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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Impacts of feeding system and season on milk composition and Cheddar cheese yield in a subtropical environment

B. Amenu A D E , T. Cowan A , H. Deeth B and R. Moss C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Animal Studies, University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia.

B School of Land and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.

C Department of Primary Industries, Mutdapilly Research Station, Peak Crossing, Qld 4306, Australia.

D Current address: The University of Queensland, School of Land and Food Sciences, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.

E Corresponding author. Email: bxa@sas.uq.edu.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46(3) 299-306 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA04068
Submitted: 9 April 2004  Accepted: 24 March 2005   Published: 28 March 2006

Abstract

Milk obtained from cows on 2 subtropical dairy feeding systems were compared for their suitability for Cheddar cheese manufacture. Cheeses were made in a small-scale cheesemaking plant capable of making 2 blocks (about 2 kg each) of Cheddar cheese concurrently. Its repeatability was tested over 10 separate cheesemaking days with no significant differences being found between the 2 vats in cheesemaking parameters or cheese characteristics. In the feeding trial, 16 pairs of Holstein–Friesian cows were used in 2 feeding systems (M1, rain-grown tropical grass pastures and oats; and M5, a feedlot, based on maize/barley silage and lucerne hay) over 2 seasons (spring and autumn corresponding to early and late lactation, respectively). Total dry matter, crude protein (kg/cow.day) and metabolisable energy (MJ/cow.day) intakes were 17, 2.7, and 187 for M1 and 24, 4, 260 for M5, respectively. M5 cows produced higher milk yields and milk with higher protein and casein levels than the M1 cows, but the total solids and fat levels were similar (P > 0.05) for both M1 and M5 cows. The yield and yield efficiency of cheese produced from the 2 feeding systems were also not significantly different. The results suggest that intensive tropical pasture systems can produce milk suitable for Cheddar cheese manufacture when cows are supplemented with a high energy concentrate. Season and stage of lactation had a much greater effect than feeding system on milk and cheesemaking characteristics with autumn (late lactation) milk having higher protein and fat contents and producing higher cheese yields.

Additional keywords: Cheddar cheese yield, feeding systems, milk composition, season, stage of lactation.


Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the Mutdapilly Research Station staff who assisted throughout this experiment. Special thanks are also extended to Allan Lisle who assisted in statistical analysis. We are also grateful for financial support from the Tropical Dairy Research Centre, School of Animal Studies, University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia.


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