Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2xdlg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-19T18:00:03.108Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Using post-grazing sward height to impose dietary restrictions of varying duration in early lactation: its effects on spring-calving dairy cow production

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 December 2014

M. Crosse
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
M. O’Donovan
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
T. M. Boland
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
L. Delaby
Affiliation:
INRA, AgroCampus Ouest, UMR 1348, Physiologie, Environnement et Génétique pour l’Animal et les Systèmes d’Elevage, F-35590 Saint-Gilles, France
E. Ganche
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
E. Kennedy*
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
Get access

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the immediate and carryover effects of imposing two post-grazing sward heights (PGSH) for varying duration during early lactation on sward characteristics and dairy cow production. The experiment was a randomised block design with a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments. A total of 80 spring-calving (mean calving date – 6 February) dairy cows were randomly assigned, pre-calving, to one of the two (n=40) PGSH treatments – S (2.7 cm) and M (3.5 cm) – from 13 February to 18 March, 2012 (P1). For the subsequent 5-week period (P2: 19 March to 22 April, 2012), half the animals from each P1 treatment remained on their treatment, whereas the other half of the animals switched to the opposing treatment. Following P2, all cows were managed similarly for the remainder of the lactation (P3: 23 April to 4 November, 2012) to measure the carryover effect. Milk production, BW and body condition score were measured weekly, and grass dry matter intake (GDMI) was measured on four occasions – approximately weeks 5, 10, 15 and 20 of lactation. Sward utilisation (above 2.7 cm; P1 and P2) was significantly improved by reducing the PGSH from 3.5 (0.83) to 2.7 cm (0.96). There was no effect of PGSH on cumulative annual grass dry matter (DM) production (15.3 t DM/ha). Grazing to 2.7 cm reduced GDMI by 1.7 and 0.8 kg DM/cow in P1 and P2, respectively, when compared with 3.5 cm (13.3 and 14.0 kg/cow per day, respectively). Cows grazing to 2.7 cm for both P1 and P2 (SS) tended to have reduced cumulative 10-week milk yield (−105 kg) and milk solids yield (−9 kg) when compared with cows grazing to 3.5 cm for both periods (MM; 1608 and 128 kg/cow, respectively). Treatments that alternated PGSH at the end of P1, SM and MS had intermediate results. There was no interaction between P1 and P2 treatments. There was also no carryover effect of early lactation grazing regime on milk and milk solids production in P3, given the reduction in early lactation milk yield. The results indicate that the diet of dairy cows should not be restricted by imposing a severe PGSH for all of the first 10 weeks of lactation, cows should graze to 3.5 cm for at least 5 of these weeks.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

AOAC 1995. Official methods of analysis. Volume I, 16th edition, AOAC International, Arlington, VA, USA.Google Scholar
Beaumont, R, Dulphy, JP, Sauvant, D, Meschy, F, Aufrere, J and Peyraud, JL 2007. Valeur alimentaire des fourrages et des matieres premieres: tables et prévision Alimentation des Bovins, Ovins et CaprinsQUAE Editions. Institut National de Recherche Agronomique, Versailles, France, pp. 49180.Google Scholar
Berry, DP, Buckley, F, Dillon, P, Evans, RD, Rath, M and Veerkamp, RF 2003. Genetic relationships among body condition score, body weight, milk yield, and fertility in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 21932204.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burke, CR and Roche, JR 2007. Effects of pasture feeding during the periparturient period on postpartum anovulation in grazed dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 43044312.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burke, C, Williams, Y, Hofmann, L, Kay, J, Phyn, C and Meier, S 2010. Effects of an acute feed restriction at the onset of the seasonal breeding period on reproductive performance and milk production in pasture-grazed dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 93, 11161125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coulon, J and Redmond, B 1991. Variations in milk output and milk protein content in response to the level of energy supply to the dairy cow; a review. Livestock Production Science 29, 3147.Google Scholar
