Infascelli Lorenzo, Musco Nadia, Iommelli Piera, Vassalotti Giuseppe, Capezzuto Francesco, Zicarelli Fabio, Morittu Valeria Maria, Spina Anna Antonella, Infascelli Federico, Tudisco Raffaella
Department of Economics and Law, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, 03043 Cassino, Italy.
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Napoli Federico II, 80100 Naples, Italy.
Animals (Basel). 2025 Jul 11;15(14):2050. doi: 10.3390/ani15142050.
The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of two dietary regimens, characterized by different forage-to-concentrate ratios, on feed intake, milk yield and composition, as well as economic and environmental sustainability in lactating buffalo cows. Group H was fed a high-forage diet, while Group L was fed a diet with a lower forage-to-concentrate ratio. Despite a lower energy value (Unit for Feed Lactation: UFL 0.89 vs. 0.91), the diet of group H met the animals' nutritional requirements, with similar dry matter intake (DMI) and body condition scores observed in both groups. While there was no significant difference in milk yield, protein, and lactose, group H exhibited significantly higher milk fat content and an enhanced fatty acid profile, characterized by increased oleic acid, conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs), and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids have been linked to potential health benefits in humans, including anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and anticarcinogenic effects. From an economic perspective, the H group's diet was found to be more cost-effective, resulting in EUR 0.46 savings per head per day and a higher yield of mozzarella cheese. From an environmental perspective, the high-forage diet reduced reliance on imported concentrates and irrigation-dependent crops, aligning with sustainable development goals. In conclusion, increasing the forage content in buffalo diets has been demonstrated to support animal performance, improve milk quality, reduce environmental impact, and enhance economic returns for producers.
本研究旨在评估两种不同粗饲料与精饲料比例的日粮方案对泌乳期水牛采食量、产奶量及乳成分，以及经济和环境可持续性的影响。H组饲喂高粗饲料日粮，而L组饲喂粗饲料与精饲料比例较低的日粮。尽管H组日粮的能量值较低（泌乳饲料单位：0.89对0.91），但满足了动物的营养需求，两组的干物质摄入量（DMI）和体况评分相似。虽然两组的产奶量、蛋白质和乳糖含量没有显著差异，但H组的乳脂肪含量显著更高，脂肪酸谱更佳，其特征是油酸、共轭亚油酸（CLA）和ω-3多不饱和脂肪酸含量增加。这些脂肪酸对人类健康具有潜在益处，包括抗炎、心脏保护和抗癌作用。从经济角度来看，H组的日粮更具成本效益，每头牛每天节省0.46欧元，马苏里拉奶酪产量更高。从环境角度来看，高粗饲料日粮减少了对进口精饲料和依赖灌溉作物的依赖，符合可持续发展目标。总之，提高水牛日粮中的粗饲料含量已被证明有助于提高动物生产性能、改善牛奶质量、减少环境影响，并提高生产者的经济回报。
