High pasture allowance does not improve animal performance in supplemented dairy cows grazing alfalfa during autumn - winter
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of three alfalfa pasture herbage allowances on milk yield and composition during autumn-winter grazing season on early autumn calving dairy cows. Eighteen multiparous Holstein dairy cows were assigned to one of three treatments in a 3 × 3 Latin square design: low herbage allowance [14 kg DM-cow; LHA], medium herbage allowance [27 kg DM-cow; MHA] and high herbage allowance [41 kg DM-cow; HHA]. Dry matter disappearance was lower at LHA although remained similar between MHA and HHA [P menor 0.05]. However, as herbage allowance [HA] increased, lower grazing efficiencies [as the proportion of material removed] were registered [P menor 0.05]. Total dry matter intake [DMI; kg-d] was also lowest for LHA and similar between the other two treatments [P menor 0.05]. Milk yield, 4 per cent FCM, milk fat [g-kg] and casein [g-kg] tended to increase from LHA to HHA [P menor 0.10]. Cows at LHA tended to loss weight whilst cows at MHA and HHA had a tendency to increase BW according the season progressed [P menor 0.10]. In summary, managing cows at HHA will allow cows to a slightly increase in individual milk production and BW gain but in detriment of herbage utilization and potentially, milk production per hectare.
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Texto biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | ALFALFA, DAIRY COWS, GRAZING, HERBAGE ALLOWANCE, , |
| Online Access: | http://ceiba.agro.uba.ar/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=47259 http://ceiba.agro.uba.ar/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber= |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|