Validation of a Remote Sampling Sensor for Measuring Urine Volume and Nitrogen Concentration in Grazing Dairy Cattle.

The purpose of this research was to validate a urine sensor (Lincoln University PEETER V2.0, Canterbury, New Zealand) that records the time and volume of urination events for dairy cows in addition to collecting a proportional urine sample from all urination events. Sixteen multiparous Holstein × Jersey mid-lactating cows (101 ± 5 days in milk, 498 ± 24.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of cow-level factors affecting milk urea nitrogen and urinary nitrogen output under pasture-based diets.

With dairy cattle farming under pressure to lower its environmental footprint, it is important to find effective on-farm proxies for evaluation and monitoring of management practices aimed at reducing the risk of nitrogen (N) losses and optimizing N use efficiency of dairy farm systems. Urinary N (UN) is regarded as the most potent source of N emissions. In contrast to confinement systems, there have been few studies from pasture-based systems associating on-farm animal and nutritional factors with UN output.

Can the Inclusion of Forage Chicory in the Diet of Lactating Dairy Cattle Alter Milk Production and Milk Fatty Acid Composition? Findings of a Multilevel Meta-Analysis.

In traditional ryegrass/white clover ( L./ L.) pastoral systems, forage herbs such as chicory ( L.

Rumen function and grazing behavior of early-lactation dairy cows supplemented with fodder beet.

Fodder beet (FB) is a source of readily fermentable carbohydrate that can mitigate early spring herbage deficits and correct the negative energy balance experienced during early lactation in pastoral dairy systems of New Zealand. However, the low-fiber and high-soluble carbohydrate content of both FB bulb and spring herbage are factors that promote subacute ruminal acidosis, impairing rumen function and limiting the marginal milk production response to supplement. In a crossover experiment, 8 Holstein Friesian × Jersey early-lactation dairy cows were used to test the effect of supplementing 16 kg of dry matter (DM) of a grazed perennial ryegrass herbage with 6 kg of DM/d of FB bulb (FBH) versus herbage only (HO) on changes in rumen function and grazing behavior.

Functional Traits, Morphology, and Herbage Production of Vernalised and Non-Vernalised Chicory cv. Choice ( L.) in Response to Defoliation Frequency and Height.

Chicory ( L.) used in pastoral systems has the attributes required of a forage species to reduce animal urinary nitrogen loading to soil, increase milk production, and enhance milk fatty acid profile to improve pastoral farm systems for matching increasing global demand for dairy products and environmental standards of livestock systems. Greater adoption of chicory requires confidence in management decisions that can control risks to farm production, namely bolting after vernalisation or a decline in persistence of chicory swards, which have slowed its adoption in pastoral systems.