The effects of stocking rate and nitrogen fertilizer on the productivity of irrigated perennial pasture grazed by dairy cows. 2. Animal production

1980 ◽  
Vol 20 (106) ◽  
pp. 537 ◽  
Author(s):  
KR King ◽  
CR Stockdale
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizer ◽  
Protein Production ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Milk Products ◽  
Maximum Production ◽  
Total Milk ◽  
Stocking Rates

The relation between the stocking rate of dairy cows and their production from irrigated perennial pasture, with and without nitrogen (N) fertilizer, was studied over 2 years at Kyabram, Victoria. Pastures were rotationally grazed at stocking rates ranging from 4.4 to 8.6 cows ha-1. In each year, N treatments were topdressed four times at a rate of 56 kg N ha-1. For every additional cow per ha, production per ha decreased by 260 and 329 kg of milk, 12.3 and 15.5 kg of butterfat, and 10.7 and 14.5 kg of protein for years 1 and 2, respectively. In year one, the highest production of milk and butterfat (17,900 and 847 kg ha-1, respectively) was from cows stocked at 8.6 cows ha-1, and for protein (597 kg ha-1) from 7.6 cows ha-1. In year 2, production per ha of all milk products maximized and then declined. Maximum production of milk and butterfat (14,180 and 675 kg ha-1, respectively) was at 6.6 cows ha-1, and protein (508 kg ha-1) at 5.9 cows ha-1. Increasing stocking rate also reduced the liveweight of cows at all times. Topdressing with N fertilizer had no effect on total milk or butterfat production per cow, but consistently increased protein production. The range in response increased from 2 to 7 kg protein per cow at 4.4 and 8.6 cows ha-1, respectively. Application of N fertilizer increased liveweight per cow, with greater increases occurring at high stocking rates. In year 2, the efficiency of butterfat production over the whole year was 29.9, 29.3 and 37.0 kg of DM (pasture and supplements) per kg of butterfat produced for 4.4, 6.6 and 8.6 cows ha-1, respectively.

The effects of stocking rate and nitrogen fertilizer on the productivity of irrigated perennial pasture grazed by dairy cows. 1. Pasture production, utilization and composition

1980 ◽  
Vol 20 (106) ◽  
pp. 529 ◽  
Author(s):  
CR Stockdale ◽  
KR King
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizer ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Stocking Rates

The effects of stocking rate and nitrogen (N) fertilizer on the productivity of irrigated perennial pasture grazed by dairy cows was studied for 2 years at Kyabram, Victoria. There were ten treatments: five stocking rates ranging from 4.4 to 8.6 cows ha-l at both 0 and 224 kg N ha-1 year-1 . Although weeds did not invade the pasture, increases in stocking rate resulted in reduced daily pasture growth, and this was related to the level of residual pasture after grazing. Annual pasture production in both years declined by 0.394 t DM ha-1 for every additional cow per ha. The levels of the herbage minerals, N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Na were adequate from an animal health point of view at all stocking rates, at least in the short term. The response to N fertilizer declined from 17 to 3 kg DM kg-1 N applied, as stocking rate increased from 4.4 to 8.6 cows ha-1, and it appeared that this response was due mainly to an increase in the growth of the grasses. Apart from the stocking rate responses, which are specific to the Kyabram environment, a number of relations were found, which showed how residual pasture after grazing, pasture allocation and pasture utilization at a single grazing, influenced pasture intake. Providing allowances are made for pasture type and the level to which any particular pasture type can be grazed, these relations could be expected to give a reasonable assessment of pasture intake in other environments.

Grazed pasture parameters. III. Relationships of pasture and animal parameters in, and general discussion of a stocking rate and grazing management experiment with dairy cows

1966 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Management System ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Production Parameters ◽  
Grazed Pasture ◽  
Stocking Rates

1. Pasture parameters have been correlated with animal production parameters from a trial in which two management systems (‘controlled’ and ‘uncontrolled’ grazing), each at two stocking rates (0.95 and 1.19 cows/acre), were compared.2. Per acre butterfat production was positively related to percentage utilization of available D.M., but negatively related to yield of available D.M.3. Per cow butterfat production was significantly and positively correlated with yield of available D.M. in the two months after calving (August and September) and in the penultimate month of lacta-tion (April), but this correlation was not significant in other months.4. It is concluded that management system was as important as stocking rate in increasing the utilization of pasture and animal production from pasture.

The design and interpretation of experiments to study animal production from grazed pasture

1968 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Owen ◽  
W. J. Ridgman
Keyword(s):  
Simple Model ◽  
Unit Area ◽  
Personal Communication ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Grazed Pasture ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Pasture Productivity

SUMMARYExperiments designed to assess differences between treatments in pasture productivity as measured by the production of animals are complicated by the stocking rates chosen. The paper attempts toderive a simple model relating production per animal and production per unit area to stocking rate for meat animals, based on biological considerations.A method is proposed which would allow meaningful grazing experiments to be carried out employing only one stocking rate, thus considerably reducing the expense of this type of experimentation.The model is applied to some recent data obtained by Hodgson (1966) and Appleton (1967, personal communication).

