Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of supplementing a high-protein ram press sunflower cake concentrate on smallholder milk production in Zimbabwe

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Tropical Animal Health and Production Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Ram press sunflower cake protein concentrate was formulated locally and its effect on the performance of dairy cows was compared with that of a commercial dairy concentrate. The effects of concentrate on roughage dry matter intake, milk yield and milk composition, live weight and calving intervals were similar for all concentrates, which indicated that the home grown dairy concentrates were as effective as the dairy commercial concentrate. The lack of significant differences in the concentrations of rumen NH3-N, pH, VFAs and total AA in all the cows between concentrate types supported this. The results indicated that in the low-resource and low-input production systems, crossbreds were as productive as Jersey and Red Dane cows. The exotic cows were more susceptible to tick-borne diseases and mastitis, and showed higher incidences of calving problems and retained placenta compared with crossbred cows. The economics of feeding ram press sunflower concentrate were compared with those of a commercial dairy concentrate on the performance of crossbred, Red Dane and Jersey cows. The gross margin was higher when feeding sunflower cake than when feeding commercial dairy concentrate (p < 0.05).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

AA:

amino acids

ADF:

acid detergent fibre

AAT:

amino acids truly absorbed

CP:

crude protein

DE:

digestible energy

DM:

dry matter

EE:

ether extract

GLM:

General Linear Model

MCC:

milk collection centre

ME:

metabolizable energy

NDF:

neutral detergent fibre

SAS:

Statistical Analytical System

UDP:

undegradable dietary protein

VFAs:

volatile fatty acids

W0.75 :

metabolic weight: live weight of an animal to the power 0.75

References

  • AMA (Agricultural Marketing Authority), 1986. Economic Review of Agricultural Industry of Zimbabwe, (Agricultural Marketing Authority report, Harare).

  • Anderson, M.J., Obadiah, Y.E., Boman, R.L. and Walters, J.L., 1984. Comparison of whole cottonseed, extruded soyabean, or whole sunflower seed for lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 67, 569–576.

    Google Scholar 

  • AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists), 1990. Official Methods of Analysis, 15th edn. (AOAC International, Arlington, VA).

    Google Scholar 

  • ARC (Agricultural Research Council), 1984. Report of the Protein Group of the Agricultural Research Council Working Party on the Nutrient Requirements of Ruminants, (Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau, CABI Wallingford).

  • Baker, L.R. and Rege, J.E.O., 1984. Genetic resistance to diseases and other stresses in the improvement of ruminant livestock in the tropics. Proceedings of the 5th World Congress of Genetic and Applied Livestock Production, University of Guelph, 7–12 August 1984, vol. 20, 405–412.

  • Barlett, P.F., 1980. Cost benefit analysis: a test of alternative methodologies. In: P.F. Bartlett (ed.), Agricultural Decision Making in Rural Development, (Academic Press, San Diego, CA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Block, E., Muller, L.D., Griel, L.C. and Garwood, D.L., 1981. Brown mirib-3 corn silage and heat extruded soyabean for lactating cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 64, 1813–1821.

    Google Scholar 

  • Broster, W.H., 1971. The effect of milk yield on the level of feeding before calving. Journal of Dairy Science, Abstracts, 33: 253–270.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cowan, E.D., 1971. Some effects of complete diets of varying roughage content on lactation yield and milk composition of Frisian cows. (PhD thesis, University of London).

  • Goering, H.K. and Van Soest, P.J., 1970. Forage Fibre Analyses, (United States Department of Agriculture Handbook no. 379; USDA, Washington, DC).

    Google Scholar 

  • Huhtanen, P., Miettinen, H. and Ylinen, M., 1993. Effects of increasing ruminal butyrate on milk yield and blood constituents in dairy cows fed a grass silage based diet. Journal of Dairy Science, 76: 1114–1119.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter, R.A., and Siebert, B.D., 1985. Utilisation of low quality roughage by Bos taurus and Bos indicus cattle 1. Rumen digestion. British Journal of Nutrition, 53, 637–648.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kategile, J.A., 1978. Performance of heifer fed on diets based on NaOH treated maize cobs and the effect of supplementary urea and source of carbohydrate. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 4, 97–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leng, R.A., 1990. Factors affecting utilisation of poor quality roughages by ruminants particularly under tropical conditions. Nutrition Research Reviews, 3, 277–303.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Manyuchi, B., Øsrkov, E.R., and Kay, R.N.B., 1992. Effect of feeding small amount of ammonia treated straw on degradation rate and intake of untreated straw. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 38, 293–304.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDowell, R.E., 1983. Strategy for Improving Beef and Dairy Cattle in the Tropics, (Cornell International Agriculture Mimograph 100, Ithaca. NY).

    Google Scholar 

  • McGuffrey, R.K. and Schingoethe, D.J., 1982. Whole sunflower seeds for high producing dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 65, 1479–1483 (Abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, P.S., Reis, B.L., Calvert, C.C., De Peters, J.E. and Baldwin, R.L., 1991. Patterns of nutrient uptake by mammary glands of lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 74, 3791–3799.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murray, M., Stear, M.J., Trail, J.C.M., Leteran, G.D.M., Agyemang, K. and Dwinger, R.H., 1991. In: J.B. Owen and R.F.E., Oxford (eds), Breeding for Diseases Resistance in Farm Animals, (CAB International, Wallingford, UK), 203–223.

    Google Scholar 

  • Øskorv, E.R., 1987. Preservation of feeds. In: E.R., Øskorv (ed.), The Feeding of Ruminants Principles and practice, (Chalcombe Publications, Marlow Bottom, Bucks, UK).

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmquist, D.L. and Jenkins, T. C., 1980. High fat diets for dairy cows. Effects on feed intake, milk and fat production and plasma metabolites. Journal of Dairy Science, 61, 890–898.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patullo, I., 1987. Introduction to dairy farming. In: J. Oliver (ed.), Dairy Farmer Handbook, (National Association of Dairy Farmers, Commercial Farmers Union, Agriculture House, Harare, Zimbabwe), 4–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • SAS, 1987. SAS Guide for Personal computers, (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC).

    Google Scholar 

  • Topps, J.H. and Oliver, J., 1993. Animal foods of Central Africa. Zimbabwe Agricultural Journal, Technical Handbook number 2.

  • Walshe, M.J., Grindle, J., Nell, A. and Bachmann, M., 1991. Dairy development in Sub-Sahara Africa. A study of issues and options. World Bank Technical Paper no. 135, (World Bank, Washington, DC).

  • ZOPP (Zimbabwe Oil Press Project), 1998. Zimbabwe Oil Press Project Report for the Year 1998, (ZOPP, Harare).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Science, University of Zimbabwe, Mt Pleasant Harare, Zimbabwe

    N. T. Ngongoni

  2. University of Forthare, Department of Livestock & Pasture Science, P. Bag X1314, Alice, 5700, South Africa

    C. Mapiye & M. Mwale

  3. Plan International, Harare, Zimbabwe

    B. Mupeta

Authors
  1. N. T. Ngongoni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. Mapiye
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Mwale
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. B. Mupeta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Mapiye.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ngongoni, N.T., Mapiye, C., Mwale, M. et al. Effect of supplementing a high-protein ram press sunflower cake concentrate on smallholder milk production in Zimbabwe. Trop Anim Health Prod 39, 297–307 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-007-9018-0

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-007-9018-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation