Effect of Protein Concentrate Supplement on the Qualitative and Quantitative Parameters of Milk from Dairy Cows in Organic Farming

Abstract

Abstract In our experiment, we studied the effects of protein concentrate addition on the qualitative and quantitative composition of milk in organically farmed dairy cows. A total number of 40 Holstein cows were divided into two groups. Live weight of dairy cows was around 625±25 kg. Average production efficiency of animals was 7600±50 kg milk for the lactation period. Animals of both groups received identical basal feed ration. The first experimental group of cows (n=20) received in the feed ration a protein concentrate from organic production (soybean cake 60%, sunflower cake 20%, linseed cake 20%) at 1 kg per head and day. The second group served as a control (n=20) without the addition of protein concentrate. The experiment lasted 30 days. The goal of the experiment was to investigate whether the addition of protein concentrate can affect individual milk components. The measured values show that the experimental group of dairy cows with the addition of protein concentrate exhibited increases in fat content by 7.4% (P≤0.05), in urea content by 83.1% (P≤0.001) and in citric acid content by 18.6% (P≤0.01), and decreases in free fatty acids by 54.9% (P≤0.001), in ECM by 5.5% (P≤0.05) and in FCM by 6.1% (P≤0.05). The control group of cows exhibited the citric acid content in milk increased by 20.0% (P≤0.05). The results indicate that the protein concentrate composed of soybean, sunflower and linseed cakes can affect the composition of milk from organically farmed dairy cows