Effects of stocking rate and energy supplementation on milk production from tropical grass-legume pasture

1975 ◽  
Vol 15 (77) ◽  
pp. 740 ◽  
Author(s):  
RT Cowan ◽  
IJR Byford ◽  
TH Stobbs
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Panicum Maximum ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Temperate Pastures ◽  
Energy Supplementation ◽  
Milk Solids ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Tropical Grass

Forty Friesian cows were grazed continuously on a green panic (Panicum maximum var. trichoglume)/glycine (Glycine wightii cv. Tinaroo) pasture at stocking rates of 1.3, 1.6, 1.9 and 2.5 cows ha-1 for two years on the Atherton Tableland, Queensland. A supplement of 3.6 kg crushed maize cow-1 day-1 was fed for 50 days post-partum to half the cows in each group in both years. Milk yield per cow was reduced from 3811 kg lactation-1 at 1.3 cows ha-l to 3289 kg lactation-1 at 2.5 cows ha-1. With increasing stocking rate milk yield per hectare increased linearly to 8309 kg ha-1 at 2.5 cows ha-1. At 1.9 and 2.5 cows ha-1 cows lost weight over the two years and in late lactation levels of milk solids were often low. Also at these stocking rates cows had to be supplemented for up to 60 days during the main dry season. Legume content of the pasture declined linearly (P < 0.05) with increasing stocking rates. Maize feeding in early lactation increased milk yield over the total lactation by approximately 12 per cent, the response being 2.3 kg milk per kg maize fed, Response was greater at lighter stocking rates as cows in the heavier stocking rate treatments dried off prematurely. It was concluded that per hectare milk production from tropical grass/legume pastures can approach that from temperate pastures and that energy supplementation early in lactation would substantially increase per cow production.

Milk production from cows grazing on tropical grass pastures. 2. Effects of stocking rate and level of nitrogen fertilizer on milk yield and pasture-milk yield relationships

1985 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 515 ◽  
Author(s):  
TM Davison ◽  
RT Cowan ◽  
RK Shepherd
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizer ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Panicum Maximum ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Tropical Grass ◽  
Friesian Cows

The effects of stocking rate and rate of nitrogen fertilizer application on milk yield from a Gatton panic (Panicum maximum cv. Gatton) pasture were studied over 3 years at Kairi Research Station on the Atherton Tablelands. Thirty-two Friesian cows were used in a 4x2 factorial experiment with treatments 2.0,2.5,3.0 and 3.5 cows/ha, each at 200 and 400 kg N/ha.year. Fat-corrected milk (FCM) yield per cow decreased (P<0.05) with increasing stocking rate according to the equation (� s.e.): Y=3476-276 ( � 111) X (P<0.05), where Y is FCM yield per cow (kg), and X is the stocking rate (cows/ha). FCM yield per hectare increased linearly (Pt0.01) with increasing stocking rate in each year and was represented by the following equations ( � s.e.) for nitrogen applications of 200 and 400 kg/ha.year, respectively: Y = 1584 + 1967 (� 289) X Y = 2366 + 1967 (�289) X (P<0.01), and where Y is FCM yield per hectare (kg) and X is the stocking rate (cows/ha). Milk yield per cow and per hectare were significantly increased by the higher rate of fertilizer application (P<0.01) in year 3, but not in years 1 and 2. Mean FCM yields per cow across years were 2574 and 2858 kg from 200 kg N and 400 kg N pastures respectively (P<0.05). The pasture parameters which were most closely correlated with milk yield were green dry matter (GDM) on offer or its components, namely green leaf and green stem. The relations between FCM yield per cow and green dry matter on offer per cow and per hectare were represented by the equations ( � s.e.): Y = 2211 +0.43 (� 0.12) X1 (P<0.01), And Y= 1656 + 0.35 (�0.08) X2 (P<0.01), where Y is FCM yield per cow (kg/lactation), X1 is GDM per cow (kg) and X2 is GDM per hectare (kg). For this environment, it is concluded that a stocking rate of 2.5 cows/ha with 400 kg N/ ha.year can be safely employed to maintain cows on a pure grass pasture from the opening rains in summer until the end of winter.

Effects of nitrogen fertilizer applied in autumn and winter on milk production from a tropical grass-legume grazed at four stocking rates

1976 ◽  
Vol 16 (83) ◽  
pp. 829 ◽  
Author(s):  
RT Cowan ◽  
TH Stobbs
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizer ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Panicum Maximum ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Autumn And Winter ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Friesian Cows

The effect of applying 50 kg N ha-I in autumn and winter each year on milk yield of Friesian cows and dry matter yield and botanical composition of a green panic (Panicum maximum var, trichog1ume)- glycine (Glycine wightii cv. Tinaroo) pasture was measured over two years on the Atherton Tableland, north Queensland. Pastures were grazed at 1.3, 1.6, 1.9 and 2.5 cows ha-1. Milk yield and pasture yield were increased by nitrogen fertilization, particularly at the high stocking rates (P < 0.05). Increases in milk yield from mid-autumn to spring almost totally accounted for increases in annual milk production. Nitrogen fertilizer did not decrease the yield of legume, but legume content of the pasture was reduced in the second year (P < 0.01). Response by non-leguminous species to nitrogen increased (P < 0.05) with stocking rate, a change associated with decreasing legume contents of the pastures. Average fat corrected milk (FCM) yield per cow from mid-autumn to spring was restricted by less than 1600 kg pasture D.M. on offer cow-I or 2500 kg D.M. ha-1. When compared at the same dry matter yields, FCM yield was always higher from nitrogen fertilized pastures than from pastures not recieving fertilizer nitrogen.

Milk yields of cows fed maize and molasses supplements to tropical pastures at two stocking rates

1978 ◽  
Vol 18 (90) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
RT Cowan ◽  
TM Davison
Keyword(s):  
Milk Yield ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Panicum Maximum ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Tropical Pastures ◽  
Randomized Block Design ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Supplement Intake ◽  
Friesian Cows

Twenty-four Friesian cows grazing green panic (Panicum maximum var. trichoglume)-glycine (Glycine wightii cv. Tinaroo) pastures at 2 or 4 cows ha-1 were fed no supplement, 2.4 kg maize or 3.0 kg molasses cow-1 day-1. The experiment was a randomized block design and of six months duration. Milk yield and composition were similar for cows fed maize and molasses and these supplements increased average milk yield from 10.3 to 11.8 kg cow-1 day-1 (P < 0.05). Increased stocking rate reduced milk yield from 12.7 to 9.8 kg cow-1 (P < 0.01). Interactions of stocking rate with type of supplement were not significant (P > 0.05). The level of supplement intake and yield of pasture on offer accounted for 52 per cent of the variation in average milk yields (P < 0.01). Of the variation in milk yields between paddocks only 5 per cent was unaccounted for by this relationship.

A comparison of four patterns of allocating maize during lactation to Friesian cows grazing tropical pastures

1985 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 241 ◽  
Author(s):  
TM Davison ◽  
WD Jarrett ◽  
P Martin
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Panicum Maximum ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Tropical Pastures ◽  
Fixed Amount ◽  
Flat Rate ◽  
Reverse Pattern ◽  
Tropical Grass ◽  
Friesian Cows

Milk yields were compared over a 280-day lactation using four patterns of allocation of a fixed amount of grain. Four groups of four Friesian cows grazed a mixed tropical grass (Panicum maximum) and legume (Neonotonia wightii cv. Tinaroo) pasture at 1.1 cows/ha from January to December 1980. The lactation was split into four feeding periods: days 1 - 10,11- 100,10 1 - 190, 191-280. All cows were fed a total of 610 kg hammermilled maize, with 10 kg grain fed during the initial covariate period. The four feeding patterns were: (i) flat rate (FR), where cows received 2.22 kg grain/day; (ii) all early (AE), where cows received 600 kg grain between days 11 and 100; (iii) high early, low late (HELL), where cows were fed 3.5, 2.17 and 1.0 kg/day for periods 11-100,101-190and 191- 280 days of lactation; and (iv) low early, high late (LEHL), where cows were fed in the reverse pattern to HELL. Milk yields per cow over 280 days were 4145, 3942, 3794 and 3630 kg [l.s.d. (P=0.05)= 436 kg] for HELL, FR, LEHL and AE respectively. There was very poor utilization of grain by cows fed AE. The relation between milk yield and grain intake in days 1 1-100 of lactation was described by the equation: Y= 13.9+ 1.77X-0.18X2 (P<0.01, s.e.b1= 0.48, s.e.b2 = 0.06), where Y = milk yield (kg/cow.day) and X = grain intake (kg/cow.day). Apportioning more grain to late lactation, when pasture on offer was low, did not compensate for the loss of milk production in early lactation by cows fed LEHL. Cows fed LEHL lost more liveweight in early lactation than all other treatments, but regained this weight in late lactation. Cows in all treatments had similar liveweights (mean 518 kg) at 280 days. Milk butterfat and solids-not-fat yields over 280 days were not significantly different (P>0.05) for any of the four treatments.

