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Effects of stocking density and supplement level on milk production and cheese characteristics in Brown cows grazing on mountain pasture

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2008

Stefano Bovolenta ,
Elena Saccà ,
Mirco Corazzin ,
Flavia Gasperi ,
Franco Biasioli  and
Walter Ventura
Stefano Bovolenta
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Udine, 33010 Pagnacco, Udine, Italy
Elena Saccà
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Udine, 33010 Pagnacco, Udine, Italy
Mirco Corazzin*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Udine, 33010 Pagnacco, Udine, Italy
Flavia Gasperi
Affiliation:
IASMA Research Centre, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy
Franco Biasioli
Affiliation:
IASMA Research Centre, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy
Walter Ventura
Affiliation:
IASMA Research Centre, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy
*
*For correspondence; e-mail: mirco.corazzin@uniud.it
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Abstract

Twenty-eight Brown cows were maintained on a mountain pasture for a period of 40 days and assigned to 4 groups following a factorial design 2 stocking density (0·7 and 1·4 cows/ha)×2 supplement levels (2·4 and 4·8 kg organic matter (OM)/d). Herbage intake, animal body condition score (BCS), milk yield, milk chemical and coagulation properties, cheese composition, rheology and sensory characteristics were measured. The average herbage intake was 12·2 kg OM/d, with a significant effect related to stocking density (low, 13·1 v. high, 11·4 kg OM/d). BCS variation was always negative and changed with supplement level, although with no statistical significance (−0·43 points on average). Milk yield was lower for the group with lower availability of herbage (low supplement and high stocking density: 15·9 kg/d), whereas it was comparable among others groups (16·9 kg/d on average). The group with high supplement and low stocking density produced milk with worse cheese making properties. Cheese composition analyses showed an effect of supplement level on calcium content, and on parameters for degree of ripening, such as nitrogen fractions and lipolysis index. As for the textural parameters, hardness and gumminess were found to be higher with the low level of supplement. The different level of supplementation could differentiate the groups on the basis of the sensory perception of cheese.

Keywords

Dairy cowmountain pasturemilk productionmilk propertiescheese characteristics
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 75 , Issue 3 , August 2008 , pp. 357 - 364
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 2008

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