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Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research
Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, INIA
ISSN: 0718-5820 EISSN: 0718-5820
Vol. 76, No. 1, 2016, pp. 34-39
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Bioline Code: cj16005
Full paper language: English
Document type: Research Article
Document available free of charge
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Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. 76, No. 1, 2016, pp. 34-39
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Milk production, grazing behavior and nutritional status of dairy cows grazing two herbage allowances during winter
Ruiz-Albarran, Miguel; Balocchi, Oscar; Wittwer, Fernando & Pulido, Rubén
Abstract
Winter grazing provides a useful means for increasing
the proportion of grazed herbage in the annual diet of
dairy cows. This season is characterized by low herbage
growth rate, low herbage allowance, and low herbage
intake and hence greater needs for supplements to supply
the requirements of lactating dairy cows. The aim of this
study was to determine the influence of herbage allowance
(HA) offered to autumn calving dairy cows grazing winter
herbage on milk production, nutritional status, and grazing
behavior. The study took 63 d using 32 multiparous
Holstein-Friesian dairy cows. Prior to experimental
treatment, milk production averaged 20.2 ± 1.7 kg d-1, body
weight was 503 ± 19 kg, and days in milking were 103 ±
6. Experimental animals were randomly assigned to two
treatments according to HA offered above ground level:
low (17 kg DM cow-1 d-1) vs. high HA (25 kg DM cow-1 d-1).
All cows were supplemented with grass silage supplying
daily 6.25 and 4.6 kg DM of concentrate (concentrate
commercial plus high corn moisture). Decreasing HA
influenced positively milk production (+25%), milk protein
(+20 kg), and milk fat (+17 kg) per hectare; however no
effects on milk production per cow or energy metabolic
status were observed in the cows. In conclusion, a low HA
showed to be the most significant influencing factor on
milk and milk solids production per hectare in dairy cows
grazing restricted winter and supplemented with grass
silage and concentrate; but no effect on the milk production
per cow was found.
Keywords
Dairy; grazing behaviour; nutritional status; winter grazing
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