Simplified rotational grazing management of dairy cows: effects of rates of stocking and concentrate

1991 ◽  
Vol 116 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Hoden ◽  
J. L. Peyraud ◽  
A. Muller ◽  
L. Delaby ◽  
P. Faverdin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Rotational Grazing ◽  
Yield Improvement ◽  
Concentrate Supplementation ◽  
Stocking Rates

SUMMARYAn experiment was carried out in Normandy between 1986 and 1988 over c. 6 months in each year, using a simplified rotational grazing technique (two paddocks in spring, four in autumn) with a total of 162 high-yielding cows (mean milk yield of 30·0 kg/day at turn-out). Three stocking rates, designated control (C: 2·3 cows/ha over the total area of the system), moderate (M: 2·6 cows/ha = 115% of C) and high (H: 3·0 cows/ha = 130% of C), were compared at two rates of concentrate supplement, 3·7 kg/cow per day and 0·5 kg/cow per day. Individual milk yield differed by a non-significant 5% between the extreme stocking rates (21·3 v. 20·3 kg fat-corrected milk (FCM) for treatments C and H, respectively). Milk production/ha was 23% greater in the H treatment (9816 v. 7970 kg FCM for H and C, respectively). Concentrate supplementation led, on average, to a 9% milk yield improvement (21·8 v. 20·0 kg FCM for high and low rates, respectively), i.e. a mean efficiency of 0·6 kg FCM/kg supplement. This response tended to be greater in the higher-yielding cows and for the high stocking rate. The sward measurements contributed to a better understanding of herbage utilization by the cows.

The effects of high stocking rates on milk production from dryland and irrigated Mediterranean pastures

2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 100 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Valentine ◽  
P. Lewis ◽  
R. T. Cowan ◽  
J. DeFaveri
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Nitrate Nitrogen ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Weed Invasion ◽  
Milk Solids ◽  
Stocking Rates

An experiment using herds of ~20 cows (farmlets) assessed the effects of high stocking rates on production and profitability of feeding systems based on dryland and irrigated perennial ryegrass-based pastures in a Mediterranean environment in South Australia over 4 years. A target level of milk production of 7000 L/cow.year was set, based on predicted intakes of 2.7 t DM/cow.year as concentrates, pasture intakes from 1.5 to 2.7 t/cow.year and purchased fodder. In years 1 and 2, up to 1.5 t DM/cow.year of purchased fodder was used and in years 3 and 4 the amounts were increased if necessary to enable levels of milk production per cow to be maintained at target levels. Cows in dryland farmlets calved in March to May inclusive and were stocked at 2.5, 2.9, 3.3, 3.6 and 4.1 cows/ha, while those in irrigated farmlets calved in August to October inclusive and were stocked at 4.1, 5.2, 6.3 and 7.4 cows/ha. In the first 2 years, when inputs of purchased fodder were limited, milk production per cow was reduced with higher stocking rates (P < 0.01), but in years 3 and 4 there were no differences. Mean production was 7149 kg/cow.year in years 1 and 2, and 8162 kg/cow.year in years 3 and 4. Production per hectare was very closely related to stocking rate in all years (P < 0.01), increasing from 18 to 34 t milk/ha.year for dryland farmlets (1300 to 2200 kg milk solids/ha) and from 30 to 60 t milk/ha.year for irrigated farmlets (2200 to 4100 kg milk solids/ha). Almost all of these increases were attributed to the increases in grain and purchased fodder inputs associated with the increases in stocking rate. Net pasture accumulation rates and pasture harvest were generally not altered with stocking rate, though as stocking rate increased there was a change to more of the pasture being grazed and less conserved in both dryland and irrigated farmlets. Total pasture harvest averaged ~8 and 14 t DM/ha.year for dryland and irrigated pastures, respectively. An exception was at the highest stocking rate under irrigation, where pugging during winter was associated with a 14% reduction in annual pasture growth. There were several indications that these high stocking rates may not be sustainable without substantial changes in management practice. There were large and positive nutrient balances and associated increases in soil mineral content (P < 0.01), especially for phosphorus and nitrate nitrogen, with both stocking rate and succeeding years. Levels under irrigation were considerably higher (up to 90 and 240 mg/kg of soil for nitrate nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively) than under dryland pastures (60 and 140 mg/kg, respectively). Soil organic carbon levels did not change with stocking rate, indicating a high level of utilisation of forage grown. Weed ingress was also high (to 22% DM) in all treatments and especially in heavily stocked irrigated pastures during winter. It was concluded the higher stocking rates used exceeded those that are feasible for Mediterranean pastures in this environment and upper levels of stocking are suggested to be 2.5 cows/ha for dryland pastures and 5.2 cows/ha for irrigated pastures. To sustain these suggested stocking rates will require further development of management practices to avoid large increases in soil minerals and weed invasion of pastures.

