Effect of offering dairy cows diets differing in phosphorus concentration over four successive lactations: 1. Food intake, milk production, tissue changes and blood metabolites

The loss of phosphates from dairy farms contributes to the eutrophication of waterways. Whilst reducing the phosphorus (P) content of dairy cow diets has the potential to help reduce phosphate losses, diets containing inadequate dietary P may have a negative effect on cow health and performance. To address this issue, 100 winter-calving Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were offered diets containing either ‘high’ or ‘low’ levels of dietary P. The experiment was conducted over a 4-year period, with 80 primiparous cows commencing the study in year 1, while a further 20 primiparous cows commenced the study in year 2. Rations offered during the winter comprised grass silage, maize silage (70 : 30 dry matter (DM) basis, approximately) and concentrates (10.0 to 12.0 kg/cow per day). During the summer periods in years 1 and 2, half of the cows grazed both day and night, while the remaining cows grazed by day, and were housed by night and offered grass silage. During years 3 and 4, all cows grazed both day and night during the summer period. Concentrate feed levels during the summer periods were 3.0 to 4.0 kg/cow per day. Different dietary P levels were achieved by offering concentrates containing either high or low P levels during the winter period (approximately 7.0 or 4.4 g P/kg DM respectively), and during the summer period (approximately 6.8 or 3.6 g P/kg DM, respectively). Total ration P levels averaged 4.9 and 3.6 g P/kg DM for the ‘high’ and ‘low’ P winter diets respectively, and 4.2 and 3.6 g P/kg DM for the ‘high’ and ‘low’ P summer diets respectively. A total of 95, 70, 50 and 22 cows completed each of lactations 1 to 4 respectively. Dietary P level had no significant effect on food intake, milk output or milk composition (P > 0.05). Plasma P concentrations were significantly lower with cows offered the ‘low’ P diet in each of lactations 1 to 4 (P < 0.05). In each of lactations 3 and 4, cows offered the ‘low’ P diet tended to have lower condition scores and live weights than those offered the ‘high’ P diet. The results of this experiment highlight that the P content of dairy cow diets can be substantially reduced with no detrimental effect on dairy cow performance.