Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T13:12:50.080Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Responses to supplementation by dairy cows given low pasture allowances in different seasons 1. Pasture intake and substitution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

J. W. Penno ,
K. A. Macdonald ,
C. W. Holmes ,
S. R. Davis ,
G. F. Wilson ,
I. M. Brookes  and
E. R. Thom
J. W. Penno
Affiliation:
Dexcel, Private Bag 3221, Hamilton, New Zealand
K. A. Macdonald
Affiliation:
Dexcel, Private Bag 3221, Hamilton, New Zealand
C. W. Holmes
Affiliation:
Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
S. R. Davis
Affiliation:
ViaLactia Biosciences (NZ Ltd), PO Box 109-185, Auckland, New Zealand
G. F. Wilson
Affiliation:
Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
I. M. Brookes
Affiliation:
Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
E. R. Thom*
Affiliation:
Dexcel, Private Bag 3221, Hamilton, New Zealand
*
†Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Two factorial experiments were designed to determine the effects of stage of lactation, and season of the year, on cow responses to supplementary feeding. These experiments were conducted over consecutive years with 128 high genetic merit multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows in early, mid and late lactation in spring, summer, autumn and winter. At each stage of lactation, and in each season of the year, cows were offered a restricted pasture allowance (25 to 35 kg dry matter (DM) per cow per day), either unsupplemented (control) or supplemented with 50 MJ metabolizable energy (ME) per cow per day in experiment 1 and 80 MJ ME per cow per day in experiment 2. Two different supplements were offered, namely, rolled maize grain (MG) and a mixture of foods (BR) formulated to nutritionally balance the diet. In experiment 2, a fourth treatment consisting solely of a generous pasture allowance (60 to 75 kg DM per cow per day, AP) was introduced. Offering MG and BR increased DM intake (DMI). At the restricted pasture allowance, increasing total ME allowance (MEA) by offering supplementary foods increased ME intake (MEI) by 0·68 (s.e. 0·047) MJ per extra MJ ME offered. This highly significant (P<0·001) linear relationship was consistent across seasons, and did not diminish at higher MEA. In experiment 2, cows in early lactation had lower substitution rates than mid and late lactation cows irrespective of season. Substitution rate was higher when higher pasture allowance or quality of pasture on offer enabled the unsupplemented cows to achieve higher DMI from pasture than at other times of the year. These results suggest that one of the key factors determining the intake response to supplementary foods is pasture allowance. Within spring calving dairying systems, the largest increases in total DMI per kg of supplement offered is likely when offering supplements to early lactation cows grazing restricted allowances of high quality pasture.

Keywords

dairy cowsgrazingpasture intakesubstitutionsupplementary feeding
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 82 , Issue 5 , October 2006 , pp. 661 - 670
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2006

