Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-vsgnj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-20T00:17:47.888Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Simplified rotational grazing management of dairy cows: effects of rates of stocking and concentrate

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

A. Hoden ,
J. L. Peyraud ,
A. Muller ,
L. Delaby ,
P. Faverdin ,
J. R. Peccatte  and
M. Fargetton
A. Hoden
Affiliation:
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Station de Recherches sur la Vache Laitière, 35590 St Gilles, France
J. L. Peyraud
Affiliation:
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Station de Recherches sur la Vache Laitière, 35590 St Gilles, France
A. Muller
Affiliation:
INRA Service d'Expérimentation Animale, Le Pin au Haras, 61310 Exmes, France
L. Delaby
Affiliation:
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Station de Recherches sur la Vache Laitière, 35590 St Gilles, France
P. Faverdin
Affiliation:
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Station de Recherches sur la Vache Laitière, 35590 St Gilles, France
J. R. Peccatte
Affiliation:
INRA Service d'Expérimentation Animale, Le Pin au Haras, 61310 Exmes, France
M. Fargetton
Affiliation:
INRA Service d'Expérimentation Animale, Le Pin au Haras, 61310 Exmes, France
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

An experiment was carried out in Normandy between 1986 and 1988 over c. 6 months in each year, using a simplified rotational grazing technique (two paddocks in spring, four in autumn) with a total of 162 high-yielding cows (mean milk yield of 30·0 kg/day at turn-out). Three stocking rates, designated control (C: 2·3 cows/ha over the total area of the system), moderate (M: 2·6 cows/ha = 115% of C) and high (H: 3·0 cows/ha = 130% of C), were compared at two rates of concentrate supplement, 3·7 kg/cow per day and 0·5 kg/cow per day. Individual milk yield differed by a non-significant 5% between the extreme stocking rates (21·3 v. 20·3 kg fat-corrected milk (FCM) for treatments C and H, respectively). Milk production/ha was 23% greater in the H treatment (9816 v. 7970 kg FCM for H and C, respectively). Concentrate supplementation led, on average, to a 9% milk yield improvement (21·8 v. 20·0 kg FCM for high and low rates, respectively), i.e. a mean efficiency of 0·6 kg FCM/kg supplement. This response tended to be greater in the higher-yielding cows and for the high stocking rate. The sward measurements contributed to a better understanding of herbage utilization by the cows.

Type
Animals
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 116 , Issue 3 , June 1991 , pp. 417 - 428
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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

REFERENCES

Castle, M. E. (1976). A simple disc instrument for estimating herbage yield. Journal of the British Grassland Society 31, 37–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoden, A. & Muller, A. (1989). Simplification des systèmes de pâturage pour vaches laitières. In Proceedings of the XVI International Grassland Congress, pp. 1149–1150. Nice, France: Association Française pour la Production Fourragère.Google Scholar
Hoden, A., Micol, D., Lienard, G., Muller, A. & Peyraud, J. L. (1986 a). Interprétation des essais de pâturage avec des bovins: terminologie, modes de calcul, bilans annuels. Bulletin Technique du CRZV de Theix, INRA 63, 31–42.Google Scholar
Hoden, A., Muller, A., Journet, M. & Faverdin, P. (1986 b). Pâturage pour vaches laitières. 1. Comparaison des systèmes de pâturage rationné et tournant simplifié en zone normande. Bulletin Technique du CRZV de Theix, INRA 64, 25–35.Google Scholar
Hoden, A., Muller, A., Journet, M. & Faverdin, P. (1986 c). Pâturage pour vaches laitières. 2. Simplification des systèmes de pâturage et niveaux de complémentation en zone normande. Bulletin Technique du CRZV de Theix, INRA 66, 5–16.Google Scholar
Hodgson, J. (1985). The significance of sward characteristics in the management of temperate sown pastures. In Proceedings of the XV International Grassland Congress, pp. 63–67. Kyoto, Japan: Japanese Society of Grassland Science.Google Scholar
Holmes, W. (1989 a). Application on the farm. In Grass, its Production and Utilization 2nd edn (Ed. Holmes, W.), pp. 258–271. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications.Google Scholar
Holmes, W. (1989 b). The utilization of pasture. In Ruminant Nutrition: Recommended Allowances and Feed Tables (Ed. Jarrige, R.), pp. 181–192. Paris & London: INRA & John Libbey.Google Scholar
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (1989). Ruminant Nutrition: Recommended Allowances and Feed Tables (Ed. Jarrige, R.). Paris & London: INRA & John Libbey.Google Scholar
Jackson, D. K. (1976). The influence of patterns of defoliation on sward morphology. In Pasture Utilisation by the Grazing Animal. (Eds Hodgson, J. & Jackson, D. K.), pp. 51–60. British Grassland Society Occasional Symposium No. 8.Google Scholar
Journet, M. & Demarquilly, C. (1979). Grazing. In Feeding Strategy for the High Yielding Cow (Eds Broster, W. H.Snan, H.), pp. 295–321. St Albans: Canada Publishing Co.Google Scholar
Leaver, J. D. (1985). Milk production from grazed temperate grassland. Journal of Dairy Research 52, 313–344.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mayne, C. S. & Gordon, F. J. (1984). The effect of the type of concentrate and level of concentrate feeding on milk production. Animal Production 39, 65–76.Google Scholar
Mayne, C. S., Newberry, R. D., Woodcock, S. C. F. & Wilkins, R. J. (1987). Effect of grazing severity on grass utilization and milk production of rotationally grazed dairy cows. Grass and Forage Science 42, 59–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayne, C. S., Newberry, R. D. & Woodcock, S. C. F. (1988). The effect of a flexible grazing management strategy and leader/follower grazing on the milk production of grazing dairy cows and on sward characteristics. Grass and Forage Science 43, 137–150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mott, G. O. (1960). Grazing pressure and the measurement of pasture production. Proceedings of the VIII International Grassland Congress (Ed. Skidmore, C. L.), pp. 606–611. Oxford: Alden Press.Google Scholar
Peyraud, J. L., Comeron, E. A. & Wade, M. H. (1989). Some factors affecting herbage intake of high yielding dairy cows at grazing. In Proceedings of the XVI International Grassland Congress, pp. 1151–1152. Nice, France: Association Francaise pour la Production Fourragère.Google Scholar
Statistical Application Systems (1987). SAS/STAT Guide for Personnal Computer Version, 6th edn.Cary NC: SAS Institute Inc.Google Scholar
Wade, M. H., Peyraud, J. L., Lemaire, G. & Comeron, E. A. (1989). The dynamics of daily area and depth of grazing, herbage intake of cows in a five day paddock system. In Proceedings of the XVI International Grassland Congress, pp. 1111–1112. Nice, France: Association Française pour la Production Fourragère.Google Scholar
Wood, P. D. P. (1976). Algebraic models of the lactation curves for milk, fat and protein production, with estimates of seasonal variation. Animal Production 22, 35–40.Google Scholar