Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Associate professor in Agricultural Engineering Research Institute (AERI), Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization(AREEO), Karaj, Iran
2 Agricultural Machinery Department, Imam Khomeini Higher Education Center, Agricultural Research Education
Abstract
Raising dairy cows requires the use of various inputs, each of which contributes significantly to energy consumption, making it an energy-intensive process. In 2025, this research aimed to determine the energy indices of Holstein cattle in Alborz Province. Information was collected through questionnaires and document studies and random sampling from different dairy cattle units, and all the activities performed throughout the year were recorded. The input energy includes labor, machinery and equipment, fuel, electricity, livestock feed (hay, silage corn, concentrate and wheat straw), buildings and facilities, and the output energy includes milk, meat and cow manure produced. Energy indices including net energy gain, energy use efficiency, energy productivity and specific energy were determined. The results showed that the total amount of input energy is 173037.25 MJ per head of cow, and animal feed had the largest share of input energy with 71.83%. Among the main feeds consumed by dairy cows, concentrate, alfalfa, corn and straw contributed 40.49%, 19.38%, 11.68% and 0.28% of the total energy consumption, respectively. The amount of total energy output was 71832.20 MJ per head of cow, and milk production had the largest share with 93.34% of the total energy output. The energy use efficiency, net energy gain, energy productivity and energy intensity were determined as 0.443, -101205.30 MJ per a head of cow, 0.103 kg/MJ and 11.25 MJ/Kg respectively.
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