Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T21:39:58.307Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Feed intake of grazing cattle. V. A further study of the influence of pasture restriction combined with supplementary feeding on production per animal and per acre

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

W. Holmes  and
M. K. Curran
W. Holmes
Affiliation:
Wye College (University of London), Ashford, Kent
M. K. Curran
Affiliation:
Wye College (University of London), Ashford, Kent
Get access

Extract

This paper reports the second of two experiments which examined the possibility of improving pasture utilisation by restricting grazing and giving cows a supplement of concentrates. Two treatments (A and B) were continuously imposed, each on a group of 10 adult Ayrshire cows, for about 4 months. Cows received either pasture alone allocated daily by electric fence (B), or half this area of pasture plus 3 Ib. cubed concentrates per 10 lb. milk (A).

Herbage intakes were estimated by grass cutting techniques and also by faecal index methods, and animal performance was recorded. Over the whole experiment the two treatments gave similar levels of production per animal. Significant differences in milk yield and live-weight gain were detected only in periods 1 and 4, respectively, when the intended restriction was not completely achieved. While production per acre of grass was doubled by treatment a about 4,000 lb. grain was considered necessary to replace one acre of grazing.

The results are discussed in relation to the previous experiment. They suggest that the method of replacing half the normal grazing with barley or other concentrated feeds could be usefully employed to alleviate pasture shortage in parts of the grazing season and might therefore facilitate the maintenance of a high stocking rate.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , August 1967 , pp. 313 - 324
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1967

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

REFERENCES

Blaser, R. E., Hammes, R. C. Jr., Bryant, H. T., Hardison, W. A., Fontenot, J. P., & Engel, R. W., 1961. The effect of selective grazing on animal output. Proc. 8th int. Grassld Congr., Reading, pp. 601–606.Google Scholar
Bryant, H. T., Blaser, R. E., Hammes, R. C. Jr., & Hardison, W. A., 1961. Method for increased milk production with rotational grazing. J. Dairy Sci., 44: 1733–1741.Google Scholar
Drysdale, A. D., 1966. Supplementary feeding of cows on pasture. (Paper presented to the Winter Meeting of the British Grassland Society.)Google Scholar
Greenhalgh, J. F. D., Corbett, J. L., & McDonald, I., 1960. The indirect estimation of the digestibility of pasture herbage. II. Regressions of digestibility on faecal nitrogen concentration: their determination in continuous digestibility trials and the effect of various factors on their accuracy. J. agric. Sci., Camb., 55: 377–386.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holmes, W., Arnold, G. W., & Provan, A. L., 1961. Bulk feeds for milk production. I. The influence of level of concentrate feeding in addition to silage and hay on milk yield and composition. J. Dairy Res., 27: 191–204.Google Scholar
Holmes, W., & Jones, J. G. W., 1964. The efficiency of utilisation of fresh grass. Proc. Nutr. Soc., 23: 88–98.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holmes, W., & Jones, J. G. W., 1965. The feed intake of milk cows. II. The effect of roughage quality during late pregnancy and lactation. Anim. Prod., 7: 39–51.Google Scholar
Holmes, W., Jones, J. G. W., & Adeline, C., 1966. Feed intake of grazing cattle. IV. A study with milk cows of the influence of pasture restriction combined with supplementary feeding on production per animal and per acre. Anim. Prod., 8: 47–57.Google Scholar