The effect of pre-graze mowing on milk production of dairy cows grazing grass–herb–legume pastures managed under contrasting spring defoliation regimes

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 1414 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. S. Cun ◽  
G. R. Edwards ◽  
R. H. Bryant
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
The Third ◽  
Production Study ◽  
Herbage Quality ◽  
Late Control ◽  
Metabolisable Energy

Strategies to increase herbage dry-matter (DM) production are sought for dairy systems. One proposed strategy is tactical spring defoliation with greater pre-grazing herbage mass and higher post-grazing heights. However, there are concerns over the effects of these strategies on herbage quality, DM intake and milk production. Irrigated, diverse pastures in Canterbury, New Zealand, containing perennial ryegrass, white clover, chicory, plantain and lucerne, were managed over two grazing rotations in spring under normal (grazed to 3.5 cm) or lax management (grazed to 5 cm, allowing early ryegrass seedhead development before normal grazing at anthesis ‘late control’). On the third grazing rotation, a milk production study was conducted. Thirty-six, mid-lactation spring calving Friesian × Jersey dairy cows were allocated to nine groups of four cows and randomly allocated to three replicates of the following three treatments: (1) normal grazing (Norm), (2) lax grazing of standing herbage (Lax) and (3) lax grazing with pre-graze mowing of herbage (Mow). Cows were offered a daily herbage allocation of 30 kg DM/cow above ground level, with milk production measured over 8 days. Pastures managed under lax management had higher pre-grazing herbage mass (4149 kg DM/ha) than did pastures managed under normal management (3105 kg DM/ha), but all treatments had similar metabolisable energy (~12.26 MJ ME/kg DM). Daily milksolid (MS) production tended to be lower (P = 0.07) for cows grazing pastures managed under Lax and Mow (2.34 and 2.24 MS/cow.day respectively) than with Norm (2.43 MS/cow.day). Although there was no difference in daily MS production between mowing and greater pre-graze herbage mass, switching from a high to low grazing residual managed by either grazing or mowing in late spring is likely to have a negative impact on milk production.

scholarly journals Corn silage supplementation for dairy cows grazing annual ryegrass at two pasture allowances

2019 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 1037-1046
Author(s):  
M.F. Miguel ◽  
R. Delagarde ◽  
H.M.N. Ribeiro-Filho
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Soybean Meal ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Lolium Multiflorum ◽  
Latin Square ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Corn Silage ◽  
Annual Ryegrass ◽  
Strip Grazing

ABSTRACT Corn silage supplementation for dairy cows grazing in temperate annual pastures has rarely been investigated. The aim of this study is to compare two supplementation levels (0 and 4kg dry matter [DM]/day of a 7:1 mixture of corn silage and soybean meal) in dairy cows strip-grazing annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) at two pasture allowances (PA, low= 25 and high = 40kg DM/d at ground level). The study was carried out according to an incomplete 4 × 3 Latin square design, using 12 cows and three experimental periods of 12 days. The green leaves allowances were only 4.9 and 8.5kg DM/d at the low and high PA, respectively. The total DM intake and milk production increased in supplemented cows compared to un-supplemented cows at the low PA, but were similar between supplementation levels at the high PA. The PI was unaffected by the PA, whereas the substitution rate was 0.68 in cows at the low PA and 1.35 in cows at the high PA. Corn silage supplementation may improve the total DM intake and milk production of dairy cows grazing in temperate annual pastures, but only at a low PA.

Effects on milk production of increased dietary crude protein by feeding nitogen-fertilised turnips or lupins to dairy cows in mid-lactation

2002 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Moate ◽  
D. E. Dalley ◽  
J. R. Roche ◽  
C. B. Gow ◽  
C. Grainger
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Protein Concentration ◽  
Basal Diet ◽  
Dietary Crude Protein ◽  
Metabolisable Energy ◽  
Degradable Protein

This experiment investigated whether increased crude protein concentration in turnips fertilised with nitrogen would improve milk production. Dairy cows were offered a basal diet of silage, hay and 5 kg dry matter barley supplemented with 5 kg dry matter turnips fertilised with nitrogen (n = 12) or 5 kg dry matter control turnips (n = 12) over 14 days. The effect of providing a diet isonitrogenous with the nitrogen-fertilised turnip diet and with rumen degradable protein on milk production was also investigated by replacing 1 kg barley with 1 kg lupins; 12 cows were offered 4 kg (dry matter) barley, 1 kg lupins with 5 kg control turnips. The control cows (offered control turnips with barley) consumed 17.8 kg dry matter, 2.34 kg crude protein and 187 MJ metabolisable energy. In comparison with the control cows, cows offered nitrogen-fertilised turnips with barley had lower (P<0.05) daily dry matter and metabolisable energy intakes and higher (P<0.05) crude protein intake whereas cows offered control turnips with barley and lupins had similar daily dry matter intake and higher (P<0.05) intakes of metabolisable energy and crude protein. The cows offered nitrogen-fertilised turnips with barley produced similar yields of milk and milk constituents to those of the control cows (19.6 L milk with 855 g fat, 625 g protein and 951 g lactose daily), reflecting the lower intakes of dry matter and metabolisable energy by the cows offered nitrogen-fertilised turnips with barley compared with that of the control cows. Cows offered control turnips with barley and lupins had a greater (P<0.05) daily yield of milk fat and protein than did the other groups of cows; milk yield was increased by 0.5 L when 1 kg dry matter barley was replaced with 1 kg dry matter lupins. It is economical for farmers to feed turnips in conjunction with barley and lupins to overcome summer shortages of high-quality feeds.

