Is it possible to feed a cow whey after cottage cheese? Whey and its uses

15-05-2014, 14:26

This material is included in the monograph for information only, based on a study of the reports of the International Conference on Whey (2005). This is mainly the experience of the USA, since the animal feed industry in this country is one of the main consumers of dry whey (up to 50% of the produced volume). The share of pet food (mainly for puppies and kittens) using whey products as an ingredient is 1%, this is due to the chemical composition of milk. In table 20.20 shows the characteristics of the average quantitative composition of milk from dogs and cats (average data) in comparison with other animal species and humans.

The protein content in dog and cat milk is higher than in the milk of pigs, cows and humans. The fat content in dog and cat milk is also high. Therefore, puppies and kittens receive nutritious, energy-rich mother's milk. The casein:whey protein ratio in dog and cat milk is 73:27 and 53:47 respectively.
In the United States, approximately 70% of the population owns pets, and in 2004, approximately $35.9 billion was spent on pet food production. According to the American Pet Products Association, pet owners spend more than 50% of what they earn in a decade on food, clothing and medical care for their pets. Industrial pet food production is a lucrative business. In 2003, about 400 new types of products were introduced, with the production of functional products taking first place among innovative developments.
Due to the fact that whey proteins have functional properties, in recent years research has begun to study the effect of whey proteins on the health of domestic animals, with the subsequent development of new types of feed with functional properties. Employees International Ingredient Corporation K. M. Halpin and others (USA) based on analytical studies, they found that whey proteins contribute to:
- appetite suppression, which is very important for obesity;
- increase bone mass;
- stimulation of immunity (cytological and humoral).
In addition, they have antioxidant, probiotic and prebiotic activities.
Clinical trials conducted in cats have shown that lactoferrin is essential for the treatment of intractable stomatitis, which is often associated with feline immunodeficiency virus. Symptoms in cats with incurable stomatitis: damage to the oral cavity (inflammation and gingivitis), decreased salivation, decreased appetite, toothache. Oral administration of lactoferrin significantly improved the condition (Table 20.21).

Lactoferrin preparations for the treatment and prevention of oral diseases for pets can be produced in the form of pastes, breathing strips, sprays and various cleaning devices.
Studies have also been conducted to study the role of glycomacropeptide on the digestive function and contractility of the gastrointestinal tract of dogs. It has been established that glycomacropeptide weakens the secretion of acids in the stomach and reduces its motor activity. Therefore, glycomacropeptide is a physiological factor that regulates the digestive function of dogs and other mammals.
Even brief information gives reason to believe that the use of whey components in pet food has some promise and opens up another niche for the commercialization of scientific developments. In our country, this segment is filled with imports.

Among all the recommendations for keeping pets and birds, one is mandatory - provide clean and fresh water. We will talk about the role of water in the body of animals, how many liters a cow should drink in order to be healthy, and possible problems that may arise with fluid consumption in this article.

The role of water in the body of animals

Water for mammals is the most important element of life. Therefore, its reserves must be constantly replenished. In cattle it makes up about 60% of the total body weight. It is found in all cells, plasma, and tissues. Liquid enters the body when the animal drinks, eats and during the breakdown of organic substances. The largest amount of it is retained in the skin, muscles and connective tissue.

Did you know? The world record for a cow's milk yield during lactation is 30,805 kg of milk. He belongs to a representative of the Holstein breed named Juliana, who lives in the USA. The record was recorded in 2004. And a Jersey cow from Canada gave a record amount of milk in its entire life - 211,235 kg of milk with a fat content of 5.47%, 11,552 kg of milk fat over 14 lactations.

When there is a lack of fluid in the body of a mammal, various negative processes occur:

weakening;
increased heart rate;
increased blood viscosity;
increased body temperature;
decreased appetite;
stimulation of the nervous system;
dry mucous membranes;
metabolic disease;
drop in productivity.

Only in the presence of liquid can the processes of digestion, oxidation, hydrolysis, intercellular exchange, and removal of toxins from the body take place. Water dissolves nutrients, carries them throughout the body and removes unnecessary and harmful compounds from it.
If moisture loss exceeds 20%, the animal dies. If a mammal is completely deprived of water, it will die after 6–8 days. Fasting is tolerated by the body much easier than lack of fluid. So, if an animal is watered but not fed, it can live from 30 to 40 days.

How much water should a cow be given per day?

How much a cow should drink per day depends on several factors:

diet;
indoor and outdoor air temperatures;
humidity level;
her own physiological state;
from the lactation phase.

A cow can drink about 100–110 liters per day, but no less than 70 liters. This means that she needs a supply of up to 36,500 liters per year. This amount exceeds her body weight by 50–60 times. If you individually calculate fluid consumption rates depending on the amount of food, then for every kilo of dry food you need 4-6 liters of water. If the cow is in a state of lactation, then normally the level of milk production should be taken into account. For example, if a heifer gives 20 liters of milk per day and consumes 17 kg of feed, then she needs at least 70 liters of liquid per day.
Water consumption increases on hot days, during the active phase of lactation, i.e. at a time when the cow has to give up more fluid through milk and sweat.

If the cow is given succulent vegetables, then water consumption may decrease. To ensure proper watering, cattle must have access to drinking bowls around the clock. The best option is to equip the paddock and barn with automatic drinkers. If this is not possible, then animals need to be given water 3-4 times a day, making sure to replace the contents of the drinking bowls with fresh liquid.

Important! The main symptoms of animal dehydration are: increased thirst, dry tongue and mucous membranes, decreased skin tone and intraocular pressure, thickening and darkening of urine, bloating, poor circulation, and general weakness.

Is it possible to give a cow whey to drink?

Many livestock breeders often wonder whether it is possible to feed whey to cows and how to do it correctly. According to popular belief, this increases the amount of milk, increases its fat content, promotes animal appetite and better digestion.
Whey contains: lactose, protein (9–30%), minerals, water and solids (4–9%). And, indeed, it is used on an industrial scale and in households for watering farm animals. Recommended norms are up to 45–68 kg per day. Usually it is added to the feed, replacing any ingredients to obtain a balanced diet, for example, replacing corn or mineral supplements. It is also simply poured into drinking bowls.

To teach a cow to drink whey, you should limit the flow of water for 5–10 hours a day and at the same time offer her this dairy product.

Farmers who feed whey to animals note the following positive aspects:

Cows' milk production increases.
This additive has a positive effect on the quality of milk.
Beneficial effect on cattle health.
Possibility of using the product to balance feed moisture.
Supplement to food with low-calorie roughage feed.
The ability to reduce feed costs by replacing some other, more expensive ingredient.

What to give a cow to drink after calving

After a cow has calved, she needs special care. This also applies to the characteristics of its watering. There is a recommendation that immediately after giving birth, within 30–50 minutes, the heifer should be offered a bucket of warm salted water (10 g of salt per bucket of water).
In order for the cow to recover quickly, she is offered a drink made from oatmeal and wheat bran dissolved in water. Proportions - 100–200 g per 1 liter of liquid.

Possible problems and solutions

If some negative processes occur in a cow’s body, it begins to behave in a strange way. This may manifest itself in the fact that the heifer refuses to drink, drinks urine or her own milk. Having noticed such changes, you should not ignore them. We need to understand the reasons and eliminate them.

Did you know? The largest newborn calf weighed 112 kg, and the smallest weighed 8 kg.

The cow does not drink or drinks little water

Several reasons can lead to this situation. For example, this can happen if the animal is not satisfied with the temperature of the liquid - it is either too cold or too warm. Try checking the water temperature and heating it to +12–15 °C. The temperature should not fall below +10 °C. An animal may refuse to drink due to an inconvenient drinking bowl or its incorrect location. You should pay attention to how comfortable it is for the cow to consume liquid and change the situation if there are problems with convenience.
If a cow consumed water normally and was satisfied with both the temperature and the drinking bowl, and then she suddenly began to refuse to drink or reduced her consumption, the reason probably lies in her state of health. In this case, you should monitor the animal for other symptoms, or seek veterinary advice. If there are no obvious causes of the disease, the cow may have a clogged stomach, a foreign object in the esophagus, or other digestive problems.

Some farmers advise, when refusing water, to rub the animal’s nose with herring and feed it for a while with slightly more salted food than usual.

Important! The cow, especially after calving, should be given only warm water (+25° WITH). In winter, it is necessary to provide round-the-clock heating of the liquid.

Drinks urine

When a cow starts drinking her own urine or the urine of other cows, it may mean that:

She doesn't have enough fluid.
She is deficient in salt, protein, and potassium.

To eliminate the problem, it is necessary to normalize the amount of liquid given per day, based on the calculation of 4–5 liters of liquid per 1 kg of milk and 4–6 liters of water per 1 kg of dry food, and also balance the diet with substances containing salt and protein , potassium.

Drinks her own milk (colostrum) after calving

This situation is quite rare. Most likely, the cow does not have enough water and the volume of fluid given to her should be increased. Otherwise, there is a risk of reducing its productivity.

To summarize: for a domestic cow to feel good and be highly productive, it should be offered at least 70 liters per day. A certain amount of liquid can be replaced with whey, which, when introduced into the body, increases the fat content of milk and improves milk production.
The main condition for keeping cattle is round-the-clock access to fresh and clean water.

Proper feeding of calves is the key to their health and rapid growth. This process is not difficult to organize, but you need to know a few important rules. Feeding a baby should be competent from the first days of his life. If your baby does not drink on his own, you will have to be patient and gradually teach him to do so. Often mother's milk alone is not enough, so artificial formula has to be used. They need to be properly diluted and additionally enriched with vitamins.

How to feed young animals correctly

Milk is essential for newborn calves, so it is important to know how to feed them properly. Several devices are used:

probe;
bottle with pacifier;
bucket;
bucket with pacifier;
automatic device.

Calves up to 3 months of age are sometimes fed with a tube, but it must be pushed in so that it penetrates the abomasum. The baby's stomach is poorly developed, so this device is a last resort. It is not recommended to use a feeding tube for calves at home. The procedure should be carried out by an experienced person who knows how to do it correctly. The dewetting apparatus is also used only on farms.

A newborn calf can be fed using a nipple. But there is one important drawback. Milk flows out faster than from a cow's udder. Therefore, a large amount of drink can end up in the rumen and begin to rot.

It is very convenient to feed calves from a bucket with a nipple. Animals will not need to be watered on their own. You just need to hang the bucket on a hook and bring the baby to it. The nipple located at the bottom imitates the udder of a cow.

The most inconvenient devices are containers without special devices for sucking. The difficulty is that teaching kids, for example, to drink from a bucket can be very difficult.

If he refuses to drink

Inexperienced farmers often do not understand why a calf does not want to drink. Animals sometimes refuse milk because they do not know how to consume it on their own. In this case, the owner will have to be patient and feed the baby on his own.

This must be done carefully so that the swill does not get into the lungs. Otherwise, an inflammatory process may begin.

Let's take a closer look at how to teach a calf to drink. First, baby cattle must be taught to drink from their fingers, then from a bottle with a nipple, and only then from a bucket. Accustoming bulls to drinking should be gradual, otherwise they may get scared and refuse milk altogether.

You need to cup three fingers, scoop up the drink and pour it into the animal’s mouth. As soon as he starts sucking, you should lower your fingers closer to the bucket and use your free hand to push the baby towards it. When the calf begins to drink from the bucket on its own, you need to make sure that it does not rush.

Calf feeding scheme

There is a certain feeding scheme for calves that must be followed during feeding. In the first three days, the volume of milk per day should be 8% of the animal’s weight. Moreover, within 1.5 hours after birth, the baby should receive 2 liters of colostrum. From the fourth day, the amount of milk should be equal to 1/7 of the animal’s weight. In the first place. The young animals need to be fed five times a day for a week. Starting from the second week, four times will be enough, and from the third - three times.

It is better to underfeed a baby than to overfeed it. On average, from days 1 to 7 the animal drinks 4 liters of milk per day, from days 8 to 14 - 5.5 liters, from days 15 to 21 - 7.5 liters, and from days 22 to 30 - 8.8 liters. In the next month, you need to increase the volume of grain that the calf eats daily, and reduce the volume of milk.

It is impossible to exceed the norm of feeding milk, since already on the 4th day the animal needs to start giving oats and accustom it to water. It must be offered half an hour after feeding so that the calf does not become thirsty. Children often drink very greedily, so you need to control this process.

If goat's milk is used for drinking, it must be diluted with water due to its high fat content.

Feeding with artificial formula

It happens that the cow’s milk is not enough for the baby. Therefore, it is necessary to use artificial mixtures that are made on the basis of milk powder. You need to approach the choice of mixture very responsibly and carefully read the instructions before purchasing. A quality product contains approximately 21% protein, 20% fat, about 0.8% calcium and phosphorus. It is also important to pay attention to the amount of fiber. It should be no more than 1%. The mixture should be diluted strictly according to the instructions.

At the same time, it is necessary to enrich the finished swill so that the kids receive a sufficient amount of vitamins. To 1 liter of milk you need to add 3 eggs, 15 ml of fish oil and 6 g of salt. The resulting mixture should be mixed thoroughly until it becomes homogeneous.

Fish oil replenishes the lack of vitamins A and D, and eggs contain lysozyme, which is necessary to protect against all kinds of infections. In addition, they include the protein that animals require for good health. When using an artificial mixture, bovine serum will not harm. It must be used as a dietary supplement strictly according to the instructions included with the package.

Mistakes when using mixtures

If the decision has been made to use artificial mixtures for calves, you need to be able to choose them correctly. It would be a mistake to buy a mixture based on fat content. The fact is that fat content increases as a result of the addition of vegetable fats, which are not suitable for animals up to 1 month old. Therefore, you need to look at the amount of milk in the composition.

To prevent the calf from getting gastrointestinal diseases, you cannot immediately switch from cow's milk to formula. An unprepared stomach will get stressed and upset will begin. The mixture should be introduced gradually, increasing the portion at each subsequent dose. The process should take about 7 days.

An unborn calf, while in the womb, receives all the necessary substances through the mother's blood. The fetus develops especially intensively in the last month; it gains 05 kg. per day. A born calf finds itself in an environment for which it is completely unadapted. And at this moment, the diet of the newborn is very important, which must be treated with maximum responsibility. If you feed a calf correctly, it will grow strong and healthy in the future.

After a newborn is born, its nutrition consists of colostrum. The quality of this product depends on the correct start and maintenance of the cow during the dry period. This is concentrated milk, thick in consistency and creamy in color. It contains several times more nutrients than regular milk. But most importantly, it contains antibodies that give the calf protection against infections and diseases, strengthening its immunity. A week after calving, the milk becomes less thick, approaching normal.

Colostrum flushes the newborn calf's gastrointestinal tract, inhibiting the proliferation of E. coli.

Thanks to this, he does not suffer from diarrhea, which is the main cause of death of the offspring.

The survival of young animals is influenced by the quantity and quality of colostrum consumed in the first 12 hours of life. You need to drink colostrum 5-10 times a day from nipple drinkers. Calves are fed three times, as excessive feeding leads to stomach upset. After a week, the babies begin to be introduced to concentrated feeds. At the same time, they receive “transitional” mother’s milk.

Feeding is carried out according to a standard or individual scheme, depending on the condition of the calf.
You should definitely drink colostrum within 2 hours after birth in an amount of up to 2 liters. The second time - 6 hours after birth. Its temperature should correspond to the cow’s body temperature (+36C). When the baby is healthy, he has a wet nose and a dry tail.

If the calf refuses the udder, then it is given a bottle with a teat or a small bucket container with a teat. Why doesn't the calf drink milk? The reasons may be different: the animal is weakened or sick. Later he needs to be taught to drink from a bucket. How much milk to give in the future depends on the age and condition of the animal. But it is simply necessary to drink your daily quota.

Why use milk substitutes?

It is not profitable to feed young animals with whole milk for a long time, since the main purpose of keeping cows is to obtain milk as a valuable product for people. Therefore, only up to 12% of milk yield goes to feeding young animals. They are offered cow's milk substitutes or nutritious dry formulas (CMM) as food.

The calf is accustomed to SFM from the age of 10 days. Milk replacer for calves is diluted in the following proportion: 1.1 kg. powder 8.8 l. boiled water, heated to +60C. It turns out 10l. whole milk. It is better to dilute the mixture immediately before use.

Today there are a large number of ZCNs with different formulations on the market. They are designed for newborns' ability to digest essential nutrients. Based on consistency, they are divided into 3 groups: liquid, ready-to-eat; concentrated, which must be diluted, and dry, which also require dilution with water or serum. Farmers have long switched to ZCN and speak positively about them. Most often they use dry mixtures.

All milk components are sterilized, so it is simply impossible to introduce an infection. But it’s quite possible for a baby to drink milk and get an infection from a cow.

Whole milk replacer for calves contains:

20% protein;
12% fat;
0.25% fiber;
Antibiotic that protects against diarrhea.

The composition also includes skim milk, buttermilk, whey and some grain. This composition will help adapt the gastrointestinal tract to further consumption of feed. Such milk replacers as Calvolak, Calvomilk, Eurolac, Prodlak received good reviews. These are dry mixtures that can be stored for quite a long time. They are considered the best and are used quite widely.

If there is no artificial nutrition, then the young animals are fed without milk substitutes. For the first 10 days, the main diet is colostrum, then whole milk. Can goat's milk be used in food? Sometimes the baby is given goat's milk, but it is too fatty and can cause diarrhea. From six months onwards, skim milk and vegetable fertilizers are introduced into the food.

CCM feeding scheme

Calves should drink milk until they are 4 months old. The duration of such feeding depends not only on the age of the calves; the quantity and quality of the substitute consumed is of great importance. A 2-week-old young animal should be given 7 kg of milk or 1 kg of dry formula per day. At 5 weeks the norm is 5l. or 750g of substitute per day. At the age of 12 weeks, hay and feed are gradually introduced into the diet.

You should not give your calf cold milk. The milk replacer bucket should always be clean. At the age of 6 months, cheap milk replacer containing vegetable protein is suitable for nutrition.
How much milk replacer is needed at different age periods? During normal weaning from the mother's udder, the drinking rules are as follows:

The first week – 3-6 liters of milk or up to 7 liters. substitute;
Second week -6 liters of milk or 7 liters. mixtures;
For one-month-old calves (third to fifth week), up to 8 liters of milk replacer should be provided. per day;
At 6 months we feed 6 liters;
In a full year, the “milk rivers” are reduced to 4 liters, as the transition to dry food gradually occurs.

With the right approach, half an hour after feeding, the calf is provided with free access to water. High concentrations of milk replacer components cause thirst. Without water, young animals may be poisoned. It will also prove useful for scar formation. Water is not food, but it is necessary to quench the baby’s thirst. From the third day of life he drinks a liter of water.

Use of milk powder in nutrition

Powdered milk is often used as a substitute for whole milk. It is produced by evaporating natural milk. The calf is fed skim milk, which is diluted in certain proportions. Its composition is as follows: 36% proteins, 52% milk sugar, 6% minerals and 1% fat. The mixture contains vitamins and amino acids.

Powdered milk for calves is convenient to use, because it has a constant composition and can be stored for a long time. How to dilute milk powder? The following proportions are used: 1 kg per 8 liters of water. 1 kg of whole milk corresponds to 1 kg of diluted dry concentrate. Feeding calves with powdered milk helps to quickly switch to a plant-based diet, since due to rapid digestion the calf will quickly get hungry. This is a good way to transfer young animals to coarse oat or bran supplements.

Powdered milk for feeding calves has become quite expensive, so the benefits of using it as feed raise some doubts. In the conditions of industrial livestock farming, such nutrition will be unprofitable. But you can find a way out of any situation.

Powdered milk should be replaced with whey, which is formed during the production of cheese and casein. It is not difficult to make this product: it is obtained during the production process. This is a healthy cocktail of lactose, proteins and minerals. Now it is part of the updated CCM. What dietary option a farmer or owner of a personal farmstead will adhere to is his business.

Feeding calves is not such a simple matter, because the main task is to raise a healthy and strong generation of animals. This is precisely what the industry of creating modern feeds, which are rich in all the components necessary for a growing organism, is aimed at.

Hello. I am a pensioner; I have lived in the city all my life. But need forced me, and I had to move to the countryside. And here, you know how: you can’t live without farming. I keep chickens, ducks, all in small quantities, just for myself. And this year I decided to make a big purchase. I bought a pregnant cow, because you can’t buy milk in the store, no pension is enough. And your own homemade one, it’s much better. Soon our Burenka will have a calf, but I don’t really know how to feed it. The neighbor will tell you, but I would like a specialist to tell me. How many months should you feed a calf with milk, how much milk should you give per day? Thanks in advance for your answers.

Evgenia Chikalina, Voronezh region, Kantemirovsky district

The most crucial period in life calf– the first 4-6 days after birth. Colostrum has special properties: it contains more dry nutrients, colostrum proteins are more complete and are better absorbed. Colostrum contains globulin protein, a carrier of immune bodies that protect the young body from diseases.

First portion of colostrum calf should be received no later than an hour and a half after birth. By this time calf dries out and begins to move. Before milking, the cow’s udder is washed with warm water, wiped with a dry towel and the first streams of milk are milked into a separate container, as they are heavily contaminated. During the first 2-3 weeks calf drink at least three times a day. For the first time, drink at least 0.6-0.8 liters and no more than 2 liters of colostrum. With every feeding The norm of colostrum can be increased and given ad libitum on the 3-4th day.

Colostrum is fed fresh, immediately after milking, strained. We must try to calf drank colostrum slowly, in small sips. If he drinks greedily, in large sips, colostrum ends up in the mesh and rumen, which in newborns do not yet participate in digestion. The food that gets there rots, which causes gastrointestinal diseases.

For normal digestion calf from the 4th-6th day of life, in the intervals between drinking colostrum, warm boiled water should be given ad libitum. In the first three weeks, he drinks no more than 500-700 g of water per day. The supply of drinking water must be uninterrupted, especially in the summer.

Colostrum retains its valuable properties for 5-7 days. Then it turns into milk.

From 5-7 days calf should be given minerals and vitamins feeding. As a mineral supplement, you can use a mixture of 15 g of ground chalk, 10 g of bone meal and 5 g of table salt. This is the norm for one calf in a day. The mineral fertilizer is located in a separate feeder in dry form. After calf will begin to eat hay and concentrates, 15 g of salt and chalk are added to them per day.

The daily norm of mineral fertilizer is fed 2-3 times.

From a week old calf They put soft, vitamin-rich hay in the feeder, which is changed every day. From the 5th-6th day of life calf in addition to colostrum, they begin to feed concentrates, initially in the form of oatmeal jelly.

Before feeding, the jelly is heated to 35° in hot water, fed with milk or in its pure form. From the 10th day, dry concentrates are gradually added to the feeder.