The intake and production of lactating Merino ewes and their lambs grazed at different stocking rates

1977 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 133 ◽  
Author(s):  
JP Langlands
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Milk Consumption ◽  
Total Organic Matter ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
Maintenance Requirement ◽  
Stocking Rates

Grass and milk consumption and liveweight changes of lambs grazed at stocking rates ranging from 9 to 35 sheep/ha were measured during a 105 day lactation. Grass consumption and wool production of their mothers and of similar ewes without lambs were also determined. The forage and total organic matter intakes of the lamb increased with time while milk consumption declined; all three variables were negatively correlated with stocking rate. The intake of the ewe and its liveweight gain were not sensitive to increasing stocking rate, but wool production declined at higher stocking rates. The maintenance requirement of the ewes was estimated to be 218 kJ metabolizable energy/kg liveweight, and the efficiency with which metabolizable energy was utilized for milk production was 66%. Lactation increased the intake of the ewe but reduced its wool production.

The effects of days-open on milk yield and on breeding policy post partum

1979 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Bar-Anan ◽  
M. Soller
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Total Yield ◽  
Annual Production ◽  
Initial Yield ◽  
Days Open

ABSTRACTThe effects of days-open on milk yields in current lactations and in following lactations were estimated from 71 911 current and 68 693 following lactation records. Yields were expressed as 305-day, total and annual records, where annual record = 365 × (total yield/days between calvings).The data were grouped according to current days-open, corrected for initial yield differences and analysed separately for heifers and cows in Moshav (moderate-yielding) and Kibbutz (high-yielding) herds. Current 305-day records increased by 15 to 18 kg milk/day-open up to 90 days-open, and 2 to 3 kg/day-open thereafter. In contrast, the effects of increasing days-open on annual yields were generally small and negative, being positive only for heifers up to 90 days-open. Thus 305-day records heavily under-rated annual yields of fertile cows. For current lactations, 70 to 100 days-open for heifers and 30 to 50 days-open for cows resulted in the highest annual production. Yields in following lactations were positively associated with days-open in the previous lactation. The effect was highest in high-yielding herds, suggesting that high-yielding cows respond positively to some rest between calvings.Combining the effects of days-open on current and following lactation yields and on the calf crop: in high-yielding herds heifers had the highest productivity when mated not earlier than 70 days post partum, while in moderately-yielding herds days-open did not affect productivity. Cows in high-yielding herds achieved highest productivity at 41 to 90 days-open, while cows in moderately-yielding herds were most productive when mated as early as possible.A comparison of the economic value of sire fertility and sire transmitting ability for milk production showed that fertility may often be over-rated.

scholarly journals Milk yield and composition, feed intake and stocking rate of crossbread cows in tropical grasses managed in a rotational grazing system