LIME AND DAIRY PRODUCTION

1982 ◽  
pp. 93-103
Author(s):  
N.A. Thomson
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
Dairy Production ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
The Third ◽  
One Year ◽  
Plasma Magnesium

In a four year grazing trial with dairy cows the application of 5000 kg lime/ ha (applied in two applications of 2500 kg/ha in winter of the first two years) significantly increased annual pasture production in two of the four years and dairy production in one year. In three of the four years lime significantly increased pasture growth over summer/autumn with concurrent increases in milk production. In the last year of the trial lime had little effect on pasture growth but a relatively large increase in milkfat production resulted. A higher incidence of grass staggers was recorded on the limed farmlets in spring for each of the four years. In the second spring immediately following the second application of lime significant depressions in both pasture and plasma magnesium levels were recorded. By the third spring differences in plasma magnesium levels were negligible but small depressions in herbage magnesium resulting from lime continued to the end of the trial. Lime significantly raised soil pH, Ca and Mg levels but had no effect on either soil K or P. As pH levels of the unlimed paddocks were low (5.2-5.4) in each autumn and soil moisture levels were increased by liming, these factors may suggest possible causes for the seasonality of the pasture response to lime

scholarly journals Metabolic and Productive Response and Grazing Behavior of Lactating Dairy Cows Supplemented with High Moisture Maize or Cracked Wheat Grazing at Two Herbage Allowances in Spring

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 919
Author(s):  
Verónica M. Merino ◽  
Lorena Leichtle ◽  
Oscar A. Balocchi ◽  
Francisco Lanuza ◽  
Julián Parga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Latin Square ◽  
Ruminal Fermentation ◽  
High Moisture ◽  
Plasma Urea ◽  
Grazing Behavior

The aim was to determine the effect of the herbage allowance (HA) and supplement type (ST) on dry matter intake (DMI), milk production and composition, grazing behavior, rumen function, and blood metabolites of grazing dairy cows in the spring season. Experiment I: 64 Holstein Friesian dairy cows were distributed in a factorial design that tested two levels of daily HA (20 and 30 kg of dry matter (DM) per cow) and two ST (high moisture maize (HMM) and cracked wheat (CW)) distributed in two daily rations (3.5 kg DM/cow/day). Experiment II: four mid-lactation rumen cannulated cows, supplemented with either HMM or CW and managed with the two HAs, were distributed in a Latin square design of 4 × 4, for four 14-d periods to assess ruminal fermentation parameters. HA had no effect on milk production (averaging 23.6 kg/day) or milk fat and protein production (823 g/day and 800 g/day, respectively). Cows supplemented with CW had greater protein concentration (+1.2 g/kg). Herbage DMI averaged 14.17 kg DM/cow.day and total DMI averaged 17.67 kg DM/cow.day and did not differ between treatments. Grazing behavior activities (grazing, rumination, and idling times) and body condition score (BCS) were not affected by HA or ST. Milk and plasma urea concentration increased under the high HA (+0.68 mmol/L and +0.90 mmol/L, respectively). Cows supplemented with HMM had lower milk and plasma urea concentrations (0.72 mmol/L and 0.76 mmol/L less, respectively) and tended (p = 0.054) to have higher plasma β-hydroxybutyrate. Ruminal parameters did not differ between treatments.

