Milk Fatty Acid Profile of Holstein Cows When Changed from a Mixed System to a Confinement System or Mixed System with Overnight Grazing

This study is aimed at comparing the milk fatty acid profile (FAP) of cows that changed from a mixed system (MS) of double grazing plus total mixed ration (TMR) to a total confinement system (TCS, 100% TMR) with cows that changed to another MS with one overnight grazing plus TMR and compare with cows that were kept unchanged in TCS. The diet change was made in the second month of lactation. The milk samples were collected at one (M1-spring) and three months of lactation (M3-summer). Three treatments are as follows (each n = 10): confined cows fed with TMR throughout the period (GTMR), cows that changed from MS with double grazing plus TMR in M1 to TCS in M3 (GCHD), and cows that changed from a MS with double grazing plus TMR in M1 to a MS with overnight grazing plus TMR in M3 (GTMR+P). Unlike GTMR+P, GCHD improved milk production after change (increased 14% from M1 to M3), but milk FAP was impaired. In M3, conjugated linoleic acid (C18 : 2-CLA) in GTMR and GCHD was lower than GTMR+P (p < 0.05), and linolenic (C18 : 3-n-3) was lower in GCHD than GTMR+P. Maintaining grazing in summer overnight sustained milk fat quality, evidenced by higher C18 : 3 (n-3); C18 : 2 (CLA); and n-6/n-3 ratio than cows that changed to TCS.