Rotational grazing increases purple prairie clover frequency in the rangeland plant communities under semi-arid environment

Purple prairie clover (PPC, Dalea purpurea Vent.) is a grazing tolerant perennial legume with good nutritional quality and is widely distributed across North America. Deferred rotational grazing (DR) and continuous grazing (CG) are the most widespread grazing systems on North American grasslands. We conducted a 10-year grazing study to assess the effects of environmental factors and grazing on the frequency of PPC in plant communities. The results showed that the frequency of PPC decreased and then increased with increasing precipitation under CG (P<0.05), while there was no significant change under DR (P>0.05). Meanwhile, PPC frequency increased with temperature under DR (P<0.05), but did not change under CG (P>0.05). Both grazing systems and the number of grazing years had a significant effect on PPC frequency (P<0.05), and there is no interaction between those two factors (P>0.05). We found that from 2011 to 2020, the growth rate of PPC population is 18.24% and 11.69% per year under DR and CG grazing, respectively. Moreover, after 10 years of grazing, the PPC increase in DR was 22.86% higher than that of CG. Thus, selecting the DR grazing system can increase PPC and is an effective practice for coping with environmental changes.

Economy coefficient and costs of raw milk production depending on the price of animal feed

Food costs are the highest costs in milk production so they need to be minimized. In large dairy farms, the total share of food in the cost structure ranges from 50-60%, while in small farms it is above 60%. By producing one's own voluminous food, the sustainable needs of animals and lower milk production can be met, while higher milk production requires the use of concentrated nutrients produced on one's own farm (corn, cereals). The purchase of ready-mixed feeds should be avoided because it is economically unjustified. Poorer quality and inadequate quantities (more or less than technological needs) in the diet of dairy cows have a direct effect on the amount of milk produced, and thus on income. The production of own fodder and its use greatly reduces the cost of milk because the internal factors of the farm's business determine the success of the business more than the selling price. The cost of food in the total cost of milk production participates from 44.50% in small farms that have a grazing system in the feeding, to 56.71% in Holstein cows in 2021. The share of concentrate in the total cost of feeding is from 55.80% in Holstein cows in 2020 to 71.23% in small farms with a grazing system in the feeding. The costs of production of corn silage in the feeding ratio in 2020. yaer amounted 0.0514 BAM / kg, and in the feeding ratio in 2021. Year 0.0433 BAM / kg. The price of concentrate in the feeding ratio in 2020. Year was 0.55 BAM / kg, and in 2021. Year 0.72 BAM / kg (1 BAM = 0,511 €) (1 BAM = 0, 59 $) The coefficient of economy is from 1.4920 in farms with up to 10 Simmental cows, to 1.8214 in larger Holstein cow farms.

Relative Impact and Analysis of Composition of Goat Milk by Stall-Feeding System and Rearing with Grazing System of Goats

In many regions of the world, goat milk and its milk products have played a major role in economic viability, particularly in developing countries like India. In terms of getting milk products high in minerals and other protein, the importance of free grazing still prevails and is preferred over stall feeding, but both ways are good in general. With the importance of the above in mind, an approach has been taken in the current study to compare the yield of milk from goats using a stall-feeding system and a free grazing system. Our findings show that milk minerals such as Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, and Sodium are higher in stall-feeding goat systems than in free grazing systems because stall-feeding provides a computed ration – Minerals, Common salt, mineral mixture, concentrate feeding, feed additives, and feed supplement. As a result, milk minerals are higher in stall-feeding goat systems than in free grazing goat systems. Lactose levels are higher in stall-feeding systems than in open grazing systems because leguminous feeds like as lucerne and bersim grasses, as well as green forages, are used. Because they graze freely in the environment and consume various types of feeds, fat percentage is higher in the free grazing system of goats than in the stall-feeding system. Since stall-feeding systems provide feed supplement and concentrate feeding, fat soluble vitamins are higher in stall-feeding systems than in free grazing systems, which is why fat-soluble vitamins are higher in stall-feeding systems of goats.

Productivity of pastures of Western Kazakhstan as affected by the method they are used

Деградация земель стала глобальной проблемой в высокоразвитых индустриальных странах и странах с низким уровнем дохода. Решение проблемы деградации пастбищ может привести к снижению бедности населения и повышению уровня связывания углерода на пастбищах. Процесс управления пастбищными ресурсами Западного Казахстана усложняется из-за ухудшения растительного покрова с проявлением процессов деградации и опустынивания в результате бессистемного выпаса скота. В статье представлены результаты изучения организации сезонных пастбищ посредством использования отгонного участка с целью сохранения показателей фитомассы и повышения эффективности использования пастбищ. Исследования проводились в условиях пастбищных угодий крестьянского хозяйства «Мирас» в полупустынной зоне Западного Казахстана. Исследования позволили доказать эффективность сезонной организации пастбищного хозяйства с использованием отгонного участка. В летний период на сезонных пастбищах отмечено увеличение численности и встречаемости ценных пастбищных растений Kochia prostrata, Agropyron desertorum, Festuca valesiaca, Leymus ramosus, Koeleria cristata. На отгонном участке песчаных пастбищ установлены 23 вида растений разных хозяйственно-ботанических групп, благодаря природным условиям песков в фитоценозе встречаемость ценных растений в кормовом отношении высокая. К середине лета на участке сезонного и отгонного пастбища, несмотря на выпадение из состава растительности представителей разнотравья и высыхание злаков, урожайность зелёной фитомассы составила 0,81–1,03 т/га, что больше по сравнению с участком использования бессистемного выпаса на 0,43–0,64 т/га. В этой работе сделан вывод, что для повышения эффективности управления пастбищными ресурсами важно использовать сезонные пастбища с включением в пастбищеоборот отгонного участка, в чём и заключается научная новизна исследований. Land degradation is a serious problem worldwide. Improvement of soil fertility is able to increase a life quality in many countries and carbon sequestration in grassland systems. Management of pasture resources in Western Kazakhstan is getting harder due to the deterioration of plant cover, soil degradation and desertification as a result of unsystematic grazing. This article reports on seasonal pastures used as distant pastures in order to maintain phytomass properties and optimize grazing system. The research was conducted at the farm “Miras” in the semi-desert of Western Kazakhstan. This investigation proved the effectiveness of seasonal distant pastures. In summer valuable plant species such as Kochia prostrata, Agropyron desertorum, Festuca valesiaca, Leymus ramosus, Koeleria cristata often occur on seasonal pastures. 23 plant species of different economic and botanical groups have been observed on sandy soil of distant pastures. Due to the natural growth conditions the occurrence of valuable plants was high in phytocenoses. By the middle of summer, the yield of green mass amounted to 0.81–1.03 t ha-1 at seasonal pastures regardless of the loss of some plant species. This was 0.43–0.64 t ha-1 higher than in the area of unsystematic grazing. To optimize pasture resources’ management seasonal distant areas are of great value.

Climatic and Biological Factors Related with Goat Grazing Management in the Arid Grassland of the Coquimbo Region (Northern Chile)

(1) Background: Desertification is one of the most important environmental impacts around the world. In the semiarid grassland of North of Chile, overgrazing has deep effects on arid lands and consequently on its economy and social development. It is necessary to conduct very detailed studies to determine how the climate, the botanical composition and the grazing system affects this process; (2) Methods: In this paper, we have determined the effect on arid grasslands of three goat managements: exclusions, continuous and deferred grazing on forage biomass, richness, Berger–Parker’s dominance and Shannon’s diversity. This study was developed in Las Cardas Range Station (CEALC) of the University of Chile in the Coquimbo region. The effect of annual and seasonal rainfall on biomass, diversity, richness and dominance parameters was determined; (3) Results: Allochthonous, endemic and native species showed significant changes both for seasonal and annual precipitation. In contrast, the grazing system only affected dominance and biomass of native and endemic species. Deferred grazing was the only management system that increased overall biomass productivity, especially on the best forage plant species. Exclusions showed a positive influence on more endangered species, which were the most vulnerable to goat overgrazing; (4) Conclusions: In consequence, we proposed a network of areas under deferred grazing combined with exclusions. This strategy can increase simultaneously forage productivity, grassland conservation and preservation of associated resources as hunting and wildlife tourism. Moreover, this strategy of range management will allow the sustainability of community of farmers in one of the poorest and most desertified areas in South America.

283 Precision versus Group Supplementation at Two Levels on Growth and Development of Replacement Heifers

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate use of the Super SmartFeeder (SSF; C-Lock, Inc.) for individual versus group supplementation of heifers grazing stockpiled, novel tall fescue. In experiment 1, Angus heifers (n = 64; 267 + 31.7 kg) had access to the SSF and were allowed 3.6 kg/d of grower supplement. Individual intake was recorded daily and analyzed to determine adoption. Twenty-four percent of the heifers did not adopt to individual SSF supplementation (P &lt; 0.05). In experiment 2, heifers (n = 64; BW= 275 + 31.3 kg) were allotted, based on adoption to SSF, to supplementation system of group feeding (n = 2 reps/level; GRP) or SSF precision feeding (n =16/level; PRE) at two levels (0.5% or 1% of BW) for 127-d in a 2 x 2 factorial. Data were analyzed using Mixed procedure. The interaction between supplementation level and feeding system tended to be significant (P = 0.10) for overall ADG. Average daily gain was greater for 1% BW than 0.5% BW (0.81 vs. 0.47 kg/d) for PRE but did not differ for GRP (0.69 kg/d). Daily supplement dry matter intake differed (P &lt; 0.05) by supplementation level and total BW gain was greater (P &lt; 0.05) by 24.3 kg for 1% versus 0.5% supplementation level. Ultrasound ribeye area and fat thickness measures were greater (P &lt; 0.05) for 1% BW supplement compared to 0.5% BW at the end of the 127d study. When PRE was analyzed independently, heifer BW differed (P &lt; 0.05) on d 91, 117 and 127 between supplement levels. The correlation between individual heifer daily supplement intake and overall ADG for PRE was 0.68 (P &lt; 0.0001). The use of technology to precisely control intake in a grazing system created greater divergence in growth by supplementation level compared to group feeding systems.

PSIII-7 Seasonal effects on nutritional value of Oklahoma prairie grass when grazed in extensive or intensive systems

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of sampling month and grazing system on tallgrass prairie forage nutritive value. Native tallgrass prairie pastures (n = 6) were assigned to either an extensive (EXT) or intensive (INT) grazing system for 5 consecutive years. Extensive system pasture annual stocking rate was 6.1 hectares per cow-calf pair with cows remaining in their respective pastures year-round. Intensive system pasture annual stocking rate was 3.0 hectares per cow-calf pair with cows present in the pastures 160 days per year [mid-May through mid-July (58 ± 6 d) and mid-September through mid-December (102 ± 4 d)]. Forage samples were collected monthly from two to four locations within each pasture. Samples were dried, separated into subsamples of leaf material and whole plant matter, ground, and analyzed using near-infrared spectroscopy. Data were analyzed using a mixed model (SAS 9.4) with grazing system, month, sample type (leaf or whole), and all two-way interactions as fixed effects and year as a random effect. Forage crude protein (CP) was not different between leaf or whole plant samples (P = 0.97) and increased (P &lt; 0.001) in May (10.8% CP), declined in the fall, and stayed low (2 – 4% CP) in both systems. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was greater during May to July (P = 0.040) in the EXT than the INT pastures. Acid detergent fiber (ADF) differed by month (P &lt; 0.001) and was lowest between April and May. In vitro true dry matter digestibility (IVTDMD) was greater in INT (63.7%) than EXT (62.3%) pastures regardless of month (P &lt; 0.001), and both systems were greater during May through August (65 – 75%; P &lt; 0.001) than the winter months (56 – 60%). These data indicate that protein supplementation is likely required outside of May and June, especially for lactating cows.

PSI-19 Influence of cattle breed and forage type on organic dairy heifer performance

Many breeds of dairy cattle exist, but questions remain about their relative performance within exclusively forage-based systems in the United States. This paucity of data is especially apparent in relation to heifer development, which is the second largest expense on most dairy farms. We evaluated the performance of prepubertal heifers from four different genetic backgrounds (“breeds”) within a rotational grazing system in the Intermountain West. For each of two 105-day grazing seasons, 24 dairy heifers from each of four different breeds [Holstein (HO), Jersey (JE), Holstein/Jersey crossbred (HJ), and Swedish Red/Holstein/Montbeliarde crossbred (SHM)] were randomly assigned to one of two pasture treatments that consisted of either grass only (MONO) or grass interseeded with the legume birdsfoot trefoil (BFT; MIX). Main effects of treatment and breed (and potential interactions) on heifer average daily gain (ADG), change in percent mature body weight (CPMBW), fecal egg count (FEC), rumen volatile fatty acids (VFA), and body condition scores (BCS) were evaluated. There was a significant effect of pasture treatment on ADG, with MIX heifers averaging 0.48 kg of gain/day, whereas MONO heifers averaged 0.29 kg/day (P &lt; 0.0001). Change in BCS was significantly affected by treatment (P = 0.0012) and breed (P &lt; 0.0001). Significant effects of treatment (P &lt; 0.0001), breed (P = 0.0005), and treatment*breed (P = 0.0005) on CPMBW were also found. Treatment and breed had no effect on FEC or total rumen VFA content (P &gt; 0.05). Overall, we found that Jerseys were able to gain a higher percentage of their mature body weight and lose less body condition while on pasture than heifers of other breeds. We also found that grazing BFT can have significant positive effects on ADG, BCS, and CPMBW. Further research is needed to more thoroughly evaluate the influence of heifer genetics (breed) on metrics of growth, health, reproductive performance, and production in pasture settings.

PSX-B-17 Appeasing substance application at weaning enhanced growth and temperament of bos indicus-influenced weaned calves in grazing system

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a synthetic analogue of the bovine appeasing pheromone (i.e. bovine appeasing substance; BAS) on growth and temperament of weaned calves grazing Capim-Marandú (Urochloa brizantha cv Marandú). At weaning (d 0), 86 calves (47 steers and 39 heifers; Aberdeen Angus ′ Nelore; 8 ± 1 mo) were stratified by body weight (197.9 ± 24.9 kg) and randomly assigned to receive a single dose of BAS (n = 43; SecureCattle; Nutricorp, Araras, SP, Brazil) or saline (CON; n = 43; saline 0.9% NaCl). Treatments (5 ml) were topically applied to the nuchal skin area of each animal on d0. Body weight was collected on d 0, 8, 15, 51 and 100. Chute score (1 to 5; 1 = calm, no movement; 5 = violent and continuous struggling) and chute entrance and exit scores (1 to 3; 1 = slow; 3 = fast) were collected on d 3, 8, 15, 51 and 100. Scores were averaged across 3 trained technicians. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Calves assigned to BAS treatment had greater (P &lt; 0.01) average daily gain (ADG) from d 8 to 15 (0.158 and -0.284 kg/d ± 0.07). Calves assigned to BAS treatment tended (P = 0.10) to have lower chute entrance score on d 8 and 51 and had lower (P = 0.02) chute exit score on d 8 than calves assigned to CON treatment. Additionally, calves assigned to BAS treatment tended (P = 0.07) to have lower chute score on d 8 when compared to calves assigned to CON treatment. The application of BAS at weaning improved calf ADG and improved calf temperament as observed by chute score and chute entrance and exit scores, suggesting that BAS application has calming effects.