Incorporating mixed rations and formulated grain mixes into the diet of grazing cows: Effects on milk composition and coagulation properties, and the yield and quality of Cheddar cheese

Abstract

Effects of different strategies for feeding supplements to grazing dairy cows on the composition and coagulation properties of milk and the subsequent yield and quality of Cheddar cheese were measured. The experiment used milk from 72 Holstein-Friesian cows, averaging 45d in milk, fed according to 1 of 3 feeding strategies: (1) cows grazed a restricted allowance of perennial ryegrass pasture [approximately 14kg of dry matter (DM)/cow per day, to ground level] supplemented with milled wheat grain fed in the milking parlor and alfalfa hay offered in the paddock (control); (2) same pasture and allowance as control, supplemented with a formulated grain mix containing wheat grain, corn grain, and canola meal fed in the parlor and alfalfa hay fed in the paddock (FGM); or (3) same pasture and allowance as control, supplemented with a partial mixed ration comprising the same formulated grain mix but mixed with alfalfa hay and presented on a feed pad after each milking (PMR). For all strategies, supplements provided the same metabolizable energy and grain:forage ratio (78:22, DM basis). Within each feeding strategy, milk was sampled from cows receiving either 8 or 16kg (DM) of supplement/cow per day. There were 2 replicated groups of 6 cows per supplement amount per dietary strategy; approximately 250L of milk was sampled from each for analyses of composition and coagulation properties and the manufacture of Cheddar cheese. The experiment had a 14-d adaptation period and a 14-d measurement period. For cows fed according to the control strategy, those fed 16kg/cow per day produced milk with lower concentrations of milk fat than cows fed 8kg/cow per day. This effect was not observed for cows fed according to the FGM and PMR strategies. Milk from cows fed 16kg of DM/cow per day according to the control strategy yielded less Cheddar cheese than milk from cows fed according to the PMR strategy, with cheese yields from FGM cows being intermediate. Amount of supplement offered had minor effects on percentages of some fatty acids. We observed few other effects of feeding strategy on milk composition, types of milk protein, milk coagulation properties, or the composition and quality of the resultant Cheddar cheese. These data show that, compared with the traditional control strategy, feeding PMR or FGM may increase milk fat concentration and the subsequent yield of Cheddar cheese without compromising cheese composition or quality.

Grazing of dairy cows on pasture versus indoor feeding on total mixed ration: Effects on low-moisture part-skim Mozzarella cheese yield and quality characteristics in mid and late lactation

“…All compositional parameters and pH at 1 d were unaffected by feeding system in ML, LL, or ML + LL. The absence of an effect of feeding system on cheese composition is consistent with the results of previous studies showing little effect of plane of cow nutrition or breed on LMPS Mozzarella (Guinee et al, 1998) or Cheddar cheese (Auldist et al, 2004(Auldist et al, , 2016O'Callaghan et al, 2017). Lactation period had a significant effect on composition, with cheeses from LL milk having significantly higher contents of moisture, salt-in-moisture, and moisture-in-nonfat substances, and lower contents of protein, fat and fat-in-DM.…”

“…As for protein, the effects of altering fat content depend on the degree of fat reduction and manufacturing procedure (Rudan et al, 1999;Fenelon and Guinee, 2000;Henneberry et al, 2015Henneberry et al, , 2016Mc-Carthy et al, 2016). Auldist et al (2016) investigated the effect of varying the type and quantity of supplement (wheat grain, corn grain, canola meal, alfalfa hay) to cows grazed on perennial ryegrass. Altering the diet affected milk fat content, fatty acid profile, and cheese yield, but not milk protein concentration, protein profile, or rennet gelation properties.…”

The Impact of Seasonality in Pasture-Based Production Systems on Milk Composition and Functionality

“…A study by Devold et al [259] demonstrated cows on a diet supplemented with ecologically rolled barley had significantly larger micelle size than a group of cows supplemented with commercial concentrates, signifying the association feeding has with casein micelle size. Results from a study by Auldist et al [260] contrastingly found that altering the quantity of supplemental feed to grazing cows had no significant effect on the average casein micelle size. In Scotland, milk from the summer months produced casein with smaller micellar size than that from winter [261].…”

Compositional and functional properties of milk and dairy products derived from cows fed pasture or concentrate‐based diets

“…Provision of corn grain and canola meal in a partial mixed ration or formulated grain mix to grazing cows receiving standard parlor meal and alfalfa hay was observed to have a beneficial effect on Cheddar cheese yield by Auldist, Greenwood, et al. (2016), with no changes to coagulation properties, cheese composition, or sensory acceptability.…”