Energy intake and requirement of dairy cows during the whole year

It is argued that in view of the many new methods in dairy farming an economic model of the dairy farm should be available to improve advisory work. Some quantitative data concerning the dairy cow needed for such a model are given. They deal with a net energy feeding value of grass, hay, silage, artificially dried grass and concentrates estimated with a feed evaluation system based on results obtained with lactating cows. Also data on the requirements for net energy and for long forage dry matter are given, again obtained with such cows. Finally information is given on voluntary intake of forage dry matter at pasture, from fresh grass fed indoors, from various preserved forages including forage pellets, as influenced by milk yield and condition of the cow and by kind of forage and level of concentrates fed. Special attention has been paid to the precision of the information. These data are used to predict both the maximal and minimal amounts of long forage which can be fed in the stall period without loss of production, and the additional quantities of concentrates needed. For the grazing cow the problem of the adjustment of voluntary intake of grass to milk yield and amount of concentrates fed is studied. It is concluded that the information is sufficient to develop an economic model of a dairy farm. For its development grassland research should supply data on pasture yield in terms of digestible organic matter when the forage is fed to sheep at the maintenance level, and the economists should add data on costs of food and labour.