Effects of pasture type and grazing management in autumn on the performance of dairy cows in late lactation and on subsequent pasture productivity

1984 ◽  
Vol 24 (126) ◽  
pp. 312 ◽  
Author(s):  
KR King ◽  
CR Stockdale
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Daily Growth ◽  
Feeding Experiments ◽  
Herbage Quality ◽  
Grazing Dairy Cows

An experiment at Kyabram, Victoria, studied the effects of pasture allowance on the production of grazing dairy cows in late lactation (autumn). Cows strip-grazed paspalum dominant or ryegrass-white clover perennial pastures for 60 d from March to May. Mean pasture allowances were 23.2, 13.3 or 6.9 kg digestible dry matter/cow.d. Reduced pasture allowance during late lactation reduced milk yield and body condition. This occurred because pasture intake was positively related to pasture allowance. Each additional kilogram of dry matter (DM) eaten produced 0.93 kg milk and 0.045 kg milk fat. Cows grazing ryegrass-white . clover pastures produced more milk and milk products at equivalent DM intakes than did cows grazing paspalum dominant pastures, and they were in better condition. This was due to herbage quality: cows grazing ryegrass-white clover pastures were able to select higher quality diets than could those grazing paspalum dominant pastures. When the results were compared with those from two previous stall-feeding experiments, the marginal efficiencies for milk production in all experiments were not significantly different; an extra 1.19 kg fat corrected milk was produced for each additional kilogram of digestible dry matter of pasture eaten. . The pastures were not grazed from May to September but their growth and quality were measured during this period. The amount of pasture left at drying off influenced the growth and quality of the pastures throughout winter: daily growth declined by 3.31 kg DM/ha between May and July, and by 6 56 kg DM/ha between July and September, as herbage yield at drying off (May) increased by each additional tonne of DM per hectare. Also, the ryegrass-white clover pastures grew more herbage at equivalent DM yields than did the paspalum dominant pastures. The implications of these results for grazing management are discussed.

Substitution and production responses when lactating dairy cows graze a white clover pasture supplemented with maize silage

1996 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 771 ◽  
Author(s):  
CR Stockdale
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Rumen Fluid ◽  
Ammonia Nitrogen ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows ◽  
Clover Pasture ◽  
Friesian Cows

Friesian cows (16) in late lactation grazed pure white clover (Trifolium repens cv. Haifa) swards for 32 days in autumn and were supplemented with maize (Zea mays) silage. Four groups of 4 cows were offered either 19 or 39 kg dry matter (DM)/cow.day of white clover with either 0 or 4.4 kg DM/cow.day of maize silage. All cows were individually fed maize silage and grazed the pasture as individual groups according to treatment. When maize silage was fed, total intake increased, this occurring to a greater degree at the low pasture allowance. The level of substitution of silage for pasture was 0.14 and 0.40 kg DM reduction in pasture intake per kg DM of maize silage eaten at the low and high allowances, respectively. At the low pasture allowance, milk yields were 10.1 and 13.7 kg/cow. day when 0 and 4.4 kg DM/cow.day of maize silage were fed, respectively, and were 15.5 and 15.9 kg/cow.day at the high pasture allowance. Liveweight and body condition increased as plane of nutrition increased but there were no effects of feeding on milk fat or protein contents. Feeding maize silage had little effect on any rumen or faecal variable although there was generally less ammonia nitrogen in rumen fluid when cows were supplemented with maize silage.

Effects of season and time since defoliation on the nutritive characteristics of three irrigated perennial pasture species in northern Victoria 2. Macro-minerals

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 567 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. R. Stockdale
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Mineral Elements ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Plant Composition ◽  
Paspalum Dilatatum ◽  
High Sodium ◽  
Whole Plant ◽  
Calcium Magnesium ◽  
Grazing Dairy Cows

During 1993–94, the nutritive characteristics of white clover (Trifolium repens cv. Haifa), ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv. Ellet) and paspalum (Paspalum dilatatum) were examined at weekly intervals on 4 occasions. On each occasion, they were initially defoliated with a drum mower and allowed to regrow for up to 9 weeks; dates of the 4 initial harvests were 24 September, 26 November, 28 January and 25 March. The objective of the part of a larger study that is reported here was to examine changes in macro-minerals of the 3 species as they regrew after defoliation, in order to start providing information for informed decisions on the need for supplemental minerals in northern Victorian dairy systems. The ranges in mineral elements recorded in this study were 0.16–0.43% for phosphorus, 1.18–3.41% for potassium, 0.26–1.49% for calcium, 0.20–0.54% for magnesium, 0.05–0.44% for sodium, 0.79–2.02% for chlorine and 0.15–0.37% for sulfur. A major reason for the large ranges was due to variations between the 3 species. White clover was richer in a number of minerals than were the grasses, particularly calcium, potassium and magnesium, although phosphorus was also generally higher. Perennial ryegrass had high sodium concentrations, which were probably related to high watertables, with the associated propensity for salinity problems, that are endemic in irrigated northern Victoria. It is suggested that, on the basis of the pasture on offer, phosphorus is the major mineral that can potentially limit milk production by grazing dairy cows in this environment, although possible deficiencies were also demonstrated for calcium, sodium and sulfur. Where a mineral has its highest concentration in the leaves, lax grazing management or the use of short pastures should result in higher concentrations in the pasture eaten than that on offer. Leaves were not always the richest source of a mineral although this was almost always the case for all minerals in ryegrass leaves. In white clover, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and sulfur were more concentrated in the leaves than in the stem. In paspalum, calcium, magnesium and sulfur were more concentrated in the leaves. White clover stems had higher concentrations of potassium and chlorine than leaves, while with paspalum this applied to sodium and chlorine. It was concluded that the species composition of a pasture will have a large impact on the supply of minerals for grazing dairy cows, although the leaf : stem ratio, as determined by time since the last defoliation, will also have a role in determining whole plant composition.

scholarly journals Birdsfoot trefoil - an alternative legume for New Zealand dairy pastures

1998 ◽  
pp. 99-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.L. Harris ◽  
D.A. Clark ◽  
P.J. Laboyrie
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Protein Concentration ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Lotus Corniculatus ◽  
Birdsfoot Trefoil

Two grazing trials conducted with Friesian cows in mid lactation showed milk yields were higher on birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)-dominant pasture (19.8 and 16.7 l/cow/day) than on white clover-dominant (17.8 and 15.4 l/cow/day) or ryegrass-dominant (13.0 and 11.7 l/cow/day) pastures. Increased milk production on the Lotus and clover was attributed to the higher nutritive value of the legume-based pasture compared with the ryegrass, and to higher dry matter intakes. Cows grazing Lotus also had improved feed conversion efficiency compared with those grazing either ryegrass or clover, indicating that the presence of condensed tannins in the Lotus may have contributed to the improved efficiency. Milk protein concentration was consistently higher on the Lotus (3.36 and 3.35%) than on the ryegrass (3.15 and 3.21%) or clover (3.30 and 3.21%) in both experiments, while milk fat levels were lower in Experiment 1. While Lotus increased milk yield and milk protein concentration, its potential as a forage legume for dairy cows also depends on annual herbage production and the determination of how best to utilise it in a farm system. Keywords: birdsfoot trefoil, dairy cows, dry matter intake, Lotus corniculatus, milk composition, milk yield, perennial ryegrass, white clover

Effect of autumn deferment of grazing on subsequent growth, botanical composition and quality of two types of irrigated pasture

1985 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
CR Stockdale ◽  
KR King
Keyword(s):  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Dairy Herd ◽  
Winter Period ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Subsequent Growth ◽  
Daily Growth ◽  
The Difference ◽  
June July

An experiment was carried out at Kyabram in 1979 to determine the effects of varying the time of pasture closure in autumn on subsequent growth and changes in botanical composition and herbage quality of two types of irrigated perennial pasture, one based on ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and white clover (Trifolium repens) and the other on paspalum (Paspalum dilatatum). There were six dates of closure, ranging from early April to mid-May. Mean daily growth rates (kg dry matter/ha) for ryegrass-white clover-dominant and paspalum dominant pastures were 22.8 and 6.2 in May, 16.7 and 8.9 in June, and 11.0 and 1.6 in July respectively. Variations in pasture growth throughout the late autumn-winter period were associated with date of closure and pasture type. For each additional day by which date of closure was deferred, daily growth of the sward was reduced by 0.7 kg dry matter/ha in May, while it was increased by 0.2 kg dry matter/ha in July. Herbage digestibility was lowest in May and increased throughout the experiment. For each day by which date of closure was deferred, digestibility of the herbage on offer was reduced by 0.51, 0.16 and 0.07 units in May, June and July respectively. In addition, the digestibility of the paspalum pasture was 0.7, 1.8, 2.1 and 1.4 percentage units lower than that of the ryegrass white clover pasture in May, June, July and August respectively; however, this difference was significant only in July. The difference in productivity between the two types of pasture suggested that an advantage could be gained by renovating paspalum dominant pastures rather than saving such pastures from autumn for the dairy herd in spring.

scholarly journals Predicting grass dry matter intake, milk yield and milk fat and protein yield of spring calving grazing dairy cows during the grazing season

animal ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 1379-1389 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.F. O'Neill ◽  
E. Lewis ◽  
M. O'Donovan ◽  
L. Shalloo ◽  
N. Galvin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Protein Yield ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Grazing Season ◽  
Grazing Dairy Cows

