Advances in dairy Research
Open Access
ISSN: 2329-888X
ISSN: 2329-888X
E.A. Comeron
New Zealand
Research Article
Effects of Herbage Allowance on Dry Matter Intake, Efficiency of Grazing,Milk Yield and Grazing Behaviour of Crossbred Holstein-Jersey Dairy Cows Grazing Alfalfa Pastures
Author(s): J. Baudracco, E.A. Comeron, N. Lopez-Villalobos, L.A. Romero, D. Scandolo, M. Maciel, T.N. Barry and C.W. HolmesJ. Baudracco, E.A. Comeron, N. Lopez-Villalobos, L.A. Romero, D. Scandolo, M. Maciel, T.N. Barry and C.W. Holmes
The objectives of this study were to research the effects of herbage allowance (HA) on dry matter (DM) intake, milk yield, grazing efficiency and grazing behaviour of dairy cows grazing alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) pastures, and to compare the estimates of herbage DM intake using either an external intake marker developed from a purified enriched lignin (LIPE®) or the animal performance method, the latter based on calculations of energy requirements.
Twenty six spring calving crossbred Holstein-Jersey dairy cows (84 days in milk) were balanced and assigned to either the low HA (Lo-HA; 10.0 kg DM/cow/day) or the high HA treatment (Hi-HA; 14.5 kg DM/cow/day). Cows were offered alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) pastures at grazing, Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) silage (3.7 kg DM/cow/day) and concentrates (5.6 kg DM/cow/day). Herbage DM intake was estimated using the sward cutting me.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2329-888X.1000109