“Synopsis
The essay illustrates the importance of dairy meal as a concentrate in dairy cow production. It provides essential ingredients contained in dairy dairy meals. The functions of the essential nutrients are also discussed. The report also discusses the comparison of dairy meal to other concentrates. Brief personal opinion on the dairy preparation and nutritional requirements is also provided.
Dairy meal
Dairy meal is an important concentrate used to supplement pastures in dairy cow production. These feeds are fed to dairy cow at any stage in cows lifecycle. The number of times that dairy meal is fed to cows depends on the management regime of the cow. Just like other categories of feeds dairy meals are highly palatable and highly digestible for ruminants.
Dairy meal concentrates contain ingredients such as fish meal molasses cottonseed oil cake sweet lupine and urea. These ingredients vary in concentration determined by inclusion of raw material used in its preparation. The major nutritional elements of dairy meals include proteins urea minerals and some vitamins. Calcium phosphorous and Mendelevium are the important minerals contained in dairy meal ration. The dairy meal provides a dairy cow with the essential ingredient which help meet its nutrient requirements. The content of dairy meal protein varies from nine to thirty-three percent.
The dairy meal provides dairy cows with ruminal degradability. For instance the inclusion of concentrated in ruminant diet provides ruminal protein for microbial protein synthesis and ruminal ungraded protein (Pathak 2). Additionally an amino acid is a good source of nitrogen requirements that facilitate maximum microbial protein synthesis. The proportion of calcium varies from low medium and high concentration which reduces postprandial lipidemia. This is more important than the supplemental calcium in feed additives. Dairy meal is a good source of animal protein that is essential in enhancing dairy cow body weight and body fat.
The high digestibility and palatability of dairy meal plays significant role in increasing milk production of dairy animals. Other non-protein nitrogen compounds are thought to be cost-effective in cost reduction in dairy production. However dairy cow performance cannot the enhanced by these particular feeds thereby preference for a dairy meal. The mineral components of dairy meal are essential in reproduction growth and also bodily functions of a dairy cow.
Compared to other concentrates dairy meal contains low vitamin supplementation that may be needed in dairy rations. The other concentrates contain vitamin A D and E though percentage levels may be toxic. On the other hand dairy meal is as expensive as other concentrates which may not be constantly affordable to small scale farmers. Nutritionally dairy meal is one of the feeds that guarantee better productivity of to the farmer. The rich nutritive value is due to high nutritious components that are utilized in the manufacture and preparation of the feed. Dairy meal is also advantageous the farmer because it can be fed to the cows at any stage of cows cycle.
Opinion
The preparation of dairy meal should also incorporate vitamins addition. Though the feed is highly nutritious it should also include in its ingredients important hormones and additional minerals such as manganese sodium carbonate and potassium to provide a good balance of minerals especially for lactating cows. Dairy meal in my opinion need to fatten and enable the cow to regain its weight without supplementing with other concentrates like seed cake and oil cakes.”