2010 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 1548-1557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Massaru Fukumoto ◽  
Julio Cesar Damasceno ◽  
Fermino Deresz ◽  
Carlos Eugênio Martins ◽  
Antônio Carlos Cóser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
The Body ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Panicum Maximum ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Rotational Grazing ◽  
Grazing System

The objective of this study was to evaluate milk yield and composition, dry matter intake, and stocking rate in pastures with tanzania grass (Panicum maximum cv. Tanzânia), star grass (Cynodon nlemfuensis cv. Estrela-Africana), and marandu grass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu). The grasses were managed in a rotational grazing system with Holstein x Zebu crossbreed cows, with a 30-day resting period and three days of paddock occupation. The pastures were fertilized with 1,000 kg/ha/year using the 20:05:20 (NPK) formula, split in three applications during the rainy season. It was used a complete random block experimental design with three factors being studied and two replications. In the experiment, four cows/paddock were used and, when it was necessary, regulator animals were added in order to obtain a supply of 7% body weight green forage dry matter. The animals were individually fed concentrate at 2 kg/day during the experimental period. Milk yield did not differ among the three grasses, with values of 9.1; 9.1; and 8.7 kg/cow/day for pastures with tanzania grass, star grass and marandu grass, respectively. Similarly, grass did not affect milk chemical composition. Stocking rate was similar among the three grasses, with values of 4.6; 4.5 and 5.0 UA/ha for tanzania grass, star grass and marandu grass, respectively. The highest dry matter intake was observed for tanzania grass with 2.6% of the body weight while stargrass (2.3%) and marandu grass (2.4%) did not differ among each other. The highest dry matter intake on tanzania grass pasture was not reflected on milk yield per animal. Milk yield and composition and stocking rate are similar among the evaluated grasses.

Milk production from cows grazing on tropical grass pastures. 1. Effects of stocking rate and level of nitrogen fertilizer on the pasture and diet

1985 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 505 ◽  
Author(s):  
TM Davison ◽  
RT Cowan ◽  
RK Shepherd ◽  
P Martin
Keyword(s):  
Protein Content ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizer ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Crude Protein Content ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Applied Nitrogen

A 3-year experiment was conducted at Kairi Research Station on the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, to determine the effects of stocking rate and applied nitrogen fertilizer on the pasture yield and composition, diet selection by cows, and soil fertility of Gatton panic (Panicum maximum cv. Gatton) pastures. Thirty-two Friesian cows were used in a 4x2 factorial design: four stocking rates (2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 cows/ha), each at two rates of fertilizer application 200 and 400 kg N/ha.year. The higher rate of fertilization increased the pasture green dry matter on offer at all samplings (P < 0.01); the increase ranged from 1 106 kg/ha in summer to 548 kg/ha in spring. Green dry matter decreased ( P< 0.0 1) with increasing stocking rate, with mean yields of 3736 and 2384 kg/ha at 2.0 and 3.5 cows/ha, respectively. Weed yields increased over the 3 years at the higher stocking rates for pastures receiving 200 kg N/ha.year. The crude protein content of leaf and stem increased with increasing stocking rate and amount of applied nitrogen fertilizer. Values ranged from 12.1 to 26.5% of dry matter (DM) in leaf and from 3.7 to 13.8% DM in stem. In leaf, sodium concentration (range 0.05-0.20% DM) was increased, while phosphorus concentration (range 0.21-0.44% DM) was decreased by the higher rate of fertilizer application. Plant sodium and phosphorus levels were inadequate for high levels of milk production. Dietary leaf content and crude protein contents were consistently increased by both a reduced stocking rate, and the higher rate of fertilization. Cows were able to select for leaf and at the lowest stocking rate, leaf in the diet averaged 38%; while the leaf content of the pasture was 20%. Dietary leaf content ranged from 38 to 57% in summer and from 11 to 36% in winter. Dietary crude protein ranged from 13 to 15% in summer and from 7 to 11% in winter and was positively correlated with pasture crude protein content and dietary leaf percentage. Soil pH decreased (P<0.05) from an overall mean of 6.3 in 1976 to 6.1 at 200 N and 5.8 at 400 N in 1979. Soil phosphorus status remained stable, while calcium and magnesium levels were lower (P<0.01) after 3 years.

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