Delaby, L and Peyraud, JL 1998. Effect d’une réduction simultanée de la fertilistion azotée et du chargement sur les performances des vaches laitières et la valorisation du pâturage. Annales Zootechnie 47, 1739.Google Scholar
Delaby, L, Faverdin, P, Michel, G, Disenhaus, C and Peyraud, JL 2009. Effect of different feeding strategies on lactation performance of Holstein and Normande dairy cows. Animal 3, 891905.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dillon, P 1993. The use of n-alkanes as markers to determine intake, botanical composition of available or consumed herbage in studies of digesta kinetics with dairy cows. PhD, National University of Ireland, Dublin.Google Scholar
Dillon, P and Stakelum, G 1989. Herbage and dosed alkanes as a grass management technique for dairy cows. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 8, 104. (Abstract).Google Scholar
Dillon, P, Crosse, S, Stakelum, G and Flynn, F 1995. The effect of calving date and stocking rate on the performance of spring-calving dairy cows. Grass and Forage Science 50, 286299.Google Scholar
Edwards, G, Parsons, A, Penning, P and Newman, J 1995. Relationship between vegetation state and bite dimensions of sheep grazing contrasting plant species and its implications for intake rate and diet selection. Grass and Forage Science 50, 378388.Google Scholar
Faverdin, P, Baratte, C, Delagarde, R and Peyraud, JL 2011. GrazeIn: a model of herbage intake and milk production for grazing dairy cows. 1. Prediction of intake capacity, voluntary intake and milk production during lactation. Grass and Forage Science 66, 2944.Google Scholar
Finneran, E, Crosson, P, O’Kiely, P, Shalloo, L, Forristal, D and Wallace, M 2012. Stochastic simulation of the cost of home-produced feeds for ruminant livestock systems. Journal of Agricultural Science-London 150, 123139.Google Scholar
Friggens, N, Emmans, G, Kyriazakis, I, Oldham, J and Lewis, M 1998. Feed intake relative to stage of lactation for dairy cows consuming total mixed diets with a high or low ratio of concentrate to forage. Journal of Dairy Science 81, 22282239.Google Scholar
Ganche, E, Delaby, L, O’Donovan, M, Boland, TM and Kennedy, E 2013a. Direct and carryover effect of post-grazing sward height on total lactation dairy cow performance. Animal 7, 13901400.Google Scholar
Ganche, E, Delaby, L, O’Donovan, M, Boland, T, Galvin, N and Kennedy, E 2013b. Post-grazing sward height imposed during the first 10-weeks of lactation: influence on early and total lactation dairy cow production and spring and annual sward characteristics. Livestock Science 157, 299311.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grant, SA, Barthram, G and Torvell, L 1981. Components of regrowth in grazed and cut Lolium perenne swards. Grass and Forage Science 36, 155168.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holmes, CW, Hoogendoorn, CJ, Ryan, MP and Chu, ACP 1992. Some effects of herbage composition, as influenced by previous grazing management, on milk production by cows grazing on ryegrass/white clover pastures. 1. Milk production in early spring: effects of different regrowth intervals during the preceding winter period. Grass and Forage Science 47, 309315.Google Scholar
Hurtado-Uria, C, Hennessy, D, Shalloo, L, Schulte, RPO, Delaby, L and O’Connor, D 2013. Evaluation of three grass growth models to predict grass growth in Ireland. The Journal of Agricultural Science 151, 91104.Google Scholar
Ingvartsen, KL and Andersen, JB 2000. Integration of metabolism and intake regulation: a review focusing on periparturient animals. Journal of Dairy Science 83, 15731597.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kennedy, E, O’Donovan, M, Delaby, L and O’Mara, FP 2008. Effect of herbage allowance and concentrate supplementation on dry matter intake, milk production and energy balance of early lactating dairy cows. Livestock Science 117, 275286.Google Scholar
Kennedy, E, McEvoy, M, Murphy, JP and O’Donovan, M 2009. Effect of restricted access time to pasture on dairy cow milk production, grazing behavior, and dry matter intake. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 168176.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kennedy, E, O’Donovan, M, Murphy, JP, Delaby, L and O’Mara, F 2005. Effects of grass pasture and concentrate‐based feeding systems for spring‐calving dairy cows in early spring on performance during lactation. Grass and Forage Science 60, 310318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kennedy, E, O’Donovan, M, O’Mara, FP, Murphy, JP and Delaby, L 2007. The effect of early-lactation feeding strategy on the lactation performance of spring-calving dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 30603070.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kertz, AF, Teutzel, LF and Thomson, GM 1991. Dry matter intake from parturition to midlactation. Journal of Dairy Science 74, 22902295.Google Scholar
Lee, J, Donaghy, D and Roche, J 2008. Effect of defoliation severity on regrowth and nutritive value of perennial ryegrass dominant swards. Agronomy Journal 100, 308314.Google Scholar
Lewis, E, O’Donovan, M, Kennedy, E, O’Neill, B and Shalloo, L 2011. Feeding the dairy cow in spring: supplementation requirements and responses. Proceedings of Teagasc National Dairy Conference ‘The Irish Dairy Industry: To 2015 and Beyond’. Cork, Ireland, pp. 71–81.Google Scholar
Lowman, BG, Scott, NA and Somerville, SH 1976. Condition scoring of cattle. Bulletin no. 6. East of Scotland College of Agriculture, Edinburgh, UK.Google Scholar
MacDonald, KA, Penno, JW, Lancaster, JAS and Roche, JR 2008. Effect of stocking rate on pasture production, milk production, and reproduction of dairy cows in pasture-based systems. Journal of Dairy Science 91, 21512163.Google Scholar
Maher, J, Stakelum, G and Rath, M 2003. Effect of daily herbage allowance on the performance of spring-calving dairy cows. Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research 42, 229241.Google Scholar
McCarthy, S, Berry, DP, Dillon, P, Rath, M and Horan, B 2007. Influence of strain of holstein-friesian and feed system on bodyweight and body condition score lactation profiles. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 18591869.Google Scholar
McCarthy, B, Delaby, L, Pierce, K, Journot, F and Horan, B 2010. Meta-analysis of the impact of stocking rate on the productivity of pasture-based milk production systems. Animal 5, 784794.Google Scholar
McCarthy, B, Pierce, K, Delaby, L, Brennan, A, Fleming, C and Horan, B 2012. The effect of stocking rate and calving date on grass production, utilization and nutritive value of the sward during the grazing season. Grass and Forage Science 68, 367377.Google Scholar
McEvoy, M, Kennedy, E, Murphy, JP, Boland, TM, Delaby, L and O’Donovan, M 2008. The effect of herbage allowance and concentrate supplementation on milk production performance and dry matter intake of spring-calving dairy cows in early lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 91, 12581269.Google Scholar
Morgan, DJ, Stakelum, G and Dwyer, J 1989. Modified neutral detergent cellulase digestibility procedure for use with the ‘fibretec’ system. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 28, 9192.Google Scholar
O’Donovan, M and Delaby, L 2005. A comparison of perennial ryegrass cultivars differing in heading date and grass ploidy with spring calving dairy cows grazed at two different stocking rates. Animal Research 54, 337350.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O’Donovan, M, Lewis, E and O’Kiely, P 2011. Requirements of future grass-based ruminant production systems in Ireland. Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research 50, 121.Google Scholar
Pérez-Prieto, LA, Peyraud, JL and Delagarde, R 2012. Pasture intake, milk production and grazing behaviour of dairy cows grazing low-mass pastures at three daily allowances in winter. Livestock Science 137, 151160.Google Scholar
Phillips, CJ and Leaver, J 1985. Supplementary feeding of forage to grazing dairy cows. Grass and Forage Science 40, 183192.Google Scholar
Roche, JR 2007. Milk production responses to pre-and postcalving dry matter intake in grazing dairy cows. Livestock Science 110, 1224.Google Scholar
Roche, JR, Berry, DP and Kolver, ES 2006. Holstein-Friesian strain and feed effects on milk production, body weight, and body condition score profiles in grazing dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 35323543.Google Scholar
Tuñon, G 2013. Improving the use of perennial ryegrass swards for dairying in Ireland. PhD, Massey University, New Zealand, 228pp.Google Scholar
Vetharaniam, I, Davis, SR, Upsdell, M, Kolver, ES and Pleasants, AB 2003. Modelling the effect of energy status on mammary gland growth and lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 31483156.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wales, W, Doyle, P and Dellow, D 1998. Dry matter intake and nutrient selection by lactating cows grazing irrigated pastures at different pasture allowances in summer and autumn. Animal Production Science 38, 451460.Google Scholar