Producing milk with uniform high selenium concentrations on commercial dairy farms
P. T. Doyle A , C. R. Stockdale A , M. L. Jenkin A G , G. P. Walker A , F. R. Dunshea B , P. M. Shields C D and A. McKenna E FA Future Farming Systems Research, Department of Primary Industries, Kyabram Centre, 120 Cooma Road, Kyabram, Vic. 3620, Australia.
B Faculty of Land and Food Resources, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.
C Alltech Biotechnology Pty Ltd, 68–70 Nissan Drive, Dandenong South, Vic. 3175, Australia.
D Present address: Trident Ireland, Ballymountain, Waterford, Ireland.
E Tatura Milk Industries Ltd, PO Box 213, Tatura, Vic. 3616, Australia.
F Present address: Synlait, Canterbury, New Zealand.
G Corresponding author. Email: marg.jenkin@dpi.vic.gov.au
Animal Production Science 51(2) 87-94 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN10133
Submitted: 27 July 2010 Accepted: 15 October 2010 Published: 28 January 2011
Abstract
Six herds on five commercial dairy farms were involved in the production of high selenium (Se) milk. The farms had a range of herd sizes, herd structures, feeding systems and milk production per cow. On all farms, pelleted concentrate supplements containing Se yeast were fed twice daily in the dairy for 16 days. The objectives were to: (1) produce milk with Se concentrations exceeding 225 μg/kg on the five farms for pilot-scale production of a high protein milk powder; (2) validate a predictive relationship between Se intake and milk Se concentration developed in research; and (3) examine the time taken from the introduction of Se yeast to steady-state concentrations of Se in milk under a range of commercial farming conditions. We hypothesised that the relationship between Se intake and its concentration in milk found in research would apply on commercial farms. Daily Se intake, which was primarily from Se yeast in the pelleted concentrates, varied from 35 to 51 mg Se/cow. Grazed pasture and conserved forage contributed less than 1 mg Se/cow on all farms. The time taken from the introduction of pellets containing Se yeast to steady-state milk Se concentrations was 4–7 days. The steady-state Se concentrations in milk varied from 166 to 247 µg/kg, but these concentrations were only 55–72% of predicted values. All the milk produced from the five farms on the last 2 days of feeding of Se-enriched pellets was used to produce a milk protein concentrate with a Se concentration of 5.4 mg/kg. Factors that might have affected Se incorporation into milk and the implications of these results for commercial production of high Se milk or milk products are discussed.
Additional keywords: commercial production, dairy cows, selenium yeast.
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