.10 b 1.17 a 1.20 a 0.03 Protein, kg/d 0.96 b 0.97 b 1.02 a 1.03 a FCM 4%, kg/d 28.5 bc 27.6 c 29.1 b 31.0 a 0.005

34 To prepare a heifer diet, let s consider: Breeding and calving goals AFC (22-24) Mature size of the herd (625kg 820kg) Housing facility Stocking density (<125%) Bunk space Age and size differences among pen-mates Feeding management Ingredients available Pasture (0.55 to 0.65 Mcal/lb; 11 to 23% CP) Corn silage (0.65 to 0.83 Mcal/lb; 7% CP) Haylage (0.55 to 0.65 Mcal/lb; 11 to 23% CP) Dry hay (0.55 to 0.65 Mcal/lb; 11 to 23% CP) Straw 34

35 Balancing energy and protein 35

36 In short 1. Provide 4 liters of colostrum within 2 hours of birth 2. At least double their birth weight by weaning For a 40 kg calf it means to grow at 0.8 kg/d for 50 d 3. Breed at 55 to 60% of mature body weight (MBW) You need to know the MBW of the herd. Holstein herds can vary from 625 to 820 kg If proper size is achieved, heifers can be successfully bred as early as 10 months, specially smaller breeds 4. First calving at 82 to 85% of MBW, post calving Prevent heifers from becoming over-conditioned 36

37 In conclusion Colostrum contains a lot more goodies than just IgG s (leptin, insulin, growth hormone, relaxin, IGF-I, etc) The long term effect of feeding colostrum suggests there is a switch in the metabolism of the calves Nutrient intake prior to weaning has a positive influence on milk yield (Soberon and Van Amburgh, 2012) The overall goal of heifer rearing is to provide the management and nutrition that allows for optimum milk yield in the first and subsequent lactations 37

38 In conclusion Attention to composition of the gain and BCS at calving are crucial in heifer raising (BCS 3.5 to 3.75) Any difference in body composition of heifers at puberty or pregnancy will most likely be maintained or enhanced since under most conditions the animals remain in positive energy balance from puberty to calving Dairy cattle that calve at higher than desired body condition scores (BCS > 4.0) have decreased dry matter intake and milk yield; post-partum health is usually at greater risk of being compromised Body composition can explain differences among studies evaluating pre-pubertal growth 38

39 Remember Phenotype = Genotype + Environment 39

40 Questions? 40