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Feeding Guidelines for Large-Breed Dairy Cattle

Dry (Far off)

Close (Close up)

Cow - Fresh

Cow - Early

Cow - Mid

Cow - Late

6-mo Heifer

12-mo Heifer

18-mo Heifer

24-mo Heifer (Close up)

Body wt (kg)

675

675

675

675

675

675

200

300

450

625

DMI (kg/day)

14

10

15

30

24

20

5

7

11

10

Milk productiona (kg/day)

35

55

35

25

Crude protein (%)b

9.9

12.4

19.5

16.7

15.2

14.1

12.3

11.4

8.8

15.0

RDP (%)

7.7

9.6

10.5

9.8

9.7

9.5

9.4

9.5

8.8

10.1

RUP (%)

2.2

2.8

9.0

6.9

5.5

4.6

2.9

1.9

0.004

4.9

MP (%)

6.0

8.0

13.8

11.6

10.2

9.2

7.2

7.0

5.3

9.7

NEL (Mcal/kg)

1.32

1.43

1.8c

1.61

1.47

1.36

—

—

—

1.58

ME (Mcal/kg)

2.05

2.27

1.80

NDF (%)

40

35

30

28

30

32

30

32

33

35

ADF (%)

30

25

21

19

21

24

20

22

24

25

NFC (%)

30

34

35

38

35

32

35

30

25

34

Calcium (%)

0.44

0.48

0.79

0.60

0.61

0.62

0.41

0.41

0.37

0.40

Phosphorus (%)

0.22

0.26

0.42

0.38

0.35

0.32

0.28

0.23

0.18

0.23

Magnesium (%)

0.11

0.40

0.29

0.21

0.19

0.18

0.11

0.11

0.08

0.40

Chlorine (%)

0.13

0.20

0.20

0.29

0.26

0.24

0.11

0.12

0.10

0.20

Sodium (%)

0.10

0.14

0.34

0.22

0.23

0.22

0.08

0.08

0.07

0.14

Potassium (%)

0.51

0.62

1.24

1.07

1.04

1.00

0.47

0.48

0.46

0.55

Sulfur (%)

0.20

0.20

0.20

0.20

0.20

0.20

0.20

0.20

0.20

0.20

Vitamin A (IU/day)

80,300

83,270

75,000

75,000

75,000

75,000

24,000

24,000

36,000

75,000

Vitamin D (IU/day)

21,900

22,700

21,000

21,000

21,000

21,000

6,000

9,000

13,500

20,000

Vitamin E (IU/day)

1,168

1,200

545

545

545

545

240

240

360

1,200

Adapted from National Research Council. Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle: Seventh Revised Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2001. https://doi.org/10.17226/9825. Reprinted with permission.

DMI, dry-matter intake; RDP, rumen degradable protein; RUP, rumen undegraded protein; MP, metabolizable protein; NEL, net energy lactation; ME, metabolizable energy; NDF, neutral detergent fiber; ADF, acid detergent fiber; NFC, nonfiber carbohydrates.

Trace mineral added to ration: cobalt: 0.11 mcg/g; copper 10–18 mcg/g; iodine: 0.3–0.4 mcg/g; iron: 13–130 mcg/g; manganese: 14–24 mcg/g; selenium: 0.30 mcg/g; zinc: 22–70 mcg/g.

aMilk components: 3.5% fat, 3.0% true protein, and 4.8% lactose.

bAll concentrations are on a dry-matter basis.

cThe maximum energy concentration that can be formulated without resulting in insufficient dietary fiber or excess fat concentrations is 1.8 Mcal/kg dry matter. This energy concentration will typically not meet the energy requirements at this lactation stage, and these cows will lose weight.

Adapted from National Research Council. Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle: Seventh Revised Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2001. https://doi.org/10.17226/9825. Reprinted with permission.

DMI, dry-matter intake; RDP, rumen degradable protein; RUP, rumen undegraded protein; MP, metabolizable protein; NEL, net energy lactation; ME, metabolizable energy; NDF, neutral detergent fiber; ADF, acid detergent fiber; NFC, nonfiber carbohydrates.

Trace mineral added to ration: cobalt: 0.11 mcg/g; copper 10–18 mcg/g; iodine: 0.3–0.4 mcg/g; iron: 13–130 mcg/g; manganese: 14–24 mcg/g; selenium: 0.30 mcg/g; zinc: 22–70 mcg/g.

aMilk components: 3.5% fat, 3.0% true protein, and 4.8% lactose.

bAll concentrations are on a dry-matter basis.

cThe maximum energy concentration that can be formulated without resulting in insufficient dietary fiber or excess fat concentrations is 1.8 Mcal/kg dry matter. This energy concentration will typically not meet the energy requirements at this lactation stage, and these cows will lose weight.

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