Effect of Feeding Adaptation of Italian Simmental Cows before Summer Grazing on Animal Behavior and Milk Characteristics
According to the alpine transhumance system, dairy cows are moved from indoor feeding with conserved forage to fresh herbage feeding on pasture. The aim of this study was to assess, as a feeding adaptation technique, the effect of a gradual inclusion of fresh herbage in the diet of Italian Simmental...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-05-01
|
| Series: | Animals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/5/829 |
| _version_ | 1827717044186906624 |
|---|---|
| author | Mirco Corazzin Monica Berlese Enrico Sturaro Maurizio Ramanzin Luigi Gallo Eugenio Aprea Flavia Gasperi Damiano Gianelle Stefano Bovolenta |
| author_facet | Mirco Corazzin Monica Berlese Enrico Sturaro Maurizio Ramanzin Luigi Gallo Eugenio Aprea Flavia Gasperi Damiano Gianelle Stefano Bovolenta |
| author_sort | Mirco Corazzin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | According to the alpine transhumance system, dairy cows are moved from indoor feeding with conserved forage to fresh herbage feeding on pasture. The aim of this study was to assess, as a feeding adaptation technique, the effect of a gradual inclusion of fresh herbage in the diet of Italian Simmental dairy cows before their transfer to alpine pasture on performance, behavior, and milk characteristics. Eighteen cows were assigned to three groups: animals transferred to alpine pasture with a 10-d feeding adaptation period consisting in gradual access to a pasture close to the valley farm (GT), animals transferred to alpine pasture without a feeding adaptation period (AT), and animals kept in the valley farm (IND). During the first two weeks of summer grazing, GT and AT showed higher rumination time and different concentrations of ketones, hydrocarbons, organic acids, toluene, alcohols, phenols, and dimethyl sulfone in milk as compared to IND, whereas no differences were found in milk yield, composition, or coagulation properties. No differences between GT and AT were evident for the studied variables. The feeding adaptation technique used in this study did not influence the performance and milk characteristics of Italian Simmental dairy cows grazing on alpine pasture. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:54:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1e170e98f30042c2b333347e83c682af |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:54:13Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-1e170e98f30042c2b333347e83c682af2023-11-20T00:03:11ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152020-05-0110582910.3390/ani10050829Effect of Feeding Adaptation of Italian Simmental Cows before Summer Grazing on Animal Behavior and Milk CharacteristicsMirco Corazzin0Monica Berlese1Enrico Sturaro2Maurizio Ramanzin3Luigi Gallo4Eugenio Aprea5Flavia Gasperi6Damiano Gianelle7Stefano Bovolenta8Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, ItalyDepartment of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro (PD), ItalyDepartment of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro (PD), ItalyDepartment of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro (PD), ItalyResearch and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige (TN), ItalyResearch and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige (TN), ItalyResearch and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige (TN), ItalyDepartment of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, ItalyAccording to the alpine transhumance system, dairy cows are moved from indoor feeding with conserved forage to fresh herbage feeding on pasture. The aim of this study was to assess, as a feeding adaptation technique, the effect of a gradual inclusion of fresh herbage in the diet of Italian Simmental dairy cows before their transfer to alpine pasture on performance, behavior, and milk characteristics. Eighteen cows were assigned to three groups: animals transferred to alpine pasture with a 10-d feeding adaptation period consisting in gradual access to a pasture close to the valley farm (GT), animals transferred to alpine pasture without a feeding adaptation period (AT), and animals kept in the valley farm (IND). During the first two weeks of summer grazing, GT and AT showed higher rumination time and different concentrations of ketones, hydrocarbons, organic acids, toluene, alcohols, phenols, and dimethyl sulfone in milk as compared to IND, whereas no differences were found in milk yield, composition, or coagulation properties. No differences between GT and AT were evident for the studied variables. The feeding adaptation technique used in this study did not influence the performance and milk characteristics of Italian Simmental dairy cows grazing on alpine pasture.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/5/829mountaintranshumancefeeding behaviorvolatile compoundcoagulation trait |
| spellingShingle | Mirco Corazzin Monica Berlese Enrico Sturaro Maurizio Ramanzin Luigi Gallo Eugenio Aprea Flavia Gasperi Damiano Gianelle Stefano Bovolenta Effect of Feeding Adaptation of Italian Simmental Cows before Summer Grazing on Animal Behavior and Milk Characteristics Animals mountain transhumance feeding behavior volatile compound coagulation trait |
| title | Effect of Feeding Adaptation of Italian Simmental Cows before Summer Grazing on Animal Behavior and Milk Characteristics |
| title_full | Effect of Feeding Adaptation of Italian Simmental Cows before Summer Grazing on Animal Behavior and Milk Characteristics |
| title_fullStr | Effect of Feeding Adaptation of Italian Simmental Cows before Summer Grazing on Animal Behavior and Milk Characteristics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of Feeding Adaptation of Italian Simmental Cows before Summer Grazing on Animal Behavior and Milk Characteristics |
| title_short | Effect of Feeding Adaptation of Italian Simmental Cows before Summer Grazing on Animal Behavior and Milk Characteristics |
| title_sort | effect of feeding adaptation of italian simmental cows before summer grazing on animal behavior and milk characteristics |
| topic | mountain transhumance feeding behavior volatile compound coagulation trait |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/5/829 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mircocorazzin effectoffeedingadaptationofitaliansimmentalcowsbeforesummergrazingonanimalbehaviorandmilkcharacteristics AT monicaberlese effectoffeedingadaptationofitaliansimmentalcowsbeforesummergrazingonanimalbehaviorandmilkcharacteristics AT enricosturaro effectoffeedingadaptationofitaliansimmentalcowsbeforesummergrazingonanimalbehaviorandmilkcharacteristics AT maurizioramanzin effectoffeedingadaptationofitaliansimmentalcowsbeforesummergrazingonanimalbehaviorandmilkcharacteristics AT luigigallo effectoffeedingadaptationofitaliansimmentalcowsbeforesummergrazingonanimalbehaviorandmilkcharacteristics AT eugenioaprea effectoffeedingadaptationofitaliansimmentalcowsbeforesummergrazingonanimalbehaviorandmilkcharacteristics AT flaviagasperi effectoffeedingadaptationofitaliansimmentalcowsbeforesummergrazingonanimalbehaviorandmilkcharacteristics AT damianogianelle effectoffeedingadaptationofitaliansimmentalcowsbeforesummergrazingonanimalbehaviorandmilkcharacteristics AT stefanobovolenta effectoffeedingadaptationofitaliansimmentalcowsbeforesummergrazingonanimalbehaviorandmilkcharacteristics |