Supplementation of grazing dairy cows with a brewers grains/treated straw mixture

1990 ◽  
Vol 1990 ◽  
pp. 46-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.D. Leaver ◽  
R.C. Campling
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Metabolisable Energy ◽  
Grazing Dairy Cows ◽  
Similar Cost ◽  
Friesian Cows

Supplementary feeding of grazing dairy cows is often uneconomic, and whilst supplementation with silage (buffer feeding) can be worthwhile, this often leads to a depletion of winter forage stores. In this study, a mixture of brewers grains and treated straw was used as a supplement. Offered as a 1:1 mixture in the dry matter (DM), it is a purchased substitute for grass silage, having a similar cost, and similar metabolisable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) contents. The high seasonality adjustments to milk price in mid-late season make supplementation potentially worthwhile.Experiments were carried out from April to September in 1988 and 1989, which had moderate and very low rainfall respectively. Each year 20 British Friesian cows which calved December to March (1988 experiment) and February-April (1989) were allocated at random to either treatment B or C. In B, the cows were offered a 1:1 mixture (DM basis) of brewers grains and NaOH treated chopped barley straw for 60 minutes after morning milking. In C, the cows received no supplement. Both groups were fed 1.0 kg/day of concentrates in the milking parlour. Due to the severe drought in 1989, concentrate feeding was increased to 5.0 kg/day for all cows during the last 4 weeks of the experiment. Also, urea-treated whole crop wheat was fed at a level of 2.5 kg DM/day during the last 7 days.

EFFECT OF VARIETY OF ENSILED CORN AND HAY SUPPLEMENTATION ON MILK PRODUCTION

1968 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. S. Logan ◽  
L. J. Fisher ◽  
P. S. Hayden
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Corn Silage ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows

Vacuum silages made from Pioneer 383 and Pride 5 corn were fed with concentrate and with and without hay to lactating dairy cows. Yields per hectare in terms of dry matter were 8,850 kg for Pioneer 383 and 8,350 kg for Pride 5. Intake of silage dry matter was significantly higher (P < 0.05) for Pride 5 (11.4 kg/day) than for Pioneer 383 (9.8 kg/day), and significantly lower (P < 0.05) for both silages when hay was fed (11.4 kg/day versus 9.7 kg/day). Fat-corrected milk production was significantly higher (P < 0.05) for Pride 5 (17.0 kg/day) than for Pioneer 383 silage (15.8 kg/day), and significantly higher (P < 0.05) when hay was fed, than without hay supplementation (167 kg/day versus 16.0 kg/day). Utilization of silage dry matter in terms of fat-corrected milk production per hectare was 10,486 kg for Pride 5 corn silage and 11,176 kg for Pioneer 383 corn silage.

Effects of abomasal fat infusion on dry matter intake, milk production and splanchnic metabolism in dairy cows at two stages of lactation

1997 ◽  
Vol 1997 ◽  
pp. 21-21
Author(s):  
J.A. Benson ◽  
C.K. Reynolds ◽  
D.J. Humphries ◽  
D.E. Beever ◽  
S.M. Rutter
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Energy Concentration ◽  
Dietary Energy ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Stage Of Lactation ◽  
Fat Infusion ◽  
Fat Supplements ◽  
Two Stages

Fat is often fed to dairy cows as a means of increasing dietary energy concentration; however feeding fat often reduces feed intake. For many fat supplements this can be due to negative effects on rumen digestion, however feeding rumen inert fat and post ruminal infusions of fat can also depress intake although the mechanism by which this happens is not clear. The effect of fat on intake may also be influenced by stage of lactation as in early lactation fatty acid levels in the blood can be elevated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of fat infusion into the abomasum on dry matter (DM) intake, milk production and metabolism of splanchnic tissues (portal drained viscera (PDV) and liver) in early and mid lactation cows.

Estimation of intake and digestibility of forage-based diets in group-fed dairy cows using alkanes as markers

1999 ◽  
Vol 133 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. UNAL ◽  
P. C. GARNSWORTHY
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Once Daily ◽  
Major Factors ◽  
Filter Papers ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Basal Ration ◽  
Food Consumed

Dry matter intake is one of the major factors limiting milk production in dairy cows, although the quantity of food consumed by an individual cow when housed and fed as part of a group is rarely known. Such information would permit more precise ration formulation, concentrate allocation and selection of cows according to efficiency of milk production. Alkanes have been used with sheep and cattle to estimate feed intake under grazing conditions and could provide a technique for measuring intake in housed dairy cows. The purpose of this study was to examine alkanes C32 and C36, in combination with alkane C33, as indigestible markers for estimating intake of housed dairy cows fed on different diets under experimental and commercial conditions. Three experiments were conducted with hay-based diets (Expt 1), silage only diets (Expt 2) and a diet consisting of a silage-based basal ration plus concentrates (Expt 3). Animals were dosed once daily with C32 and C36, either on filter papers (Expts 1 and 2) or as part of a specially prepared concentrate (Expt 3). Faecal recoveries of alkanes ranged from 0·88 to 0·99. Over the range of intakes found in the three experiments (6–24 kg DM/d), the r2 values for estimated versus actual dry matter intakes ranged from 0·81 to 0·99. It is concluded that alkanes could provide a useful technique for estimating intake in dairy cows housed and fed in groups.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document