Modern methods of nutrition for welfare of cows or nonsenses to barn

KOUKOLOVÁ, Veronika, JANČÍK, Filip, VÝBORNÁ, Alena, KUMPRECHTOVÁ, Dana, KUBELKOVÁ, Petra, HOMOLKA. Petr a PŘENOSILOVÁ, Věra., 2020 Modern methods of nutrition for welfare of cows or nonsenses to barn. In Audiovizuální tvorba. Praha Uhříněves: Národní zemědělské muzeum, s. . ISSN
Year2020
CathegoryConference or workshop organization
No. of pageshttps://www.nzm.cz/aktuality/kraviny-z-kravina-prezentace
Internal link20212
Abstract

The nutrition of cattle, especially dairy cows, is based on a complex set of steps, including selection and provision of suitable feeds, determination and evaluation of their quality, compilation and optimization of feed rations, their correct creation and feeding system, verification of quality and digestibility of these feed rations and monitoring of response animals for these feed rations, both in terms of production and health. Methods for evaluating the quality of feed and feed rations include both sensory assessment and laboratory methods for determining the chemical composition. Another important parameter for the subsequent compilation of feed rations is the determination of feed digestibility. In vitro, ie laboratory, methods of determination using special instruments and using industrial enzymes are developed and used for these evaluations. One of the most modern ways to monitor the processes in the digestive tract of ruminants, especially in the rumen and the overall health of the animals are the so-called „chewing meters“ or pH probes. The first device allows monitoring the time for which the cow eats or chews, as well as the physical activity of the animal (movement). The time of eating and chewing describes the welfare of the animals and, if necessary, draws attention to possible health problems at the current time. The level of activity of the animal may indicate the occurrence of oestrus or health problems of the limbs. pH probes are one of the components of modern monitoring of the health status of dairy cows, especially in the rumen, where they allow continuous measurement of pH and rumen environment temperature and in case of higher critical values warn early warning of incipient health problems (acidosis), which can either provide individual treatment of the animal, or by changing the feed ration to affect the health of the whole group of animals.