1. Florian Grandl, Marisa Furger, Angela Schwarm, Michael Kreuzer
Longevity does matter: Performance and efficiency of Brown Swiss cows of different age
Florian Grandl, Marisa Furger, Angela Schwarm, Michael Kreuzer

2. Background and aim of the LongLifeCow project
Productive lifetime of cows is decreasing or static at a low level
Use of high amounts of concentrates in dairy cattle rations
Analysis of a longevity strategy with low (concentrate) inputs and moderate animal performance compared to a High-Input/High-Output strategy with short productive lifetime regarding
greenhouse gas emissions of milk production systems.
Florian Grandl
13 April 2016

3. Animal experiment 30 cows
Measurement of animal emissions in respiration chambers
Additional animal parameters recorded during experiment:
Feed intake and digestibility
Mean retention time of digesta
Chewing and rumination activity
Milk yield and composition
Florian Grandl
13 April 2016

4. Animals zero-concentrate (0‑CONC) control with conc. (CTRL) Cows n=15
zero-concentrate
(0‑CONC)
control with conc.
(CTRL)
Cows
n=15
Age range d
1086–3640
876–3648
Lactation
1st – 7th BW kg
666±51
710±53
Days in milk
111±68
127±57
Diet
Hay
kg FM
ad lib.
Maize silage
22.0
27.0
Grass pellets
5.0 3
Concentrate –
(mean±SD)
Florian Grandl
13 April 2016

5. Feed intake and digesta retention time
Older cows in the study showed
a greater feed intake capacity.
Florian Grandl
13 April 2016

6. Feed and fibre digestibility
Florian Grandl
13 April 2016

7. Feed and fibre digestibility
Chewing efficieny and thus fibre degradation
changes with age in dairy cows.
Florian Grandl
13 April 2016

8. Milk yield and feed efficiency
Florian Grandl
13 April 2016

9. Feed efficiency and energy utilization
Milk yield and feed efficiency tended to be greater in older cows.
Florian Grandl
13 April 2016

10. Methane emissions
Methane emissions showed a maximum in middle-aged cows where fibre degradation is at its maximum.
Florian Grandl
13 April 2016

11. Greenhouse gases from milk production
Florian Grandl
13 April 2016

12. Greenhouse gases from milk production
Florian Grandl
13 April 2016

13. Summary and conclusion
Cows of different age differed significantly in several characteristics related to performance and efficiency
Effects of age were not detrimental to performance and efficiency
Increasing longevity is an important aspect of improving economics and environmental impact of milk production.
Results from both feeding regimes were very similar.
Thank you very much for your attention!
Florian Grandl
13 April 2016

14. Greenhouse gas emissions from milk production
Hörtenhuber und Zollitsch, 2009
Florian Grandl
13 April 2016