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臺大農場乳牛今年第四度榮獲行政院農委會「高繁天噸牛獎」,臺大教務長、動物科學技術系教授丁詩同公開飼養秘技,他表示要成功培育高繁天噸牛非常不容易,除了維持牛隻生活環境乾淨舒適,飼料也必須精心挑選,產乳量與生殖狀態都達到高標準,顯示出飼養員的用心。
 
臺大農場乳牛自106年起便連年榮獲「高繁天噸牛獎」,要獲得此獎的資格相當嚴苛,首先乳牛年產乳量須達「天噸(Ten tons)」,也就是10噸以上,相當於平均每天要生產逾34瓶960毫升的鮮乳,還需同時符合成功分娩3胎數以上的高繁殖力條件。臺大農場表示,臺灣年平均乳量約8100公斤,平均胎次約2.3胎,而臺大農場年平均乳量則約8400公斤,平均胎次約2.8胎,所有受評泌乳牛只有約百分之一能達到此標準,其實相當困難。
 
臺大農場年平均乳量則約8400公斤,平均胎次約2.8胎,所有受評泌乳牛只有約百分之一能達到此標準。
 
飼養員正在進行擠牛乳工作。
 
丁詩同表示,要達到如此高標準,除了要藉由育種提升牛隻本身的遺傳潛能外,優質的飼養管理技術及生長環境更是使其充分發揮性能不可或缺的關鍵。牧場不僅要克服亞熱帶的溼熱與台北市中心的喧鬧環境,更肩負教學實習責任,牛隻生活在充滿挑戰的環境下還能有如此優異的表現,十分不易。
另外值得一提的是,去年3至5月間臺大農場進行為期三個月的牛舍雨汙分離工程,不論管理人員與牛隻皆長期處在較嚴峻與易受干擾的環境下作業與生活,施工期間不僅未造成任何牛隻傷亡,全年度產乳表現甚至逆勢成長,還培育出新的高繁天噸牛,相當難能可貴,顯示牧場同仁在經營管理上非常用心。
 
丁詩同強調,乳牛飼育環境一定要乾淨舒適,近年來牧場不斷致力於改善牛隻的生活環境,加裝遮陽隔熱棚架、電動牛體刷、大型散熱風扇、灑水噴霧降溫系統等設施,還鋪設減壓防滑地墊,如同沙發一樣供牛隻休憩,預防蹄病。另外,牧場也和生機系師生、資策會專家共同開發新式的畜舍降溫與牛隻智慧化健康監測系統,如牛隻計步器、胃酸鹼值檢測器,有助於即時瞭解乳牛健康狀態並減輕人力、能源及時間等成本,成為全國第一例智慧乳牛場。
 
在飼料與健康照護方面,則採「精準營養」概念,牧場人員表示,目前在養泌乳牛有20頭,每日早晚各擠乳一次,為了確保牛隻的健康,堅持使用最高品質的精料與草料配置之營養配方餵飼,貫徹各生長階段管理準則,平時也會仔細觀察牛隻狀況,追蹤多項關鍵生理和性能數值,並與獸醫專業人員密切合作,及時給予適當的處置與照護,落實定期畜舍消毒、牛隻疫苗施打並加強進出口管制等生物安全防治措施以減少牛隻染病風險。
 
動科系主任吳信志表示,臺大農場的乳牛品種為「荷蘭牛」,最適應的溫度其實是4~10度,因此如何在台灣夏天炎熱天氣中讓牛隻維持舒適生活環境就變成一大挑戰,牧場中裝設的自動灑水器能偵測氣溫,適時幫乳牛降溫。另一方面,擁有高繁殖能力的乳牛能夠在每次分娩過後,快速恢復成健康的生殖道,並且經歷發情期,再成功配種,因此要連續多年達到這種狀態實屬不易,除了牛隻健康外,管理員的配種技術也要非常高超,精準掌控,才可能如此順利配種,達到「高繁」的嚴格標準。
 
 

The Affiliated Experimental Farm to the College of Bioresources and Agriculture of National Taiwan University (NTU Farm) is awarded their fourth “Annual Awards for Prolific Ten-Tons Cow” from the Council of Agriculture (COA). Shih-Torng Ding, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor in the Department of Animal Science and Technology, NTU, shares the secrets of raising Ten-Tons Cows successfully. Besides maintaining cleanness and coziness, the feeds need to be selected carefully. The excellent milk production rate and reproductive condition shows the whole-hearted dedication of the farmers.Since 2017, the NTU Farm has been awarded “Annual Awards for Prolific Ten-Tons Cow” four years in a row. Meeting the qualifications for this award is an extreme challenge. Firstly, the annual milk production per cow must reach ten tons, or 33 liters/day on average. Moreover, these cows must be able to have three parturitions per year. The NTU Farm remarks, in Taiwan, the average annual milk production per cow is 8100 kg and the average parturition is 2.3. The NTU farm can achieve 8400 kg of milk production and 2.8 parturitions. Among all evaluations, only 1% of cows can reach this standard.

Prof. Ding further mentions that to achieve such a high standard, apart from increase the intrinsic potential by breeding, both quality control and managing the environment are indispensable. The NTU Farm not only needs to overcome the humidity in the subtropical climate and noisiness in Taipei, but also shoulders the responsibility of teaching and training. The performance of cows is exceptional under this challenging condition. Additionally, the NTU Farm has been devoted to improving the growing environment recently; for instance by introducing heat-shielding shelves, cattle brushes, large cooling fans, a spray cooling system, and depressurizing and slipless mats. In addition, the NTU Farm cooperates with the Department of Biomechatronics Engineering and other professionals to develop innovative barn coolers and intelligent health monitoring systems, such as pedometer and gastric pH meter. Therefore, the NTU Farm is the first intelligent dairy farm in Taiwan.

 

Currently, the NTU Farm milks 20 milking cows every day and night. To ensure the health of cows, the NTU Farm insists on using feeds of high-quality recipes and follows directives strictly, using the “Precision Nutrition” concept in feeds and health care. The farmers trace multiple physiological and performance indicators and cooperate with veterinarians closely to provide timely and proper care and treatments. The NTU Farm implements regular barn sterilization, vaccine application, and entry control to reduce infection risks. The Chairman of the NTU Department of Animal Science and Technology, Shinn-Chih Wu, states that te cow breed in the NTU Farm is Holstein-Friesians, and the most suitable temperature for them is 4 to 10° Celsius. Hence, maintenance of barn temperature is of great challenge in Taiwan. The automatic spray cooler can detect the temperature and cool immediately.

Raising high reproductivity cows and maintaining their health for years are not easy tasks. The managers need expertise in breeders’ skills to fulfill the “Prolific” standard.

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