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

Agricultural Research Council 1980. The nutrient requirements of ruminant livestock. CAB International, Farnham Royal, Slough.Google Scholar
Auldist, M. J., Walsh, B. J. and Thomson, N. A. 1998. Seasonal and lactational influences on bovine milk composition in New Zealand. Journal of Dairy Research 65: 401–411.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bauman, D. E. and Currie, W. B. 1980. Partitioning of nutrients during pregnancy and lactation. A review of mechanisms involving homeostasis and homeorhesis. Journal of Dairy Science 63: 1514–1529.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bines, J. A. 1985. Feeding systems and food intake by housed dairy cows. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 44: 355–362.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chesterton, R. N. and Marchant, R. M. 1985. Early induction of dairy cows. Proceedings of the second seminar of the Dairy Cattle Veterinarians’ Society of the New Zealand Veterinary Association, vol. 2, p. 52.Google Scholar
Clark, D. 1993. Silage for milk production. Proceedings of Ruakura dairy farmers’ conference, vol. 45, pp. 41–46.Google Scholar
Corson, D. C., Waghorn, G. C., Ulyatt, M. J. and Lee, J. 1999. NIRS: forage analysis and livestock feeding. Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association 61: 127–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dove, H. and Mayes, R. W. 1991. The use of plant wax alkanes as marker substances in studies of the nutrition of herbivores: a review. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 42: 913–952.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, N. J. and Parker, W. J. 1994. Increasing per cow milk solids production in a pasture-based dairy system by manipulating the diet: a review. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 54: 267–273.Google Scholar
Fisher, G. E.J., Dowdeswell, A. M. and Perrott, G. 1996. The effects of sward characteristics and supplement type on the herbage intake and milk production of summer calving cows. Grass and Forage Science 51: 121–130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fox, D. G., Sniffen, C. J., O'Connor, J. D., Russell, B. J. and Van Soest, P. J. 1992. A net carbohydrate and protein system for evaluating cattle diets. Journal of Animal Science 70: 3578–3596.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Genstat Committee 1997. Genstat for Windows command language manual, third edition, release 4·2b. Rothamstead Experimental Station, Harpenden.Google Scholar
Grainger, C. and Mathews, G. L. 1989. Positive relationship between substitution rate and pasture allowance for cows receiving concentrates. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 29: 355–360.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hewitt, A. E. 1998. New Zealand soil classification. Landcare Research Science Series 1, second edition. Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln.Google Scholar
Holmes, C. W. 1987. Pastures for dairy cows. In Livestock feeding on pasture (ed. Nicol, A. M.), New Zealand Society of Animal Production occasional publication no. 10, pp. 133–143.Google Scholar
Holmes, C. W., Wilson, G. F., MacKenzie, D. D.S., Flux, D. S., Brookes, I. M. and Davey, A. W.F. 1987. Milk production from pasture. Butterworths, Wellington.Google Scholar
Kellaway, R. C. and Porta, S. 1993. Factors affecting the response to supplementation. In Feeding concentrates: supplements for dairy cows (ed. Hopkins, R.), pp. 117–147. Agmedia, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Lean, I. J., Parker, W. J. and Kellaway, R. C. 1996. Improving the efficiency of pasture-based dairying. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 56: 270–275.Google Scholar
Leaver, J. D. 1985. Milk production from grazed temperate grassland. Journal of Dairy Science 52: 313–344.Google ScholarPubMed
Macdonald, K. A. and Penno, J. W. 1998. Management decision rules to optimise production on dairy farms. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 58: 132–135.Google Scholar
McGilloway, D. A. and Mayne, C. S. 1996. The importance of grass availability for the high genetic merit dairy cow. In Recent advances in animal nutrition (ed.Garnsworthy, P. C., Wiseman, J., Haresign, W.), pp. 135–169. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham.Google Scholar
Maher, J., Stakelum, G. and Rath, M. 2003. Effect of daily herbage allowance on the performance of spring-calving dairy cows. Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research 42: 229–241.Google Scholar
Mayes, R. W., Lamb, C. S. and Colgrove, P. M. 1986. The use of dose and herbage alkanes as markers for the determination of herbage intake. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 107: 161–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meijs, J. A.C. 1986. Concentrate supplementation of grazing dairy cows. 2. Effect of concentrate composition on herbage intake and milk production. Grass and Forage Science 41: 229–235.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meijs, J. A.C. and Hoekstra, J. A. 1984. Concentrate supplementation of grazing dairy cows. I. Effect of concentrate intake and herbage allowance on herbage intake. Grass and Forage Science 39: 59–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Penno, J. W., Macdonald, K. A., Holmes, C. W., Davis, S. R., Wilson, G. F., Brookes, I. M. and Thom, E. R. 2006. Responses to supplementation by dairy cows given low pasture allowances in different seasons. 2. Milk production. Animal Science 82: 671–681.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robaina, A. C., Grainger, C., Moate, P., Taylor, J. and Stewart, J. 1998. Responses to grain feeding by grazing dairy cows. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 38: 541–549.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rook, A. J., Huckle, C. A. and Wilkins, R. J. 1994. The effects of sward height and concentrate supplementation on the performance of spring calving dairy cows grazing perennial ryegrass-white clover swards. Animal Production 58: 167–172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soil Survey Staff 1990. Keys to soil taxonomy. Soil Management Support Services technical monograph no. 19, fourth edition. Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA.Google Scholar
Stakelum, G. 1986a. Herbage intake of grazing dairy cows. 1. Effect of autumn supplementation with concentrates and herbage allowance on herbage intake. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 25: 31–40.Google Scholar
Stakelum, G. 1986b. Herbage intake of grazing dairy cows. 2. Effect of herbage allowance, herbage mass and concentrate feeding on the intake of cows grazing primary spring grass. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 25: 41–51.Google Scholar
Stakelum, G. 1986c. Herbage intake of grazing dairy cows. 3. Effect of herbage mass, herbage allowance and concentrate feeding on the herbage intake of dairy cows grazing on mid-summer pasture. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 25: 179–189.Google Scholar
Stockdale, C. R. 1985. Influence of some sward characteristics on the consumption of irrigated pastured grazed by lactating dairy cows. Grass and Forage Science 40: 927–940.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stockdale, C. R. 1996. Substitution and production responses when lactating dairy cows graze a white clover pasture supplemented with maize silage. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 36: 771–776.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stockdale, C. R. and Trigg, T. E. 1985. Effect of pasture allowance and level of concentrate feeding on the productivity of dairy cows in late lactation. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 25: 739–744.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thom, E. R., Sheath, G. W., Bryant, A. M. and Cox, N. R. 1986. Renovation of pastures containing paspalum 1. Persistence of overdrilled ryegrass and prairie grass and effect on seasonal pasture production. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 29: 575–585.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van de Haar, M., Bucholtz, H., Beverly, R., Emery, R., Allen, M., Sniffen, C. and Black, R. 1992. User's manual for Spartan dairy ration evaluator/balancer, version 2. Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service, East Lansing.Google Scholar
Velleman, P. F. 1997. Data desk, statistics guide, version 6. Data Description, Ithaca, New York.Google Scholar
Wales, W. J., Doyle, P. T. and Dellow, D. W. 1998. Dry matter intake and nutrient selection by lactating dairy cows grazing irrigated pastures at different pasture allowances in summer and autumn. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 38: 451–460.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wales, W. J., Doyle, P. T., Stockdale, C. R. and Dellow, D. W. 1999. Effects of herbage mass, allowance, and level of supplement on nutrient intake and milk production of dairy cows in spring and summer. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 39: 119–130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar