Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-jwnkl Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-08T16:43:26.206Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effect of condensed tannins in rations of lactating dairy cows on production variables and nitrogen use efficiency

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 January 2018

K. Gerlach*
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Science, University of Bonn, Endenicher Allee 15, 53115 Bonn, Germany
M. Pries
Affiliation:
Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia, Ostinghausen, 59505 Bad Sassendorf, Germany
E. Tholen
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Science, University of Bonn, Endenicher Allee 15, 53115 Bonn, Germany
A. J. Schmithausen
Affiliation:
Institute of Agricultural Engineering, University of Bonn, Nußallee 5, 53115 Bonn, Germany
W. Büscher
Affiliation:
Institute of Agricultural Engineering, University of Bonn, Nußallee 5, 53115 Bonn, Germany
K.-H. Südekum
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Science, University of Bonn, Endenicher Allee 15, 53115 Bonn, Germany
*
Get access

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplemented condensed tannins (CT) from the bark of the Black Wattle tree (Acacia mearnsii) on production variables and N use efficiency in high yielding dairy cows. A feeding trial with 96 lactating German Holstein cows was conducted for a total of 169 days, divided into four periods. The animals were allotted to two groups (control (CON) and experimental (EXP) group) according to milk yield in previous lactation, days in milk (98), number of lactations and BW. The trial started and finished with a period (period 1 and 4) where both groups received the same ration (total-mixed ration based on grass and maize silage, ensiled sugar beet pulp, lucerne hay, mineral premix and concentrate, calculated for 37 kg energy-corrected milk). In between, the ration of EXP cows was supplemented with 1% (CT1, period 2) and 3% of dry matter (DM) (CT3, period 3) of a commercial A. mearnsii extract (containing 0.203 g CT/g DM) which was mixed into the concentrate. In period 3, samples of urine and faeces were collected from 10 cows of each group and analyzed to estimate N excretion. Except for a tendency for a reduced milk urea concentration with CT1, there was no difference between groups in period 2 (CON v. CT1; P>0.05). The CT3 significantly reduced (P<0.05) milk protein yield, the apparent N efficiency (kg milk N/k feed N) and milk urea concentration; but total milk yield and energy-corrected milk yield were not affected by treatment. Furthermore, as estimated from 10 cows per group and using urinary K as a marker to estimate the daily amount of urine voided, CT3 caused a minor shift of N compounds from urine to faeces, as urea-N in urine was reduced, whereas the N concentration in faeces increased. As an improvement in productivity was not achieved and N use efficiency was decreased by adding the CT product it can be concluded that under current circumstances the use in high yielding dairy cows is not advantageous.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ali, TE and Schaeffer, LR 1987. Accounting for covariances among test day milk yields in dairy cows. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 67, 637644.Google Scholar
Anonymous 2013. Tierschutzgesetz in der Fassung der Bekanntmachung vom 18. Mai 2006 (BGBl. I S. 1206, 1313), das zuletzt durch Artikel 4 Absatz 90 des Gesetzes vom 7. August 2013 (BGBl. I S. 3154) geändert worden ist. § 11 Abs. 1.Google Scholar
Bannink, A, Valk, H and Van Vuuren, A 1999. Intake and excretion of sodium, potassium, and nitrogen and the effects on urine production by lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 82, 10081018.Google Scholar
Beauchemin, KA, McGinn, SM, Martinez, TF and McAllister, TA 2007. Use of condensed tannin extract from quebracho trees to reduce methane emissions from cattle. Journal of Animal Science 85, 19901996.Google Scholar
Benchaar, C, McAllister, T and Chouinard, P 2008. Digestion, ruminal fermentation, ciliate protozoal populations, and milk production from dairy cows fed cinnamaldehyde, quebracho condensed tannin, or Yucca schidigera saponin extracts. Journal of Dairy Science 91, 47654777.Google Scholar
Carulla, JE, Kreuzer, M, Machmüller, A and Hess, HD 2005. Supplementation of Acacia mearnsii tannins decreases methanogenesis and urinary nitrogen in forage-fed sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 56, 961970.Google Scholar
Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V (DIN) 2009. Water quality - Determination of selected elements by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) (ISO 11885:2007). Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V.Google Scholar
Eckard, RJ, Grainger, C and de Klein, CAM 2010. Options for the abatement of methane and nitrous oxide from ruminant production: a review. Livestock Science 130, 4756.Google Scholar
Frutos, P, Hervas, G, Giráldez, FJ and Mantecón, A 2004. Review. Tannins and ruminant nutrition. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research 2, 191202.Google Scholar
Gesellschaft für Ernährungsphysiologie (GfE) 2001. Empfehlungen zur Energie- und Nährstoffversorgung der Milchkühe und Aufzuchtrinder. DLG-Verlags-GmbH, Frankfurt a.M., Germany.Google Scholar
Gesellschaft für Ernährungsphysiologie (GfE) 2008. New equations for predicting metabolisable energy of grass and maize products for ruminants. Proceedings of the Society of Nutrition Physiology 17, 191197.Google Scholar
Gesellschaft für Ernährungsphysiologie (GfE) 2009. New equations for predicting metabolisable energy of compound feeds for cattle. Proceedings of the Society of Nutrition Physiology 18, 143146.Google Scholar
Grainger, C, Clarke, T, Auldist, MJ, Beauchemin, KA, McGinn, SM, Waghorn, GC and Eckard, RJ 2009. Potential use of Acacia mearnsii condensed tannins to reduce methane emissions and nitrogen excretion from grazing dairy cows. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 89, 241251.Google Scholar
Jayanegara, A, Leiber, F and Kreuzer, M 2012. Meta-analysis of the relationship between dietary tannin level and methane formation in ruminants from in vivo and in vitro experiments. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 96, 365375.Google Scholar
Jones, WT and Mangan, JL 1977. Complexes of the condensed tannins of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia scop.) with fraction 1 leaf protein and with submaxillary mucoprotein, and their reversal by polyethylene glycol and pH. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 28, 126136.Google Scholar
Kozloski, GV, Härter, CJ, Hentz, F, de Ávila, SC, Orlandi, T and Stefanello, CM 2012. Intake, digestibility and nutrients supply to wethers fed ryegrass and intraruminally infused with levels of Acacia mearnsii tannin extract. Small Ruminant Research 106, 125130.Google Scholar
Lebzien, P and Voigt, J 1999. Calculation of utilisable crude protein at the duodenum of cattle by two different approaches. Archives of Animal Nutrition 52, 363369.Google Scholar
Lukas, M, Südekum, K-H, Rave, G, Friedel, K and Susenbeth, A 2005. Relationship between fecal crude protein concentration and diet organic matter digestibility in cattle. Journal of Animal Science 83, 13321344.Google Scholar
Makkar, HPS 2000. Quantification of tannins in tree foliage-a laboratory manual. A joint FAO-IAEA working document, Vienna, Austria, pp. 1–31.Google Scholar
Min, B, Barry, T, Attwood, G and McNabb, W 2003. The effect of condensed tannins on the nutrition and health of ruminants fed fresh temperate forages: a review. Animal Feed Science and Technology 106, 319.Google Scholar
Misselbrook, TH, Powell, JM, Broderick, GA and Grabber, JH 2005. Dietary manipulation in dairy cattle: laboratory experiments to assess the influence on ammonia emissions. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 17651777.Google Scholar
Orlandi, T, Kozloski, GV, Alves, TP, Mesquita, FR and Ávila, SC 2015. Digestibility, ruminal fermentation and duodenal flux of amino acids in steers fed grass forage plus concentrate containing increasing levels of Acacia mearnsii tannin extract. Animal Feed Science and Technology 210, 3745.Google Scholar
Schmithausen, AJ 2017. On-farm research to quantify trace gas emissions from dairy production. Forschungsbericht Agrartechnik des Arbeitskreises Forschung und Lehre der Max-Eyth-Gesellschaft Agrartechnik im VDI (VDI-MEG) 583. Dissertation, University of Bonn, Germany.Google Scholar
Staerfl, SM, Zeitz, JO, Kreuzer, M and Soliva, CR 2012. Methane conversion rate of bulls fattened on grass or maize silage as compared with the IPCC default values, and the long-term methane mitigation efficiency of adding acacia tannin, garlic, maca and lupine. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 148, 111120.Google Scholar
Steingaß, H and Südekum, K-H 2013. Proteinbewertung beim Wiederkäuer – Grundlagen, analytische Entwicklungen und Perspektiven. Übersichten zur Tierernährung 41, 5173.Google Scholar
Steingaß, H, Nibbe, D, Südekum, K-H, Lebzien, P and Spiekers, H 2001. Schätzung des nXP-Gehaltes mit Hilfe des modifizierten Hohenheimer Futterwerttests und dessen Anwendung zur Bewertung von Raps- und Sojaextraktionsschroten. In 113. VDLUFA-Kongress, Berlin, p. 114 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Terrill, T, Rowan, A, Douglas, G and Barry, T 1992. Determination of extractable and bound condensed tannin concentrations in forage plants, protein concentrate meals and cereal grains. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 58, 321329.Google Scholar
VDLUFA 2012. VDLUFA-Methodenbuch, Bd. III. Die Chemische Untersuchung von Futtermitteln. VDLUFA-Verlag, Darmstadt, Germany.Google Scholar
Waghorn, G 2008. Beneficial and detrimental effects of dietary condensed tannins for sustainable sheep and goat production – progress and challenges. Animal Feed Science and Technology 147, 116139.Google Scholar
Wang, Y, Douglas, GB, Waghorn, GC, Barry, TN and Foote, AG 1996. Effect of condensed tannins in Lotus corniculatus upon lactation performance in ewes. The Journal of Agricultural Science 126, 353362.Google Scholar
Weißbach, F and Kuhla, S 1995. Stoffverluste bei der Bestimmung des Trockenmassegehaltes von Silagen und Grünfutter: Entstehende Fehler und Möglichkeiten der Korrektur. Übersichten zur Tierernährung 23, 189214.Google Scholar
Weißbach, F, Schmidt, L and Kuhla, S 1996. Vereinfachtes Verfahren zur Berechnung der NEL aus der umsetzbaren Energie. Proceedings of the Society of Nutrition Physiology 5, 117.Google Scholar