Effect of length of cut on quality of stack silage and milk production

1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Savoie ◽  
P. M. Flipot ◽  
D. Tremblay ◽  
R. Thériault ◽  
G. F. Tremblay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
High Moisture ◽  
Moisture Contents ◽  
Silage Quality ◽  
Particle Length

Wilted grass at moisture contents ranging between 62 and 76% was chopped at 6.3, 12.7, 25.4 and 38.1 mm theoretical length of cut (TLC) and conserved in large stack silos during 2 consecutive years (1986, 1987). Average real lengths of cut were 11, 21, 37 and 47 mm for the four TLC, respectively. Dry matter losses in the silos containing forage cut at 12.7 and 25.4 mm TLC (15.6 and 16.2%, respectively) were higher (P = 0.016) than losses in the silos containing forage cut at 6.3 and 38.1 mm TLC (12.1 and 12.9%, respectively). Within the range of TLC used, there was no evidence of improved silage quality to favor shorter chop length in stack silos. In both years, silage of each TLC was mixed with high-moisture barley and protein supplement and fed to a group of 16 dairy cows. There was no consistent effect of TLC on dry matter intake. The shortest length produced slightly more milk which was offset by a slightly lower percentage of milk fat. A TLC of 6.3–38.1 mm is adequate for silage fed to dairy cows producing between 20 and 28 kg of milk per day. Key words: Particle length, stack silos, silage, grass, dairy

Influence of different systems for feeding supplements to grazing dairy cows on milk fatty acid composition

2014 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghazal Akbaridoust ◽  
Tim Plozza ◽  
Victor C Trenerry ◽  
William J Wales ◽  
Martin J Auldist ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Barley Grain ◽  
Milk Fatty Acid ◽  
Fat Yield ◽  
Grazing Dairy Cows ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Corn Grain

This study investigated the effects of different strategies for feeding supplements to grazing dairy cows on the proportions of fatty acids in milk. Two hundred and sixteen cows were fed supplementary grain and forage according to one of 3 different strategies; (1) Control: cows grazed perennial ryegrass pasture (14 kg dry matter/d) supplemented with milled barley grain fed in the milking parlour and pasture silage offered in the paddock; (2) Partial mixed ration 1 (PMR1): same pasture allotment and supplement as Control strategy, but the supplements presented as a mixed ration after each milking in feedpad, and; (3) Partial mixed ration 2 (PMR2): same pasture allotment, supplemented with a mixed ration of milled barley grain, alfalfa hay, corn silage and crushed corn grain fed in a feedpad. Within each strategy, cows were assigned to receive either 6, 8, 10 or 12 kg dry matter supplement/cow per d. Milk fatty acid proportions from cows fed Control and PMR1 strategies were similar and different from those fed PMR2, particularly at 10 to 12 kg dry matter supplement/cow per d. The reduction in milk fat yield and concentration in cows fed high amounts of supplement as Control and PMR1 was coincident with 4 × increase in 10t-18:1 proportion. The composition of the partial mixed ration (PMR) and the amount offered affected milk fatty acid proportions and milk fat content, however, the method of supplementation did not.

Relationships among macro-minerals, other selected serum markers of bone profile and milk components of dairy cows during late-lactation

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryszard Mordak ◽  
Zbigniew Dobrzański ◽  
Robert Kupczyński
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Inorganic Phosphorus ◽  
Serum Markers ◽  
Laboratory Diagnostics ◽  
Lactation Period ◽  
Milk Samples ◽  
Milk Components ◽  
Macro Mineral

AbstractTesting blood and milk parameters as well as analysing the relationships among these markers is very useful for monitoring the internal homeostasis and health in high-yielding dairy cows during various production periods. The aim of the study was to assess the correlations (relationships) among macro-minerals, such as calcium (Ca), inorganic phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), other selected bone profile markers, such as total protein (TP), albumin, activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) measured in serum and selected milk components such as number of somatic cells (SCC), colony-forming units (CFU), milk fat (MF), milk protein (MP), milk lactose (ML), dry matter (DM), non-fat dry matter (FDM) and milk production in late-lactation cows. Both blood and milk samples were collected from 11 clinically healthy milking cows during the late-lactation period. The cows were examined once a day for 3 consecutive days resulting in 33 sets of blood and milk samples for laboratory and statistical analysis. Significant correlations were observed between: Mg and MP, Mg and FDM, ALP and SCC, TP and SCC, TP and MP, TP and FDM, albumin and MP, albumin and FDM, P and Mg, Mg and albumin, and between TP and albumin. When monitoring macro-mineral homeostasis and mammary gland health, especially in intensively fed high-yielding dairy cows correlations between these markers should be considered. The revealed correlations can allow for deeper comparative laboratory diagnostics of homeostasis and can be especially useful for laboratory monitoring of the potential risk of subclinical macro-mineral deficiency in high-yielding dairy cows.

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.

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