The effect of perennial ryegrass ploidy and white clover inclusion on milk production of dairy cows

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bríd McClearn ◽  
Trevor Gilliland ◽  
Clare Guy ◽  
Michael Dineen ◽  
Fergal Coughlan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Increase Milk Production ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Fertiliser Application ◽  
Grazing Dairy Cows

Grazed grass is considered the cheapest feed available for dairy cows in temperate regions, and to maximise profits, dairy farmers must utilise this high-quality feed where possible. Recent research has reported that including white clover (Trifolium repens L.) in grass swards can have a positive effect on milk production. The aim of the present study was to quantify the effect of tetraploid and diploid perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.; PRG) swards sown with and without white clover on the milk production of grazing dairy cows. Four grazing treatments were used for the study; tetraploid-only PRG swards, diploid-only PRG swards, tetraploid PRG with white clover swards and diploid PRG with white clover swards. Thirty cows were assigned to each treatment and swards were rotationally grazed at a stocking rate of 2.75 cows/ha and a nitrogen-fertiliser application rate of 250 kg/ha annually. There was no significant effect of ploidy on milk production. Over the present 4-year study, cows grazing the PRG–white clover treatments had greater milk yields (+597 kg/cow.year) and milk-solid yield (+48 kg/cow.year) than cows grazing the PRG-only treatments. This significant increase in milk production suggests that the inclusion of white clover in grazing systems can be effectively used to increase milk production of grazing dairy cows.

Rumen gases and bloat in grazing dairy cows

1997 ◽  
Vol 129 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. MOATE ◽  
T. CLARKE ◽  
L. H. DAVIS ◽  
R. H. LABY
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Tracer Technique ◽  
Novel Technique ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows ◽  
Headspace Gas ◽  
Grazing Dairy Cows ◽  
Kinetics Of

Results are reported from three experiments conducted at the Dairy Research Institute, Ellinbank, Australia during 1992/93 which examined the composition and kinetics of the gas in the rumen headspace of lactating dairy cows grazing white clover/perennial ryegrass pastures. Before grazing, rumen headspace gas was composed of carbon dioxide 65%, methane 31% and nitrogen 4% whereas, after one hour of active grazing, the headspace gas was composed of carbon dioxide 76%, methane 22% and nitrogen 2%. The composition of headspace gas was not affected by antibloat capsules (which release 250 mg/day of monensin). The headspace gas from bloated cows contained slightly less (P<0·01) carbon dioxide and slightly more nitrogen than that from non-bloated cows.A novel technique which employs ethane as a tracer to measure rumen headspace volume and the kinetics of the rumen headspace gases is described. The tracer technique was used in two experiments in which the influence of grazing, antibloat capsules and bloat on the rumen headspace volume and the kinetics of the headspace gases were examined. It is concluded that our ethane tracer technique provides a simple and inexpensive way to estimate methane production by grazing ruminants.

Synchronization of ingestive behaviour by grazing dairy cows

1995 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Rook ◽  
C. A. Huckle
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Kappa Statistic ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows ◽  
Random Expectation ◽  
Grazing Dairy Cows ◽  
Ingestive Behaviour

AbstractThe synchronization of eating, ruminating and idling activity by lactating dairy cows grazing a perennial ryegrass-white clover sward was studied. Synchronization was defined as the number of pairs of cows engaged in a particular activity as a proportion of the total possible number of pairs and was compared with random expectation using a kappa statistic. All three activities were significantly more synchronized than random expectation. This suggests that wherever possible individual cows should not be treated as replicates in grazing experiments.

scholarly journals Ryegrasses with increased water soluble carbohydrate: evaluating the potential for grazing dairy cows in New Zealand

2007 ◽  
pp. 179-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.P. Cosgrove ◽  
J.L. Burke ◽  
A.F. Death ◽  
M.J. Hickey ◽  
D. Pacheco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Elevated Concentration ◽  
Energy Increase ◽  
Increase Milk Production ◽  
Grazing Dairy Cows ◽  
Water Soluble Carbohydrate

An elevated concentration of water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) in grasses may increase the availability of readily degradable energy, increase milk production and improve the efficiency of nitrogen utilisation. Two ryegrasses with elevated WSC, a tetraploid Italian (IRG) and a diploid perennial selected for higher WSC (HSG), were compared against a standard diploid perennial (STG) during spring 2004 and 2005, and autumn 2006 and 2007. Groups of cows (n=20) grazed each grass type for periods of 6 weeks in spring and 2 weeks in autumn. During spring, the 'high' WSC grasses were 20-40 g/kg DM higher in concentration of WSC than the standard (P

350 Nutrient Movement in the Environment: Confined versus Grazing Systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 192-193
Author(s):  
Andre F Brito ◽  
Kleves V Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Nutrient Utilization ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Research Reporting ◽  
N Efficiency ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Grazing Dairy Cows

Abstract Grazing systems perform multiple ecosystem services including food production, climate regulation, nutrient cycling, and erosion control. Ruminants can also express their natural behaviors on pasture, with recent research revealing that dairy cows were more motivated to go outside for grazing than stay indoors consuming fresh TMR offered immediately after the afternoon milking. In addition, consumers often associate grazing systems with “healthier and happier cows” and are willing to pay premiums for “grass-fed” dairy products. However, milk production and nutrient utilization generally decrease in pasture-based compared with confinement systems, which may reduce farm profitability depending on milk pay prices. It should be noted that there is limited research reporting milk N efficiency (milk N/N intake) or methane emissions in confined versus grazing dairy cows using data collected from the same experiments. Therefore, our overarching objective was to build data sets to compare nutrient utilization in dairy cows under confinement or grazing management where milk N efficiency or methane emissions or both were reported in the same study. Dietary strategies to mitigate methane emissions in grazing dairy systems such as the use of high-quality forages (e.g., brassicas, perennial ryegrass), concentrate and seaweed supplementation, and forage species and management will be explored. For instance, Jersey cows grazing forage canola offered at 40% of the total DM emitted 31% less methane than those kept indoors and fed TMR (419 vs. 289 g/d, respectively) in an experiment conducted at the University of New Hampshire. Methane yield and methane intensity also decreased (P &lt; 0.001) by 29.3% and 23.4%, respectively, in the same study. Irish researchers reported that methane production (-37%), yield (-11.5%), and intensity (-13%) decreased significantly in Holstein-Friesian cows offered perennial ryegrass herbage versus TMR. Data from whole-farm models comparing confinement and grazing systems will be presented and discussed.

The effects of level of winter feeding and buffer-feeding during the grazing season on the milk production of January/February calving dairy cows.

1997 ◽  
Vol 1987 ◽  
pp. 29-29
Author(s):  
C.S. Mayne ◽  
S.C.P. Woodcock ◽  
A.J. Clements
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Animal Performance ◽  
High Animal ◽  
Grazing Season ◽  
Grazing Dairy Cows ◽  
Winter Feeding

Buffer-feeding of grazing dairy cows, by allowing cows access to forage for a few hours each day, has been widely advocated as a means of maintaining high animal performance whilst enabling efficient sward utilization. However, in practice, responses to buffer-feeding with January/February calving cows have been extremely variable. The objective of this study was to examine if part of the variability in response could be explained by differences in the level of nutrition during the winter feed period.

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