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Dietary preference of dairy cows grazing grass and clover

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 November 2021

S.M. Rutter
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, Devon EX20 2SB, United Kingdom
R.J. Orr
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, Devon EX20 2SB, United Kingdom
P.D. Penning
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, Devon EX20 2SB, United Kingdom
N.H. Yarrow
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, Devon EX20 2SB, United Kingdom
R.A. Champion
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, Devon EX20 2SB, United Kingdom
L.D. Atkinson
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, Devon EX20 2SB, United Kingdom
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Extract

The development of grazing management strategies to optimise nutrient intake from grazed herbage requires an understanding of the factors influencing the dietary preference of grazing domestic ruminants. Although there has been considerable progress in understanding the factors influencing the dietary preference of grazing sheep, there has been comparatively little research with lactating dairy cows (Rutter et al., 1997). The aim of the experiment reported here was to study the dietary preference of lactating dairy cows grazing grass and clover.

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Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 1998

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References

Parsons, A.J., Newman, J.A., Penning, P.D., Harvey, A. and Orr, R.J. 1994. Diet preference of sheep: effects of recent diet, physiological state and species abundance. Journal of Animal Ecology 63: 465478.10.2307/5563CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Penning, P.D. and Hooper, G.E. 1985. An evaluation of the use of short-term weight changes in grazing sheep for estimating herbage intake. Grass and Forage Science 40: 7984.10.1111/j.1365-2494.1985.tb01722.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rutter, S.M., Penning, P.D., Parsons, A.J., Harvey, A. and Orr, R.J., 1997. Dietary preferences of domestic ruminants. In: Forbes, J.M., Lawrence, T.L.J., Rodway, R.G. and Varley, M.A. (Editors), Animal Choices. Occasional Publication No. 20, British Society of Animal Science.Google Scholar