2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16
Forage is a feed of plant origin, which is used to feed farm animals. Previously, this word was used to feed horses, and later they began to use it for large and small cattle. As a result, the expression "fodder cow" appeared. Such animals allow you to get more profit.
Interpretation of the concept
Forage cows are called, which are fed to increase milk yield. In the days of collective farms and state farms, calculations were made to calculate the daily milk yield of cows. This procedure is necessary in order to determine the food base. Milk yield is the main indicator that reflects the overall productivity of a dairy herd.
Number of cows on the farm
In animal husbandry, fodder cows are being formed. One herd may contain dry individuals, another - cows after calving, and the third - those on milking. Such a division is necessary in order for the livestock to receive the correctdiet. It differs depending on the herd group.
A dry cow should receive vitamins, proteins. New heifers are given mainly hay and water, gradually introducing concentrates and succulent feed into the diet. Those animals that are on the milking are given advance nutrition. The higher the milk yield, the more feed is wasted.
The number of dairy forage cows changes periodically. New individuals enter it, which are brought after calving. Cows are selected from it and transferred to deadwood. To determine the number of cows in the herd, different calculation methods and formulas are used. Daily records of milk yields received from forage cows are maintained.
Forage in the ration
In animal husbandry, average annual milk yields per animal are calculated. Such data make it possible to assess how fully the animal feeds and how many liters of milk a cow gives when using forage. It includes:
- legumes – lupins, peas;
- grain forage - barley, wheat, oats, corn;
- roots, stems, leaves without seeds and fruits.
This is all complementary food. Its use explains the name "forage cow". Cows consume forage in fresh, dried form.
Milking control
Milk is a useful product used to obtain a variety of fermented milk products, sour cream, cheeses, cottage cheese, butter. It is highly valued.
On farms, milk production of cows is constantly determinedusing various formulas, calculations. This is necessary to find out how productive each individual cow is, because the calculations of milk yield for the year and for the lactation period are carried out.
To obtain the most accurate results, milk is weighed daily. But such work is carried out only in small farms, where the number of cows is not large. In large livestock farms, control is carried out every few days at regular intervals. To know how much milk the cows gave between weighings, the data obtained on the control day is multiplied by the number of days in the interval. Then all the amounts received for the year are added up - it turns out the annual milk yield. According to the same principle, milk yield is determined during lactation.
Calculation of milk yield
In large farms, to calculate the average milk yield per one forage cow, it is carried out according to the formula where the total milk yield is divided by the number of heads in the herd. When it is necessary to find out how much milk a particular cow gave per day, the annual amount is divided by lactation days.
The information received is recorded in special registers for the selected period.
For example, there are hundreds of cows on farms. Calculating how many liters of milk per day each individual gives is laborious. Moreover, the number of cows is changing, some cows may not give milk. Because of these features, it is the average milk yield that is calculated. You can also calculate the volume of milk by the number of heads put on the forage ration. The last calculation method allowsdetermine the milk yield of forage cows. Most often, it is less than the indicators of dairy cows.
By studying how to milk a cow, how much milk she gives over different periods, farmers can understand how well things are going. The calculations made help to take into account not only the cost of feed, but also labor, calculate the possible profit from sales.
Accounting for feed consumption
Calculation of feed is based on feeding days. For this, a special formula has been developed. It looks something like this: at the beginning of the month, the number of goals is taken into account. The indicator is recorded on the calendar. If the livestock is replenished with new cows, then this is necessarily displayed. The livestock that left the herd is also taken into account. They are also taken into account when calculating feed consumption, as they received forage before being transferred to deadwood.
Such calculations help predict feeding days and determine the number of individuals that will receive forage feed, how much will go into the dead wood, how many will come to the dairy group. The results of the calculations also determine how much feed should be prepared for the animals that are being fed.
On a private backyard, as well as on small farms, it is easy to determine the amount of feed to feed one forage cow. But it is more difficult to calculate how much it will take for adequate nutrition of animals in large and medium-sized farms.
Conclusion
By calculating the cost of feed and milk yield, farmers can determine the cost and income per animal, withthe whole herd. Also, good indicators determine how attractive the farm's products will be for buyers of cattle, producers of various dairy products.
In recent years, the number of forage cows has been growing rapidly. The use of fodder makes it possible to annually increase the average milk yield per cow by half a liter or more per day. With the correct division of cows into groups, as well as the creation of replacement livestock, farmers receive the minimum cost of feeding and the maximum amount of milk. According to statistics, one forage cow is capable of producing more than three thousand kilograms of milk per year, which is a very good indicator.
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