Supplementary feeding of dairy cows on continuously stocked pasture

1984 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. G. Jennings ◽  
W. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Latin Square ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Total Output ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Stocking Rates

SummaryTwo experiments were conducted with milking cows on continuously stocked perennial ryegrass pastures. In each a control group, T0, received 1 kg/day of a concentrate supplement and treatment groups T1 and T2 received 4 kg (Expt 1) or 5 kg/day (Expt 2) of a low quality T1 or a high quality T2 concentrate. In Expt 1 treatments were applied continuously for 14 weeks to a total of 30 cows. In Expt 2 a Latin square design for 9 weeks was conducted with 18 cows. The stocking rate of the pasture declined from 9·6 to 5·1 cows per ha (mean 6·7 cows/ha) from May to August (Expt 1) and was maintained at 3 cows/ha in August-October (Expt 2).Supplements increased total intakes by 0·92 and 0·77 kg organic matter (OM)/kg OM supplied in the concentrates respectively for Expts 1 and 2. Milk yields increased by 0·6 and 0·5 kg/kg concentrate supplied and supplemented cows showed small increases in live weight. Differences in lactation milk yield just approached significance. Grazing times were only slightly reduced by supplements and bite sizes were lower than normal. There was no important difference in animal performance between the two concentrates. The total output from the pasture was 19·6t milk and 115 GJ of utilized metabolizable energy per hectare.Reasons for the high supplementary effect of the concentrates and its implications for stocking rates are discussed.

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.

The inter-relationships of grazing method and stocking rate in the efficiency of pasture utilization by dairy cattle

1963 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. P. McMeekan ◽  
M. J. Walshe
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Vanishing Point ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Rotational Grazing ◽  
Continuous Grazing ◽  
Grazing System ◽  
Stocking Rates

1. A large-scale grazing management study comparing rotational grazing and continuous grazing with dairy cows at two stocking rates over four complete production seasons is described.2. The four treatments were: (i) controlled grazing, light stocking rate; (ii) controlled grazing, heavy stocking rate; (iii) uncontrolled grazing, light stocking rate; (iv) uncontrolled grazing, heavy stocking rate.Each treatment involved 40 cows for a first 2-year phase and 42 cows for the following 2 years. Each herd had a normal age distribution pattern and seven 2-year-old first lactation heifers (17% of total herd) were introduced each year to maintain this pattern.3. Stocking rate was the more important factor affecting the efficiency of pasture utilization as measured by per acre output of milk and butterfat. In general, high stocking was associated with higher outputs per acre despite lower yields per animal.4. Grazing method was of less importance. In general, controlled rotational grazing was superior to uncontrolled continuous grazing, both per animal and per acre, but the average influence even of these extremes of management was only half that of stocking rate.5. Significant interactions between stocking rate and grazing method existed. Under continuous grazing a point was reached where production per acre declined to the vanishing point with increased stocking rate due to excessive depression of per cow yield: this point was not reached under rotational grazing at the same high stocking levels.6. The results suggest that optimum stocking rate under rotational grazing occurs at a level some 5–10% higher than under continuous grazing. A depression of 10–12% in per cow yield, compared with more lenient grazing, corresponds with optimum stocking level irrespective of the grazing system. This estimate is suggested as a guide line in applying the principles involved.

Herbage and animal production from native pastures and pastures oversown with Stylosanthes hamata. 1. Fertiliser and stocking rate effects

1993 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 561 ◽  
Author(s):  
CJ Gardener ◽  
MR McCaskill ◽  
JG McIvor
Keyword(s):  
Animal Production ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Heteropogon Contortus ◽  
Stylosanthes Hamata ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Native Pasture ◽  
Utilisation Rate ◽  
Native Pastures ◽  
Fertiliser Application ◽  
Stocking Rates

Native pastures dominated by Heteropogon contortus (speargrass) were sown to Stylosanthes hanzata cv. Verano in 1972, and herbage production and steer growth rates were compared with those of native pastures from 1973 to 1985. The native pastures also contained naturalised Stylosanthes humilis, but its contribution to pasture yield diminished rapidly, after infection by Colletotrichum gloeospoirioides (anthracnose) in 1973. The experiment was a factorial design of 2 pasture types (native, native plus Verano) x 2 stocking rates (0.6, 1.2 steers/ha) x 2 superphosphate treatments (nil, 300 kg/ha.year) x 2 replicates. Fertiliser application decreased the proportion of legume but had no significant effect on herbage or animal production on this comparatively fertile site (extractable P, 18 mg/kg). Annual liveweight gains at the high and low stocking rates, respectively, on the native pasture averaged 100 and 120 kg/steer. Sowing to Verano did not affect herbage yields but increased annual liveweight gains by 28 and 36 kg/steer at low and high stocking rates. The high stocking rate of 1.2 steers/ha was sustainable for the first 9 years of the experiment, when above-average rainfall was received. However, in the following 3 below-average years, there was a shift to less-desirable species, and a decline in pasture productivity. Relative to the low stocking rate, herbage production on the native pasture in the final season was reduced by 60% and on the Verano pasture by 26%. The highest annual herbage utilisation rate that appeared sustainable in the long term was about 45%, which corresponded to a utilisation rate of 30% during the growing season (about November-May). When oversown with Verano, speargrass tended to decline in favour of annual grasses, weeds, and the introduced grass Urochloa mosanzhicensis, which had been sown on an adjacent experiment. Urochloa appeared to be a more suitable companion species than speargrass for Verano.

