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Catalogue updated 29 September 2026364 documents · 8 subject headings · 105 collections
DairyWebDairy production library

The cow · Feeding

Lactating cow nutrition

This is the largest heading in the library. It covers energy balance in early lactation, protein and amino acid supply, fat supplementation, effective fibre and particle size, feed efficiency, minerals and vitamins, and the feeding management that turns a ration on paper into one the cow actually eats.

82 papers are filed under this heading. Main sources: Western Dairy Digest, Western Canadian Dairy Seminar: Advances in Dairy Technology, Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference.

  1. Does Negative Energy Balance (NEBAL) Limit Milk Synthesis in Early Lactation?

    Discusses the role of energy balance in early lactation in allowing cows to reach their milk production potential.

  2. Milk Fat Depression in Dairy Cows – Influence of Supplemental Fats

    Discusses the use of supplemental fats and oils in diets fed to early lactation cows.

  3. Nutritional Strategies to Reduce Crude Protein in Dairy Diets

    Suggests methods to reduce dietary protein concentrations by improving the quality and balance of degradable and undegradable proteins fed.

  4. The Challenge of Measuring Feed Efficiency in Lactating Dairy Cows

    Describes the calculation of lactating cow feed efficiency (FE) and factors affecting FE.

  5. Feeding to Minimize Aciodosis and Laminitis in Dairy Cows

    Describes feeding strategies to reduce the incidence and severity of subacute ruminal acidosis in lactating cows.

  6. Moving Beyond Protein: Amino Acid Requirements of Dairy Cattle

    Reviews current knowledge about amino acid requirements of dairy cattle.

  7. Nutritional Management Strategies to Improve Reproductive Efficiency in Dairy Cattle

    Reviews nutritional requirements for maintenance of reproductive function in lactating cows.

  8. Antioxidant Nutrients, Cow Health, and Milk Quality

    Describes the roles of vitamins A and E, selenium, copper and zinc in maintenance of cow health and prevention of off-flavours in milk.

  9. How Do the New Protein Rules Affect What We Feed?

    Discusses the effects of BSE-provoked animal protein feeding restrictions on diet formulation for lactating cows.

  10. Responses to Source of Supplemental Protein

    Describes the effects of feeding bypass protein to lactating cows.

  11. Feeding to Minimize Nitrogen Excretion by Dairy Cows

    Summarizes current knowledge suggesting ways to improve nitrogen utilization efficiency in lactating cows.

  12. TMR Particle Size Distribution and Dairy Herd Performance

    Describes the importance of physical fibre in maintaining digestive function.

  13. Ruminal Fat Digestion and Metabolism

    Reviews current information about lipid characteristics and their metabolism in the rumen.

  14. Revisiting Feed Efficiency and Its Economic Impact

    Discusses dairy feed efficiency, its relevance and factors affecting it.

  15. Sugars in Dairy Cattle Rations: Sweetening the Pot or Not?

    Discusses the use of simple sugars in lactation diets.

  16. Balancing for Rumen Degradable Protein

    Describes lactating cow requirements for rumen degradable protein (RDP) and suggests ways to formulate diets for optimum balance between RDP and bypass protein.

  17. Physically Effective Fibre for Dairy Cows: Current Perspectives

    Describes the use of the physically effective NDF concept in formulating diets for lactating cows.

  18. Feeding to Minimize Acidosis and Laminitis in Dairy Cattle

    Discusses factors affecting acidosis and laminitis including physically effective fibre requirements, feed additives, diet preparation and delivery, and cow comfort.

  19. Formulating Diets with Optimum Cation-Anion Difference for Lactating Dairy Cows

    Reviews results of trials examining the effects of dietary cation-anion balance on lactational performance of dairy cows,

  20. Fat and Fat-Soluble Vitamin Supplementation for Improving Reproduction of the Dairy Cow

    Reviews effects of vitamins A and E, protein, fat, and phosphorus on reproductive health and fertility of dairy cows.

  21. Dietary Fatty Acid Supplementation and Reproduction in Dairy Cows

    Describes the effect of lipid supplementation on reproduction in dairy cows.

  22. Feeding Dairy Cows to Minimize Nitrogen Excretion

    Summarizes current knowledge about how the diets of lactating cows can affect their nitrogen utilization efficiency and nitrogen excretion.

  23. Formulation of Rations with Optimal Cations and Anions for Lactation

    Summarizes research on balancing lactation diets using dietary cation-anion balance (DCAB).

  24. Ruminal Acidosis in Dairy Cows: Balancing Effective Fiber with Starch Availability

    Discusses the causes of rumen acidosis and recommends feeding practices to minimize its occurrence and severity.

