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Table 2 The most common diets fed to Swedish dairy replacement heifers at 6 months of age, at insemination/covering, at 4 months pregnancy and at calving and the median (10th – 90th percentiles) amounts of the feedstuffs given in herds offering these in predetermined amounts.

From: Housing, Feeding and Management of Calves and Replacement Heifers in Swedish Dairy Herds

  

% of herds

Kilograms/% of herds offering the feedstuff in predetermined amounts

 

Feeding strategy

Animal category

In total

Using straw

G

P

C

S (dry matter)

H

TMR (Dry matter)

G+S

6 months old

12

39

2.0(1.0–2.8)/97

  

3.0(2.2–4.0)/16

  
 

at insemination

17

53

2.0(1.0–3.0)/95

  

5.0(3.0–6.0)/28

  
 

4 months pregn.

17

54

2.0(1.0–3.0)/93

  

5.0(2.0–6.0)/29

  
 

at calving

4

52

2.0(1.0–6.2)/93

  

6.0(4.0–11.0)/33

  

G+H

6 months old

9

11

2.0(1.0–3.0)/88

   

4.0(2.4–4.6)/20

 
 

at insemination

3

38

2.0(1.3–3.9)/92

   

7.0(3.6–8.8)/27

 
 

4 months pregn.

3

24

2.0(1.4–3.3)/96

   

4.0(1.0–7.2)/31

 
 

at calving

-

-

-

   

-

 

G+S+H

6 months old

24

34

2.0(1.0–3.0)/90

  

2.0(1.0–4.2)/28

2.0(1.0–3.0)/38

 
 

at insemination

16

43

2.0(1.0–4.0)/90

  

4.0(2.5–6.0)/26

2.0(1.0–3.0)/51

 
 

4 months pregn.

17

37

2.0(1.0–4.0)/91

  

4.0(2.0–7.6)/31

2.0(1.0–3.0)/47

 
 

at calving

6

41

2.6(1.0–5.5)/94

  

6.0(3.0–10.0)/14

2.0(1.0–3.0)/63

 

G+P+S

6 months old

6

39

1.5(1.0–2.4)/96

0.5(0.3–1.0)/94

 

2.5(2.0–4.2)/26

  
 

at insemination

12

38

2.0(1.0–3.0)/92

0.5(0.3–1.0)/95

 

4.5(3.3–6.2)/29

  
 

4 months pregn.

9

46

2.0(1.0–3.5)/92

0.5(0.2–1.0)/91

 

5.0(4.0–7.0)/27

  
 

at calving

14

21

2.0(1.0–4.0)/94

1.5(0.5–3.0)/96

 

6.0(4.9–7.2)/28

  

G+P+H

6 months old

4

20

1.5(1.0–2.0)/95

0.5(0.3–1.0)/97

  

3.0(1.0–5.0)/41

 
 

at insemination

4

43

2.0(1.1–4.0)/96

0.6(0.2–1.7)/93

  

5.0(2.0–6.0)/46

 
 

4 months pregn.

2

48

2.0(1.9–4.0)/95

0.5(0.4–1.0)/90

  

5.0(3.0–8.0)/52

 
 

at calving

-

-

-

-

  

-

 

G+P+S+H

6 months old

10

25

1.5(0.8–3.0)/93

0.5(0.3–1.0)/95

 

2.5(1.0–4.0)/10

2.0(1.0–3.0)/39

 
 

at insemination

11

33

2.0(1.0–4.0)/94

0.5(0.2–1.5)/97

 

4.0(2.0–5.4)/41

2.0(1.0–4.0)/50

 
 

4 months pregn.

11

39

2.0(1.0–3.9)/89

0.5(0.2–1.4)/90

 

4.5(1.7–5.3)/19

2.0(1.0–4.0)/46

 
 

at calving

36

16

2.5(1.0–4.0)/94

2.0(0.8–3.0)/94

 

6.0(4.0–8.0)/42

2.0(1.0–3.0)/71

 

C+S

6 months old

7

39

  

1.5(1.0–2.5)/100

3.5(2.0–5.3)/12

  
 

at insemination

5

40

  

2.0(1.0–3.0)/95

6.5(3.0–8.0)/17

  
 

4 months pregn.

6

36

  

1.5(0.8–2.5)/92

5.0(4.0–8.0)/26

  
 

at calving

5

20

  

3.0(2.0–5.0)/95

8.0(5.8–10.5)/26

  

C+S+H

6 months old

4

29

  

1.9(1.0–2.0)/97

2.0(1.0–5.0)/37

2.0(1.0–2.3)/51

 
 

at insemination

2

50

  

1.8(1.0–3.0)/100

4.0(1.4–5.0)/70

1.5(1.0–2.6)/70

 
 

4 months pregn.

3

32

  

2.0(1.0–3.1)/91

4.5(3.0–7.5)/27

2.0(1.0–3.0)/50

 
 

at calving

6

20

  

4.0(2.5–6.0)/98

6.0(4.7–10.6)/23

1.5(1.0–2.6)/66

 

TMR

6 months old

5

      

4.0(2.5–6.9)/32

 

at insemination

4

      

7.0(5.0–15.4)/38

 

4 months pregn.

3

      

6.0(4.0–10.0)/41

 

at calving

6

      

12(8.4–14.7)/27

Only roughage

6 months old

6

    

-

-

 
 

at insemination

12

    

-

-

 
 

4 months pregn.

16

    

-

-

 
 

at calving

6

    

-

-

 
  1. C = complete feed (commercial ready-mixed concentrate), G = grain feed, H = hay, P = protein feed, S = silage, TMR = Total Mixed Ration (total mixture of concentrate and roughage)