pasture allowance

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Cummins S., Lewis E., Pierce K.M. and Kennedy E.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
Milk quota abolition will increase herd size resulting in greater deficits in spring grass availability. 96 early lactation grazing dairy cows were assigned to one of four pasture allowances (PA; 60, 80, 100 and 120% of intake capacity) for either 2 or 6 weeks. All cows were allocated a 100% PA during the carryover period. Dry matter intake (DMI) was estimated during weeks 2, 6 and 13. During week 2, there was no difference in DMI between the 100 and 120% allowances (13.7 kg DM cow‑1) but their DMI was significantly greater than the 60 and 80% allowances (10.4 and 11.5 kg DM cow‑1, respectively), which were also significantly different to each other. During week 6, there was a significant interaction between PA and duration. Cows assigned to the 2-week treatment had similar DMI (13.9 kg DM cow‑1). The 120×6 treatment (14.6 kg DM cow‑1) was significantly different to the 60×6, 80×6 and 100×6 treatments (10.7, 12.3 and 13.3 kg DM cow‑1, respectively). There was no difference in DMI between the 80×6 and the 100×6 treatments (12.8 kg DM cow‑1), which were both different to the 60×6 treatment (10.7 kg DM cow‑1). During week 13, there was no effect of treatment on DMI (15.1 kg DM cow‑1). Differences in DMI were observed during the experimental period, but there was no effect of treatment on DMI during the carryover period. In conclusion, varying the PA of early lactation dairy cows from 60 to 120% of intake capacity for 2 or 6 weeks produced no carryover effects in terms of DMI.

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Kennedy E., Delaby L., Horan B., Roche J. and Lewis E.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
In pasture-based dairy systems, feed supply can be limited in early spring due to inadequate pasture growth. The objective of this experiment was to investigate if different pasture allowances offered to early lactation grazing dairy cows, for different durations, influenced milk production. Cows were offered one of four pasture allowances (60, 80, 100 or 120% of intake capacity) for either 2 or 6 weeks. Once the 2- and 6-week time durations had elapsed, the cows in all treatments were offered 100% of intake capacity. At the end of the first 2 weeks of the experiment, milk yield was significantly different between all four allowances (18.5, 19.8, 21.4 and 23.1 kg cow‑1 day‑1 for 60, 80, 100 and 120% treatments, respectively). During weeks 7-10 there were no differences in milk yield between the 2-week treatments (23.5 kg cow‑1 day‑1). Milk yield of the 60×6 treatment was lower than the 100×6 and 120×6 treatments, but was similar to the 80×6 treatment. The 80×6 treatment was similar to the 100×6 treatment, but different to the 120×6 treatment. The 100×6 and 120×6 treatments were similar to each other. This indicates that differences in pasture allowance imposed for a 6-week period affected subsequent production and the data suggest that in early lactation the effect of pasture allowance on milk yield depends on the amplitude and the duration of the treatment application.