Grazing season length and stocking rate affect milk production and supplementary feed requirements of spring-calving dairy cows on marginal soils

被引:2
|
作者
Cahill, L. [1 ,2 ]
Patton, D. [1 ]
Reilly, B. [1 ]
Pierce, K. M. [2 ]
Horan, B. [1 ]
机构
[1] Anim & Grassland Res & Innovat Ctr, Teagasc Moorepark, Cork P61 P302, Ireland
[2] UCD, Sch Agr Food Sci & Vet Med, Dublin, Ireland
关键词
extended grazing; intensive pasture management; pasture utilization; marginal soils; PASTURE PRODUCTIVITY; MANAGEMENT; DATE; TIME; PERFORMANCE; SYSTEMS; FUTURE;
D O I
10.3168/jds.2021-21244
中图分类号
S8 [畜牧、 动物医学、狩猎、蚕、蜂];
学科分类号
0905 ;
摘要
The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of increasing stocking rate (SR) and extending grazing season (GS) length on pasture and animal productivity on a marginal, poorly draining soil type. The study was a multiyear (2017 to 2020, inclusive) whole farm systems evaluation with a 2 x 2 factorial experimental arrangement of treatments. The systems evaluated comprised 2 GS lengths, average (AGS; 205 d) and extended (EGS; 270 d), and the 2 whole farm stocking rates were medium (2.5 cows/ha) and high (2.9 cows/ha). We used this study design to create 4 grazing system intensities (500, 600, 700, and 800 cow grazing days per hectare per year). In 2017, cows were randomly allocated to 1 of the 4 whole farm systems precalving and remained on the same treatments for the duration of the study. We found no significant dif-ferences in total average annual pasture production [14,133 & PLUSMN; 538 kg of dry matter (DM) per hectare] or sward chemical composition between GS and SR treat-ments over the 4-yr period, with the exception of aver-age crude protein content, which was lower for EGS (211 g/kg DM) compared with AGS (218 g/kg DM). Grazed pasture production was significantly increased in EGS treatments (+758 kg of DM/ha) compared with AGS (9,917 kg of DM/ha), whereas conserved silage DM production was greater for AGS (+716 kg of DM/ ha) compared with EGS (3,583 kg of DM/ha). Neither GS nor SR had a significant effect on daily or cumula-tive lactation milk and fat plus protein production per cow (5,039 and & PLUSMN;440 kg, respectively). Increasing SR resulted in increased milk fat plus protein yield per hectare based on increased grazed pasture utilization. These results add further credence to the important additive contributions of both extended grazing and SR intensification to achieve high levels of grazed pasture utilization and milk production per hectare while re-ducing supplementary feed requirements within spring-calving grazing systems.
引用
收藏
页码:1051 / 1064
页数:14
相关论文
共 38 条
  • [1] The effect of calving date and stocking rate on the performance of spring-calving dairy cows
    Dillon, P
    Crosse, S
    Stakelum, G
    Flynn, F
    GRASS AND FORAGE SCIENCE, 1995, 50 (03) : 286 - 299
  • [2] The effect of grazing season length on nitrogen utilization efficiency and nitrogen balance in spring-calving dairy production systems
    Ryan, W.
    Hennessy, D.
    Boland, T. M.
    Shalloo, L.
    JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE, 2012, 150 : 630 - 643
  • [3] The effect of grazing intensity in late summer/autumn on sward characteristics and milk production of spring-calving dairy cows
    Dillon, P
    Crosse, S
    Roche, JR
    IRISH JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD RESEARCH, 1998, 37 (01) : 1 - 15
  • [4] THE INFLUENCE OF WINTER NUTRITION, GRAZING SYSTEM AND STOCKING RATE ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SPRING-CALVING HEREFORDXFRIESIAN COWS AND THEIR CALVES .2. GRAZING SYSTEM AND STOCKING RATE
    BAKER, RD
    BARKER, JM
    LEDU, YLP
    ANIMAL PRODUCTION, 1982, 34 (APR): : 225 - 237
  • [5] Effect of stocking rate on milk and pasture productivity and supplementary feed use for spring calving pasture fed dairy systems
    Patton, D.
    Pierce, K. M.
    Horan, B.
    JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE, 2016, 99 (07) : 5904 - 5915
  • [6] Effect of stocking rate and calving date on dry matter intake, milk production, body weight, and body condition score in spring-calving, grass-fed dairy cows
    McCarthy, J.
    McCarthy, B.
    Horan, B.
    Pierce, K. M.
    Galvin, N.
    Brennan, A.
    Delaby, L.
    JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE, 2014, 97 (03) : 1693 - 1706
  • [7] EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTATION ON PRODUCTION BY SPRING-CALVING DAIRY-COWS GRAZING SWARDS OF DIFFERING CLOVER CONTENT
    WILKINS, RJ
    GIBB, MJ
    HUCKLE, CA
    CLEMENTS, AJ
    GRASS AND FORAGE SCIENCE, 1994, 49 (04) : 465 - 475
  • [8] Effects of concentrate supplementation and genotype on milk production and nitrogen utilisation efficiency in late-lactation, spring-calving grazing dairy cows
    Doran, M. J.
    Mulligan, F. J.
    Lynch, M. B.
    Fahey, A. G.
    Rajauria, G.
    Brady, E. L.
    Pierce, K. M.
    LIVESTOCK SCIENCE, 2022, 261
  • [9] The effect of milk predicted transmitting ability and concentrate supplementation level on milk production and composition in late-lactation spring-calving grazing dairy cows
    Doran, M. J.
    Lynch, M. B.
    Mulligan, F. J.
    Fahey, A. G.
    Brady, E. L.
    Grace, C.
    Pierce, K. M.
    JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE, 2019, 102 : 404 - 404
  • [10] Effects of Protein Supplementation Strategy and Genotype on Milk Production and Nitrogen Utilisation Efficiency in Late-Lactation, Spring-Calving Grazing Dairy Cows
    Doran, M. J.
    Mulligan, Finbar J.
    Lynch, Mary B.
    Fahey, Alan G.
    Markiewicz-Keszycka, Maria
    Rajauria, Gaurav
    Pierce, Karina M.
    ANIMALS, 2023, 13 (04):