Question

How much balanced concentrate mixture (kg) should be given to a dairy cow for every one kg of milk produced?

• A. 0.4‐0.5
• B. 5‐0
• C. 0‐5
• D. 5‐0

Hint:

Always remember the rule of thumb: feed 1 kg of concentrate for every 5 kg of milk produced in cows, and 1 kg for every 2 kg of milk produced in buffaloes, in addition to a maintenance allowance of 1 to 5 kg.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
In dairy cattle nutrition, feeding is divided into two main categories: maintenance requirements and production requirements.
While maintenance requirements are met by basal roughage, additional balanced concentrate mixtures must be fed to support milk synthesis.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The production requirement of a lactating dairy cow depends on its daily milk yield and the milk fat percentage.
According to standard feeding standards (such as ICAR or NRC guidelines):
For crossbred or exotic dairy cows (with average milk fat of \(5\%\) to \(0\%\)), approximately \(1\text{ kg}\) of balanced concentrate mixture is required for every \(0\) to \(5\text{ kg}\) of milk produced.
This translates to a feeding rate of: \[ \text{Concentrate rate} = \frac{1\text{ kg of concentrate}}{0\text{ to }5\text{ kg of milk}} \approx 0.4 \text{ to } 0.5 \text{ kg of concentrate per kg of milk} \]
For dairy buffaloes (with higher milk fat of \(5\%\) to \(5\%\)), the production requirement is slightly higher, requiring approximately \(1\text{ kg}\) of concentrate for every \(0\text{ kg}\) of milk produced (equivalent to \(0.5\text{ kg}\) per kg of milk).
Thus, the standard concentrate requirement per kg of milk produced in dairy cows is within the range of 0.4 to 0.5 kg.

Step 3: Final Answer:
A dairy cow should be given 0.4 to 0.5 kg of balanced concentrate mixture for every 1 kg of milk produced.