  25. Nutrition and Claw Health

    Describes interactions between cow nutrition and lameness.

  26. Optimizing Starch Concentrations in Dairy Rations

    Discusses factors that affect the ideal starch concentration that should be included in lactation diets.

  27. Forage In Vitro NDF Digestibility and Intake, Digestion and Milk Production by Dairy Cows

    Reviews the relationship between lactation performance of dairy cows and in vitro NDF digestibility of forages,

  28. Making Starch Work in the Rumen

    Suggests strategies to improve the efficiency of rumen starch fermentation in the face of high grain prices.

  29. What is the National Feed Management Project All About?

    Describes the role of feeding management in whole-farm nutrient management.

  30. Feed Efficiency in Lactating Dairy Cows

    Describes the use of and factors affecting dairy cow feed efficiency.

  31. Feed Management to Improve Nitrogen and Phosphorus Efficiency

    Describes feeding practices that reduce nitrogen and phosphorus excretion.

  32. Practically Dropping Protein of Diets to Reduce Nitrogen Excretion

    Describes ways to improve efficiency of nitrogen utilization in lactating cows.

  33. Benefits and Opportunities to Formulating Dairy Rations for Individual Amino Acids

    A representative of a company that markets bypass amino acids advocates formulating lactation diets for individual amino acids.

  34. Reducing phosphorus losses from dairy farms

    Describes the 'pecision feeding' concept in relation to phosphorus levels in diets for lactating cows.

  35. The Value of Bacterial DFM

    Summarizes current knowledge about the efficacy of direct fed microbials (probiotics) added to diets fed to lactating cows.

  36. Lipids and Longevity

    Reviews some of the effects of fat supplementation on reproductive tissues and pregnancy.

  37. Does Negative Energy Balance (NEBAL) Limit Milk Synthesis in Early Lactation?

    Recommends maximizing nutrient intake in early lactation to minimize negative energy balance.

  38. Surfactants Increase Feed Digestion

    Trials in which Tween 80 (Polysorbate 80) was added to lactation diets demonstrated increased milk production through increased production of propionic acid due to enhanced adsorption of microbial enzymes onto feed particles.

  39. Using Peas in Lactation Diets

    Peas were as effective as soymeal in supporting high levels of production. Although heating, extrusion and micronization affect the solubility of pea protein, these treatments had little effect on pro

  40. CNCPS: A better way to formulate dairy diets?

    Describes how the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) calculates nutrient requirements for dairy diets. CNCPS is also the basis of the CPM (Cornell-Penn-Miner) system.

  41. Pea Silage in Dairy Diets

    Describes feeding trials which demonstrate that pea silage can be an effective substitute for alfalfa silage in diets for lactating cows.

  42. SARA Reduces Fibre Digestion

    Describes a trial which demonstrated reductions in rumen pH and fibre digestion in cows fed a high concentrate, low fibre diet. A sidebar explains pH.

  43. Alimet: unprotected but highly effective

    Describes a study which demonstrated that Alimet was effective as a methionine supplement for lactating cows.

  44. Fibrous By-products in Dairy Rations

    Describes high fibre by-products which can be used in lactation diets.

  45. Feeding Alfalfa: Hay or Haylage?

    Compares lactation performance of cows fed diets containing alfalfa hay or haylage.

  46. The Importance of Rumen Synchrony

    Describes a trial which demonstrated the effects of carbohydrate fermentation rates on production.

  47. Feeding Lactating Cows

    Describes free-stall computer grain system and advantages of feeding TMR.

  48. The Latest on Amino Acid Feeding

    Summarizes a study which used the National Research Council (NRC, 2001) model to examine the relationship between predicted supplies of Metabolizable Lysine and Methionine and milk and milk protein production.

  49. Concentrate Feeding Guide

    Describes requirements for energy, protein and mineral supplements to balance rations for lactating cows.

  50. Therapeutic nutrition for dairy cattle

    Describes many common disorders in dairy cattle and how they are tested, prevented and treated.

  51. Sweeten up dairy rations

    Describes benefits of adding sugar to dairy cattle ration.

  52. Can We Balance Rations for Amino Acids?

    Describes the value and limitations of two ration formulation programs that have an amino component.

  53. Carbohydrate nutrition for lactating dairy cattle

    Provides information on different sources of carbohydrate (CHO). Examines limitations of lab analysis for predicting forage quality and the effect that farm management practices have on CHO nutrition.

  54. Results of Feeding Different Fatty Acids on the Cow's Transition and Reproductive Cycle

    Summarizes studies which looked at the impact of feeding different fatty acids on cow's transition and reproductive cycle.

  55. Caloric versus Noncaloric Considerations When Feeding Fat to Dairy Cattle

    Examines fat transformation by rumen microbes and how it can be controlled to deliver specific unsaturated fatty acids that are beneficial to the cow or to humans consuming dairy products.

  56. Dietary Carbohydrate Impact on Milk Components

    Discusses the roles and impacts of fibre and non-fibre carbohydrates in lactation diets.

  57. Forage Fiber Digestibility in Relation to Dairy Cow Performance

    Explains the effects of variation in forage fiber digestibility on feed intake and milk yield and gives recommendations for using in vitro NDF digestibility test results.

  58. Yeast Supplements in Dairy Diets

    Summarizes results of including yeast in diets fed to calves and cows.

  59. Dairy Cattle Feeding and Hoof Health

    Describes how feeding leads to acidosis and laminitis and recommends preventive strategies.

  60. In Vivo Digestibility of Forages

    Describes farctors that affect the digestibility of forages when fed to lactating cows.

  61. Field Responses to the Feeding of Rumensin

    Describes US experience with the feeding of Rumensin to dry and lactating cows since its approval for use by the FDA in October 2005.

  62. Positive and Negative Effects of High Energy Consumption on Reproduction in Lactating Dairy Cows

    Describes relationships between energy intake and reproductive performance in fresh cows.

  63. Water Soluble Vitamins for Dairy Cattle

    Summarizes the effects of feeding supplemental biotin, niacin, choline, folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin C to lactationg cows.

  64. Can We Feed More Distillers Grains?

    Summarizes experience feeding distillers grains to lactating cows and provides guidelines for maximum amounts to feed.

  65. Dietary Fatty Acids and Dairy Cow Fertility

    Summarizes recent findings on dietary fatty acids and cow fertility.

  66. Enhancing Profitability through Setting Strategic Feed Efficiency Targets

    Discusses economics and factors impacting feed efficiency.

  67. Using Feed Efficiency as a Ration Evaluation and Nutrient Management Tool

    Defines feed efficiency, explains how it is calculated and describes factors affecting it.

  68. Forage: How Much do Dairy Cows need in a Time of Scarcity?

    Addresses the minimum fiber requirements of dairy cows, with an emphasis on cows fed barley grain.

  69. Effects of Nutrition on Fertility in Dairy Cows

    Reviews the effects of nutrition on some endocrine parameters, follicular development, oocyte quality and embryonic development with particular emphasis on dairy cows.

  70. Effects of Dietary Fat Supplementation on Reproduction in Lactating Dairy Cows

    Describes fat sources, their fate in the rumen and the interaction of fat supplementation on reproduction.

  71. Balancing the Animal's Nutritional Needs With Environmental Stewardship

    Reviews aspects of protein and phosphorus supplementation for lactating dairy cows, with a view to decreasing feed costs and reducing environmental impact of our dairy operations.

  72. Managing Rumen Fermentation in Barley-Based Diets: Balance Between High Production and Acidosis

    Defines clinical and subclinical acidosis and explains fluctuations in rumen pH, how rumen pH affects fibre digestion and factors affecting rumen pH.

  73. Troubleshooting Nutritional Disorders

    Provides a troubleshoot guide to avoid digestive disorders, which involves the evaluation of ration formulation, feed quality and physical form, feed delivery, bunk management, cow comfort, and animal performance parameters.

  74. A Blueprint for Evaluating Feeding Programs

    Describes how on farm records can be used to monitor changes, evaluate responses, and determine economic comparisons of feeding programs.

  75. Rumensin's Role in Today's SNF:BF World

    Recommends the use of Rumensin CRC boluses for transition cows but suggests that the use of moderate to high inclusion rates in lactation diets may depress milk fat test.

  76. Wheat for Lactating Cows?

    Suggests conditions for the use of wheat in lactation diets.

  77. Dry Propylene Glycol: An alternative to drenching

    Describes the effects on measures of ketosis when dry propylene glycol was either mixed into or topressed onto a fresh cow TMR.

  78. The Value of Niacin

    Describes functions of niacin and summarizes a study which evaluated feeding of niacin at 2 levels.

  79. Relationships of Negative Energy Balance with Fertility

    Explains how low fertility is linked to negative energy balance.

  80. Relationships of Dietary Protein and Fertility

    Focuses on the detrimental effects of high dietary protein that may be exerted in the ovary and uterus.

  81. Feed Efficiency: Its Economic Impact In Lactating Dairy Cows

    Describes factors affecting feed efficiency and how it is measured

  82. Are Your Cows Getting the Vitamins They Need?

    Discusses recent research on vitamin nutrition of dairy cows.