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Title: INFLUENCE OF COW PARITY AND GENETIC POTENTIAL FOR MILK PRODUCTION ON FORAGEINTAKE OF BRANGUS FEMALES DURING EARLY LACTATION

Author
item JOHNSON, C - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
item LALMAN, D - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
item BROWN, MICHAEL
item Appeddu, Lisa

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/2002
Publication Date: 3/18/2002
Citation: JOHNSON, C.R., LALMAN, D.L., BROWN, M.A., APPEDDU, L.A. INFLUENCE OF COW PARITY AND GENETIC POTENTIAL FOR MILK PRODUCTION ON FORAGEINTAKE OF BRANGUS FEMALES DURING EARLY LACTATION. JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE. 2002. Vol. 80(Suppl.2): Abstract p. 97.

Interpretive Summary: Abstract Only.

Technical Abstract: Brangus females (n=24) were used to evaluate the effects of cow parity (multiparous vs first-calf heifers; COW vs HFR) and genetic potential for milk production (MPP; HIGH vs LOW) on forage DMI. Females were selected for MPP based on their sire's EPD for milk. Initial weights were 553 and 446±10 kg for COW and HFR. Females were assigned to two periods by postpartum interval, each period averaging 60 d postpartum. Effects in the model included parity group and MPP, and period was considered a random effect. Average BW for the feeding period was determined and used to express forage DMI. Cow-calf pairs were penned individually and bermudagrass hay (5.3% CP and 76.4% NDF; DM basis) was offered ad libitum (130% of previous 2-d average intake). Cottonseed meal was fed at the rate of .4 and .5% of BW for COW and HFR, to ensure adequate protein supply. Hay, orts, and waste were weighed every 2 d. Milk production was determined on d 7 using a portable milking machine, following a 12-h separation from calves. Acid detergent insoluble ash was used to estimate DM digestibility (DMD). A trend (P=.09) was observed for HIGH to produce 18% more milk than LOW (9.6 vs 7.9±.7 kg;). Cows produced 39% more milk than HFR (P<.001). On an absolute basis, COW consumed 16% more forage DM than HFR (P<.001) and HIGH consumed 8% more forage DM (P<.01) than LOW. When forage DMI was expressed as a percent of body weight, parity did not influence forage DMI (2.5±.05% BW; P=.2). Yet, HIGH females consumed more forage than LOW (2.6 vs 2.4±.05% BW; P=.02). Cows had higher apparent DMD than HFR (51.8 vs 49±1%; P=.05). When forage DMI is expressed relative to body weight, multiparous cows and first-calf heifers have similar intakes. Females selected for high MPP consumed more forage DM during early lactation than females selected for