An evaluation of cereal stubbles for sheep production

1976 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 881 ◽  
Author(s):  
JG Mulholland ◽  
JB Coombe ◽  
M Freer ◽  
WR McManus
Keyword(s):  
Plant Material ◽  
Green Plant ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Mineral Supplement ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
Sheep Production ◽  
One Year ◽  
Cereal Residues ◽  
Stocking Rates

The production of young crossbred wethers grazing oat, barley and wheat stubbles was measured in each of three years at stocking rates ranging from 15 to 30/ha. In one year, production on 'weedy' stubbles was compared with that of 'clean' (weed-free) stubbles, and also the effect of a wheat–urea–mineral supplement on the production of sheep was measured on oat stubble. Liveweight change and wool production were significantly influenced by the availability of green plant material and by stocking rate, but not by supplementation. The maximum liveweight loss in any year was 7.5 kg and the maximum gain 6.0 kg, both recorded over 11 weeks' grazing. Mean daily clean wool production was 9.9 g/sheep at the lower stocking rate and 6.6 g/sheep at the higher rate, but production per hectare was 10–60% higher at the heavier stocking rate. The ranking of the crop stubbles with respect to animal production was not consistent from year to year. Intense selection for green plant material by sheep resulted in the proportion of green in the diet being nearly always greater than 80%, when the weight of this material on the plots was more than 40 kg dry matter/ha. It appeared that a low intake of nitrogen was not the main limitation to animal production. A maximum of only 36% of the crop residue which disappeared during the experiment could be accounted for as animal intake. Thus it is unlikely that the potential of cereal residues as a source of food for animal production will be realized with grazing sheep.

The utilization of irrigated pastures by dairy cows. I. A comparison of rotational and strip grazing

1959 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Freer
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
Average Weight ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Rotational Grazing ◽  
Grazing Season ◽  
Average Production ◽  
Strip Grazing

1. An experiment was carried out from 1 August 1953 to 31 July 1955 to compare strip grazing with rotational grazing on the basis of the total animal production obtained from dairy cattle on irrigated pasture.2. The same overall stocking rate was used for both treatments. Herbage surplus to grazing requirements at any time was conserved as hay and fed back to the appropriate group of cows at the end of the grazing season.3. The aim was to manage the area under each technique as efficiently as the technique permitted.4. The average production from the rotationally grazed group during the main pasture season of 260 days was 8740 lb. milk per acre (including 354 lb. of butterfatand 766 lb. of solids-not-fat) and from the strip-grazed group 8867 lb. milk per acre (including 358 lb. of butterfat and 766 lb. of solidsnotfat).The average weight of pasture nutrients utilized per annum by the rotationally grazed group was 5887 lb. starch equivalent per acre and by the stripgrazed group 5896 lb. starch equivalent per acre.None of the treatment differences in animal production was significant.5. The differences between the results of this experiment and those obtained by other workers are discussed.

An evaluation of the production potential of six tropical grasses under grazing. 3. Responses to set stocking rates under continuous grazing

1992 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 693 ◽  
Author(s):  
TR Evans ◽  
JB Hacker
Keyword(s):  
Animal Production ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Production Potential ◽  
Species Response ◽  
Highest Weight ◽  
Continuous Grazing ◽  
Average Rainfall ◽  
Kikuyu Grass ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Grazing Pressures

The response of 3 setaria cultivars, the setaria variety splendida, kikuyu grass, and pangola grass to stocking rates of 4-6 steers/ha under continuous grazing was evaluated over a 3-year period. On a year-round basis, averaged over stocking rates, liveweight gain per ha ranged from 822 kg on Narok (164 kg/steer) to 568 kg on Kazungula (114 kg/steer). Narok produced the highest weight gains in summer and winter (142 and 23 kg/steer, respectively). The greatest winter weight loss was from steers grazing Nandi and Kazungula (both -15 kg/steer). Animal production in a year of above-average rainfall, in both summer and winter periods, was markedly reduced overall, even though the quantity of feed on offer was increased. The year x grass interaction was statistically significant in summer, but year x stocking rate and grass x stocking rate were not. Species response to stocking rate showed a linear relationship between stocking rate and liveweight gain per steer, declining with increasing stocking rate, except for Narok setaria where the reverse occurred over the range of 4-6 steers/ha. The results of this experiment support those previously published on these 6 grasses and demonstrate the species potential for good levels of animal production per ha and their ability to withstand high grazing pressures and to maintain weed-free pastures.

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